The Importance of Fibre First

Think about this for a moment... the horse is a plains grazer. They evolved to eat grasses, bushes and to browse from low tree branches. They ate almost constantly, pausing only to snooze in the heat of the midday sun. Zebras and the Steppes ponies still live like this. They didn't evolve to eat large quantities of cereals, or to eat 2 or 3 large meals a day like we do.

We could all save ourselves money on feed and vets bills by taking a bit more notice of the amount of fibre that our horses eat. For years we thought that horses ate all day and slept at night, but recent studies have shown that horses will eat 65% of their total daily fibre intake over night. So saying "he's been out all day, 3 slices of hay will do for the night" just isn't good enough.

Studies have shown that horses with lowered fibre intake, such as racehorses, show increased levels of stereotyped behaviours (or vices like weaving, wind-sucking etc) and gastric disruption including ulcers. It is thought that behaviours such as wind-sucking stimulate the gut to give the horse a 'full feeling' or to produce digestive juices, and it is this that triggers gastric disruption and ulcers.

Another problem with feeding horses large quantities of grain, and less fibre is that it reduced the pH of the gut (makes it more acidic) which also increases the risk of gastric problems. It also explains why so often the pony that escapes and stuffs himself with the contents of a feed bin will suffer a bout of colic.

So now I hear you saying "but my horse is in hard work, he Needs hard feed to keep his energy up and the weight on him", or "my horse loses weight easily, I need to feed cereals to keep him looking well". My answer is are you feeding the right fibre? In both these cases the requirement is extra calories, and the general perception is that 'fibre' can't provide them. The horse is incredibly effective at turning fibre into energy, how much energy depends on the fibre source.
In the UK we tend to think of fibre for horses as being Grass, grass hay, grass haylage and "chaff" or "chop". Some of us may realise that sugar beet pulp is a fibre source too.

So lets go through the fibre sources and discuss their benefits and ways to feed them...
Grass - this is the obvious one. But is your grass good quality? is the pasture well managed? How long is your horse at pasture for each day? What about in the winter? Grass quality can vary immensely, and even the different types of grasses can make a difference. If the pasture was originally sown for dairy purposes then the chances are that it is a richer, more protein rich sward than one which was sown for horses. This is good if your horse works hard, but could pose a problem for fatties or laminitic horses.
So what about the winter? once the frost has hit the grass there is very little nutrition in it, but the fibre remains. The problem is that horses are like us in the sense that they like the taste of their food, and frost-bitten grass isn't as good as fresh spring grass! This, coupled with the lack of growth during winter, is why we often need to give hay in the field in winter. Along this line, whilst the amount of fibre in the grass is highest during the winter, the opposite is true during the summer, and this is why some horses get a bit green and runny in the spring.

Preserved Grass Forages (hay, haylage and silage)
Hay is the highest fibre, highest dry matter fibre source of this group. It can be old pasture or seed hay. Old pasture hay or meadow hay is often lower nutritional value and better suited to those that need fewer calories, but is often softer and more palatable to the fussy eater. Seed hay on the other hand is stalkier, but has a higher nutritional value. the prices of the 2 are fairly similar on a weight for weight basis. The main 2 problems that people have with hay is that it is difficult to store well and is prone to dustiness (which of course brings its own problems)
Haylage is a fairly modern invention borne out of horse owners requiring a lower dust, higher moisture content fibre source for horses, and preferably one that was easier to store. Good Haylage is a consistent, palatable and nutritious fibre source. It is higher calorie than almost any grass hay, and the vast majority of horses will eat it without any fuss. Commercial haylage producers in the UK will usually produce 2 or more grades - one suitable for most horses, and one that is aimed at the harder working horse. This is higher calorie, higher protein and possibly slightly lower moisture content.
Silage is normally a totally unsuitable fibre source for the horse, but some horses are fed it and do well. The problem is that commercial silages are often treated with chemicals or biological agents to help break down the fibres to provide cattle (the normally intended destination for silage) with certain nutrients not normally found in grasses. These 'innoculants' can at best be unpalatable, and at worst could make the silage poisonous to a horse. If you are ever to feed a horse on silage, please check that it has not been treated with anything, and that it is only grass.

Straw is not often fed to horses these days, but it could still be a useful fibre source. If your horse or pony is particularly prone to obesity or laminitis then chopped straw is a low calorie way to provide fibre. Short chopped fibre has the advantage of taking the horse longer to chew than long stem fibre like hay! Straw is not hugely palatable though, and you may need to add herbs like mint or fenugreek to encourage the horse to eat. Chopped straw is cheap however, and straw pellets are often used in low calorie or high fibre 'hard feeds'.

