Nutrition is not “one size fits all”
Horses have, by nature, transitioned into a life in stables. When creating a feeding plan, it’s important to keep your horse’s origins in mind. This means: forage forms the basis of every ration and pasture access is important.
Why is forage so important?
Forage is so important because it simultaneously:
- Provides the basic energy and nutrients your horse needs throughout the day.
- Keeps the intestines healthy thanks to the high fiber content, which supports good gut function and a stable gut flora.
- Protects the stomach and digestive system: chewing not only breaks down the feed, but also produces a lot of saliva. That saliva acts as a kind of natural buffer: it helps neutralize stomach acid and keeps the stomach healthy.
- Is essential for the teeth: the chewing movements on stemmy forage provide natural tooth wear.
- Supports calmness and natural behavior: horses are made to nibble for many hours a day; sufficient forage reduces boredom and stress.
- Chewing stimulates the production of saliva. Saliva is important for its buffering effect in the digestive system of your horse, due to its ability to maintain the correct pH value.
Let’s compare:
Types of forage
1. Pasture grass
✅ Natural, very palatable and stimulates lots of chewing and movement.
⚠ Quality and sugar content vary greatly by season; difficult to dose precisely.
2. Hay
✅ Easy to store and dose; a good base for most horses.
⚠ Large differences in nutritional value possible; quality depends on the cut, grass species, and storage.
How to assess the quality yourself:
A. Feel: does the hay feel soft, firm, or coarse? This relates to the leaf/stem ratio. More leaf = softer and usually more nutritious (more suitable for skinny horses); more stem = coarser and lower in energy.
B. Smell: fresh hay smells clean and aromatic. Hay older than approx. 0.5–1 year often smells musty or dusty or has almost no smell left.
C. Look: good-quality hay is usually nicely green-yellow, not dull, gray, or brown.
3. Haylage
✅ Often less dusty than hay and usually slightly higher in energy; useful for horses with sensitive airways or higher energy needs.
⚠ Sensitive to poor storage (mold, too acidic).
4. Alfalfa (chopped with stems)
✅ High in protein and minerals; supports muscle building and chewing activity, a good supplement for skinny horses.
⚠ Relatively “rich”: better as a supplement to hay (e.g., up to approx. 1–2 kg/day), not as the sole forage source.
5. Straw (e.g., wheat straw)
✅ Provides lots of chewing time and structure; can help reduce boredom in the stable or paddock.
⚠ Low nutritional value; only as a supplemental forage, not as the main source for skinny horses (Hallebeek, 2024).
When and how much concentrate does a skinny horse need?
Concentrates are a quick energy source and are especially useful for horses that need to perform more, such as sport horses. However, it always remains a supplement: you only use it when forage (hay/haylage/alfalfa) is not sufficient to provide enough energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Always start with the label: look at the starch and sugar content and choose based on your horse’s needs:
If your horse needs more energy (e.g., a sport horse training intensively several times per week), a well-chosen concentrate can help.
If the focus is on protein and muscle building, you are better off choosing protein-rich forage (such as alfalfa or protein-rich hay) and possibly a vitamin/mineral balancer or a supplement like Curafyt’s Body&Build, which contains essential amino acids, instead of extra grain-based pellets.
This way, forage remains the foundation, and you use concentrate strategically and thoughtfully for what your skinny horse truly needs.
Which other “fuel sources” exist (instead of extra concentrate)?
Besides concentrates, you can also use fat as an additional energy source. Fat is a safe, slow-releasing energy source that helps spare glycogen: your horse can burn more fat, meaning the sugar stores in the muscles are depleted more slowly and energy is released more steadily. Fat also supplies essential fatty acids.
Important sources are vegetable oils (such as linseed oil, rapeseed oil) and oil-rich seeds (such as flaxseed).
Fat is mainly digested in the small intestine, with the help of lipase and bile. Horses do not have a gallbladder and therefore secrete bile continuously, but in limited amounts. This is why fat must always be offered in moderation and divided over the day.
As a rule of thumb, you can build up to a maximum of 0.5–1 ml oil per kg body weight per day in adult horses (max. 250–500 ml for a 500 kg horse), divided over 2–3 meals. Start with small amounts, such as 20 ml per day, and increase slowly (Hallebeek, 2024).
