Understanding Horse Feed Labels
Choosing the right feed for your horse shouldn’t feel overwhelming, but with shelves full of bags, tubs, mixes and supplements (all claiming to be “best” or “complete”), it’s easy to feel lost. Understanding nutrition starts with understanding what’s actually in the bag, and that begins with learning how to read a feed label.
Scientific advances in equine nutrition have expanded our knowledge of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, forage values, and how different ingredients affect horses with varying health profiles. Yet more choice can bring more confusion.
The good news? The foundations of good feeding remain simple.
Feeding Made Simple - Principles for All Horses
No matter their breed, age or workload, horses require the same essential nutrients; only the amounts change. Keep these universal rules in mind:
Ad‑lib forage first: plenty of roughage supports gut health and behaviour.
Keep starch and sugar low: high levels affect insulin and glucose, contributing to laminitis, colic, gut upset, joint disease, muscle disorders and behavioural issues.
Feed quality protein: it’s the essential amino acids that matter, not just the crude protein (CP%) printed on a label.
Omega‑3 fatty acids: support systemic health and are beneficial for all horses.
Vitamin E: essential for immune function, muscle health and recovery.
Biotin: proven benefits for hoof quality in many horses.
Use supplements wisely: unnecessary or poorly formulated supplements can cause clinical or subclinical problems.
Understanding Protein: Why Percentages Can Mislead
It’s easy to become fixated on the crude protein number. But CP% tells you nothing about how usable the protein is.
Horses require grams of protein and amino acids, not percentages.
For example:
A 12% CP feed fed at 2 kg/day provides 240 g of protein.
A 16% CP feed fed at 1.5 kg/day also provides 240 g of protein.
But if either feed is low in essential amino acids (lysine, methionine, threonine), the horse cannot effectively use that protein, regardless of the percentage.
Is the Feed Company Reputable? Key Things to Look For
Not all feeds are created equal.
Look for:
✔ Research behind the formulation: Is the feed based on equine-specific studies, not data from other species?
✔ Qualified formulators: Does the company employ a veterinarian or equine nutritionist with recognised credentials?
✔ Transparent Labelling: Clear ingredient lists, nutrient analyses, feeding directions and safety statements.
✔ Independent auditing: Third‑party laboratory analysis ensures accuracy and integrity.
✔ Evidence for claims: Terms like “low GI”, “cool”, “digestive support” or “grain-free” mean little without supporting data.
Ingredients & Processing Methods That Require Caution
“Grain‑free”
Means no whole grains, but may still include grain by‑products (bran, pollard, millrun), which are high in starch/NSC.
Hominy Meal (Ground Corn Meal ~38–45% NSC)
Hominy meal is a by‑product of corn milling and typically contains very high levels of non‑structural carbohydrates (NSC), often between 38–45%. High‑NSC ingredients like hominy meal may be hidden under terms such as corn by‑products, millrun, or grain by‑products, so always check the full ingredient list.
“Low sugar”
Meaningless without also listing starch or total NSC.
“Low starch”
Must be < 4% to be considered truly low.
“Cool feed”
Suggests minimal glucose spikes, but unless tested, it’s just marketing.
“Low GI”
“Low GI” is a regulated and evidence‑based term. For a feed to legitimately qualify as low glycaemic index, the manufacturer must have conducted controlled testing measuring insulin, blood glucose, and ACTH before feeding, and again 1, 2, and 3 hours after feeding. These studies require animal ethics approval, so reputable manufacturers should be able to supply formal study results, peer‑reviewed data, or validated independent testing. If a product claims “low GI” but cannot provide scientific evidence, treat the claim as marketing.
Always look for:
WSC (sugar)
ESC (ethanol‑soluble carbohydrates)
Starch
Total NSC (<10% for metabolic horses)
If any are missing, the label is incomplete, and the feed may not be safe for pregnant mares, weanlings, and horses with EMS, PPID, IR or laminitis risk.
Anti‑Nutritional Factors: Why Processing Matters
Some plant ingredients contain natural anti-nutrients, tannins, phytates, and trypsin inhibitors, which evolved to help seeds pass through digestive systems intact.
Plants produce these to protect against breakdown in the gut, but they reduce digestibility, impair nutrient absorption and may cause gut irritation. This is why raw mung beans or faba beans are never fed to horses or other species without heat processing.
Diet Analysis: When It’s Worth Doing
Many generic diet analysis programs rely heavily on Northern hemisphere refeeding standards, such as the NRC (National Research Council) and INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique). While these systems are widely recognised, they are built on population averages, not individual horses. This creates several limitations:
Based on averages, not individuals
NRC and INRA guidelines reflect the estimated needs of an “average” horse of a specific age, weight, and physiological status. Real horses rarely fit these averages; their requirements can vary significantly due to breed, metabolism, training intensity, climate, and health conditions.Designed for healthy horses only
Minimum nutrient requirements were calculated to prevent deficiency diseases in otherwise healthy horses. They do not account for the additional nutritional support needed by horses with conditions such as EMS, PPID, laminitis, ulcers, arthritis, poor topline, or recovering from illness.Not tailored to Australian forage or conditions
These systems are based on European forage profiles and environmental conditions, which can differ significantly from those in countries like Australia, where pastures, climates, and soil mineral patterns vary widely.Missing key equine‑specific research
Some software programs extrapolate from studies in other species or outdated research, leading to incorrect assumptions about amino acid requirements, mineral absorption, or energy utilisation in horses.May overlook interactions and anti‑nutritional factors
Generic programs often don’t account for tannins, phytates, oxalates, or processing differences that can dramatically affect nutrient availability.
Because of these limitations, generic diet software can be helpful for broad guidance, but it cannot replace individualised, evidence‑based nutrition assessment, especially for:
pregnant mares
growing youngsters
horses with arthritis, laminitis or insulin dysregulation
those with ulcers, diarrhoea or gut issues
PPID/Cushing’s horses
performance horses and racehorses
those with poor muscling, topline or hoof quality
horses recovering from illness or surgery
orphan foals or senior horses with dental problems
A proper analysis identifies errors, reveals nutrient gaps or excesses, and ensures your horse’s diet supports its health and purpose.
Buy Right - Feed Right
Feeding your horse well begins with learning to interpret what feed companies tell you, and what they don’t. With evidence‑based nutrition, clear labelling and a focus on individual needs, feed choices become simpler, safer and more effective.
If you’d like help analysing your horse’s diet or interpreting a particular product label, Jenquine is here to support you. Purchase a diet analysis here.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9889680/pdf/JVIM-37-302.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20190222221947id_/http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3d7d/5697df47bdbc435d0deab6699143877bb1c5.pdf
Dr Jennifer Stewart
BVSc BSc PhD Equine Veterinarian and Consultant Nutritionist