Sugarbeet is available as shreds (or pulp) or pellets, and molassed or unmoalssed, and some manufacturers make a quick-soak version. Sugarbeet is a by-product of the sugar industry in the UK. Once the sugar has been extracted from this turnip-like vegetable all that remains is the pulp. This is then dried at high temperature to preserve it (pelletising happens before it is dried). Some manufacturers add molassed back to the beet pulp before drying to improve the palatability for cattle, but horses will eat it unmolassed with no problems. Sugarbeet MUST be soaked before feeding to horses. Pellets generally require 24 hours, shreds 12 hours and quick-soak varieties will depend on the manufacturer's recommendations. The quick soak varieties are made by micronising (or effectively microwaving) the wet beet pulp. This causes the cell structure to change, allowing water to move between the cells much more quickly, which is why is soaks more quickly. Sugar beet is a great source of fibre for the horse as it is very digestible, and helps to hold water in the gut. This in turn helps to keep the hard working horse hydrated! Whilst this may not be ideal in every situation (such as racing where the horse should not carry a large quantity of water in its gut) it is the best thing for endurance horses, hunters and horses going cross country. Keeping the horse hydrated keeps him well, and helps him recover from hard work.

Alfalfa is becoming more common in the UK, but as it has a limited growing season it will probably never be as widespread as it is in the USA. Horse owners in the USA will usually feed alfalfa as hay instead of grass hay, but in the UK is is usually found as a short chop, and may be treated with molasses, oil or a combination of the two. It may be mixed with grass or straw to produce a lower calorie chop. Alfalfa is great for the working horse as it is high in good quality protein, ideal for helping the horse maintain condition and muscle mass. With oil added it is great for stamina, coat condition, and weight gain or maintenance. The only problem with alfalfa is that it can have a bitter taste to it which some horses do not like. This can often be countered with a touch of molasses, oil or herbs.
Some manufacturers sell a pelletised blend of alfalfa and sugarbeet which should be soaked before feeding. This is a great way to feed fibre, and most horses enjoy this as much as plain sugarbeet. It does look a little like something a cow left behind though!
Alfalfa, due to the supply issue in the UK can be expensive. That said, it is often more cost effective and better value for money than most short chop fibres if you are looking to put condition on a horse!

Grass Pellets or Grass Nuggets are basically compressed dried grass. They are useful if you need to add fibre to a ration, but they are relatively low in nutritional value otherwise. In that sense, they are a good way to provide fibre and 'something to do' to a stabled horse (though not necessarily a laminitic!)

Chaff or Chop This is usually a blend of inexpensive chopped fibres, normally grass, and straw, with molasses added to improve palatability. They are usually inexpensive, and whilst they provide some fibre to the horse, the amount of sugar they provide undoes the good. Sugar does the same as starch in cereals and increases the acidity of the horse's gut. If you are able to find a low sugar version, then it makes for a very easy way to provide the horse with low calorie fibre.

So, now to making a choice and getting the feeding right...
Broadly speaking we can categorise fibre into long stem, short chopped or soaked fibre sources. Short choppped and soaked fibre sources take the horse longer to eat, which alleviates boredom, and encourages a steady flow of fibre through the digestive system.

If you are trying to help a laminitic or overweight horse to increase the fibre intake, or you need to provide a low calorie fibre for another reason, you should try to feed a short chopped fibre and a soaked fibre. This helps to ensure the horse takes in enough fluids, and helps to ensure he is kept busy!
Leave it in 2 buckets with him overnight (and the day if he's in!), once he gets used to the novelty of having 2 buckets he will learn to eat the feed steadily and not just wolf it down!

If you are feeding a horse for hard work or weight gain then try feeding all 3 forms of fibre. Use short chopped fibre to slow down the rate he eats what little hard feed you'll be giving him, use long stem fibre to keep him occupied. If he eats it too quickly put it into a haynet with small holes to slow down the rate he can get at it. Also feed a bucket of one of the soaked fibres, if you don't need much condition, or he's only in moderate work choose unmolassed sugarbeet. If he's in hard work or needs a lot of condition go for alfalfa pellets or the sugarbeet/alfalfa blended pellets.

Once you have the fibre sorted, you'll be surprised how much less hard feed you need, and in many cases the horse will be happier in himself, vices will reduce if not cease, and the signs of gastric disturbance will almost certainly disappear.