A practical example is Curafyt’s Grow&Glow: a natural combination of 3 vegetable oils rich in omega-3, based on microalgae oil, linseed oil, and coconut oil, supplemented with vitamin E to support a healthy body weight and overall health. Dosage: 50 to 100 ml/day for a 500 kg horse.
Beet pulp as a fiber-rich energy source
Beet pulp is an easily digestible fiber source that provides extra energy without much starch. It also adds more “volume” and moisture to the ration, which supports gut health and hydration. Always soak beet pulp in at least five times its volume in water, as feeding it dry increases the risk of choke (Hallebeek, 2024).
Basic principles
1. Sufficient forage (dry matter)
Aim for at least 1.5–2% of body weight in dry matter (DM) per day. Dry matter is simply the feed without water.
Practical example for a 500 kg horse:
500 * (1.5 /100) = 7.5 kg DM
Hay contains 83% DM
(7.5 * 100)/83 = 9.04 kg hay/day
2. Maximum 6 hours without forage
Do not let your horse go longer than 6 hours without forage. Chewing produces saliva, which protects the stomach from acid and reduces boredom. Slow feeders can help spread the forage throughout the day.
3. Always less concentrate than forage
Never feed more kilos of concentrate than forage, and limit starch to about 1.5 g starch per kg body weight per meal.
Practical example for a 500 kg horse:
500 * 1.5 g = 750 g starch/meal
Maintenance pellets contain approx. 31% starch
750 g/(31/100) = 2419 g or 2.4 kg maintenance pellets
Diet guidelines for skinny horses with specific conditions or special nutritional needs
The underlying condition or specific nutritional needs determine which diet and adjustments are necessary. Below you’ll find practical diet guidelines for skinny horses with common conditions or additional requirements.
Dental problems
When horses have dental problems, feed is often not chewed properly. You may regularly see long stems in the manure or wads of half-chewed forage on the ground.
Adjust the feed like this:
- Use soft, fine hay or a second cut.
- Add soaked forage pellets or beet pulp. Soak 1 kg forage pellets in 2–3 liters of water or 0.5 kg beet pulp in 2 liters of water.
- Divide into at least four meals per day.
- Do not leave soaked feed standing for more than 12 hours, especially in warm weather.
Gastric ulcers
Gastric ulcers occur when parts of the stomach lining are excessively exposed to stomach acid. The upper, squamous or non-glandular area does not naturally have a protective mucus layer and is therefore easily irritated. In the lower, glandular area, protection can be disrupted, for example by stress or medication. Factors such as irregular or infrequent feeding, low forage intake, and a starch-rich ration increase the acid load on the stomach lining and thus the risk of ulcers.
Adjust the feed like this:
- Ensure your horse can chew throughout the day. The saliva produced while chewing helps reduce stomach acidity.
- Add alfalfa (0.5–1 kg per meal) to buffer stomach acid. Alfalfa has a high calcium content, which neutralizes stomach acid.
- Limit concentrates and choose feeds with <10% starch.
- Add Curafyt Guts&Glory, a natural supplement containing key ingredients that support the healing of the stomach lining.
Always feed in a fixed routine and do not change feed suddenly. Calm and consistency help the stomach recover.
Chronic inflammation
Long-term inflammation places heavy demands on the body. The immune system remains active and uses extra energy, causing the horse to begin breaking down muscle tissue to compensate. This not only makes the animal thinner but also reduces strength and muscle mass.
Because low-grade inflammation in the intestines, skin, airways, or joints often develops subtly, it is not always immediately noticeable. That’s why it’s important to have your horse examined early by a veterinarian and to identify the cause.
In consultation, the ration can then be adjusted to reduce stress on the body and provide sufficient energy.
Adjust the feed like this:
- Provide high-quality forage with low sugar content.
- Use energy from fiber and fats instead of starch, for example via beet pulp or forage pellets as a safe energy source.
- Add 50–100 ml Grow & Glow per day as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Provide extra vitamin E: 1,000–2,000 IU per day.
- Add Curafyt Restore & Revive for extra support: 30 ml per day for a 500 kg horse.
Liver or kidney problems
Protein and waste processing is disrupted. Too much protein burdens the liver and kidneys.
