If horses could talk, they’d probably say:
“Don’t call it feeding. Call it service.”
Because to them, mealtime is sacred.
And to you, it’s the easiest way to keep your horse healthy — or accidentally start a digestive rebellion.
Hay First, Always
Let’s start with the golden rule: fiber before fancy stuff.
Horses are designed to eat little and often — their stomachs produce acid 24/7, whether food is there or not.
So when hay runs out, that acid has nothing to do except irritate the stomach wall.
Translation: ulcers. The kind that makes your horse grumpy, girthy, and dramatically offended by life.
Keep forage available. Think of it as Netflix — always running in the background.
Timing Is Everything
Your horse doesn’t understand weekends, time zones, or “I was running late.”
Feed them at the same times every day.
Why? Because their gut bacteria (the real stars of digestion) expect a routine.
Change it suddenly, and you’ll have a bloated, confused horse wondering if the apocalypse is near.
Water: The Forgotten Ingredient
Ever noticed horses drink less in cold weather?
That’s when impaction colic likes to make its grand entrance.
Warm water, clean buckets, and salt in feed can keep things… moving.
(Yes, we’re talking about poop. You know it matters.)
Supplements, or Sparkly Snake Oil?
A vitamin here, a joint powder there — and suddenly your feed room looks like a pharmacy.
Here’s the truth: most horses don’t need half the supplements we think they do.
Good hay, clean water, and balanced feed do 90% of the job.
The rest is marketing — or wishful thinking.
Listen to the Hay Belly
A shiny coat and calm attitude tell you more than any label ever will.
If your horse looks good, feels good, and isn’t plotting your downfall during feed time — you’re doing fine.
Because feeding horses isn’t about perfection.
It’s about understanding how nature built them — and not arguing with her about it.