Adjust the feed like this:
- Use hay from a later cut (lower protein) or mix hay with straw.
- Avoid wet haylage or strongly fermented feed.
- Provide energy from fiber and oil, not from protein-rich products.
- Avoid excess alfalfa or soybean meal.
Have your horse’s blood tested regularly and coordinate feeding with your veterinarian.
Older horses
With older horses, it is also important to always start from the individual animal. First look at the BCS (body condition score), observe chewing (teeth, dropping feed, slow eating), assess the manure (long fibers yes/no), and evaluate forage intake: what is it given, what does it truly eat, and what seems to be digested in the intestines?
Also assess the medical history: is there (risk of) PPID and/or insulin dysregulation (IR), or other conditions such as osteoarthritis, respiratory issues, or chronic pain that affect appetite and energy needs?
Around and after approx. 15 years of age, nutrient absorption can become less efficient, while energy needs in practice often increase (e.g., for thermoregulation and maintaining muscle mass). As a result, an older horse may extract less energy and nutrients from the same feed and begin to lose weight (Hallebeek, 2024).
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE RATIONS
(for an average horse of approx. 500 kg, always adjust individually in consultation with your veterinarian)
1. Skinny older horse, but otherwise healthy
- Pasture access is fine for a healthy older horse, as long as it can bite off the grass properly.
- Forage: 8–10 kg good hay/haylage per day. Choose fine, soft, low-dust, and mold-free hay or finely chopped haylage.
-
Fiber-rich energy:
- approx. 1 kg soaked beet pulp.
- 1–1.5 kg alfalfa cobs/mix (possibly partly soaked).
- Vitamins & minerals: a balancer such as Este Balancer.
- Extra fat/energy source: 50–200 ml oil per day as an extra energy source (e.g., Curafyt Grow&Glow).
- Gut health: Curafyt Guts&Glory to further support gut flora and nutrient absorption.
2. Older horse with bad teeth
- Forage (what is still manageable): 2–4 kg soft hay per day, only if it can still be chewed and swallowed safely.
-
Forage replacements (always soaked):
- 2–3 kg alfalfa or grass cobs, soaked into a mash.
- approx. 1 kg soaked beet pulp.
- Possibly 1–2 kg fiber-rich senior mash as supplement or partial forage replacement.
- Fat & energy: 100–150 ml oil per day (e.g., Grow&Glow), divided over multiple portions.
- Everything as mash: soak all components well and feed as slurry/mash in several small meals to prevent choke.
- Gut flora (extra important): Because poor chewing impairs fiber digestion, a healthy gut flora is crucial. Curafyt Guts&Glory supports gut health and thereby the utilization of feed.
3. Older horse with PPID and confirmed Insulin Dysregulation (ID)
⚠ Note: Not every horse with PPID also has ID. But in horses with confirmed ID, it is essential to limit sugar and starch (NSC) to reduce the risk of laminitis.
- Pasture: Be careful with pasture in ID horses: limit to controlled periods on low-sugar grass and be extra cautious during high-risk times such as spring and sunny, cold days.
- Forage (low in sugar/starch): 8–9 kg low-NSC hay per day (<10–12% NSC), possibly soaked to reduce sugar further.
-
Fiber-rich additions (low NSC):
- 0.8–1 kg soaked beet pulp without molasses.
- 0.5–1 kg soaked alfalfa cobs or a low-NSC senior feed, divided into 2–3 meals.
- Fat & energy: 100–150 ml oil per day (e.g., Grow&Glow), divided over multiple meals.
- Vitamin and mineral balancer to cover all micronutrients (e.g., Este Balancer).
- Portion size & frequency: feed concentrates, pulp, cobs, and mash in small, frequent meals (min. 3–4 per day) to reduce the NSC load per meal and keep the insulin response more stable.
-
Gut health: A stable gut flora also helps here to provide calm energy from fiber.
Curafyt Guts&Glory can be used to support gut health.
A horse with PPID requires lifelong, comprehensive care: not only in terms of nutrition, but also medication, hoof and dental care, coat care, and adjusted exercise. With good management, regular check-ups, and veterinary follow-up, PPID symptoms remain better controlled and your horse stays fitter and more comfortable for longer (Hallebeek, 2024; Galinelli et al., 2021).
