Appropriate nutrition is foundational to horse welfare. Both undernutrition and overnutrition cause welfare harm, and understanding equine nutritional needs helps owners provide optimal care.
Equine nutritional welfare is compromised in both directions by common management practices. Insufficient hay access causes gastric ulceration through acid exposure of unprotected stomach. Overfeeding energy-dense feeds to horses with limited exercise causes obesity and metabolic disease. Meeting horses nutritional needs through species-appropriate high-fibre feeding is a fundamental welfare requirement that underpins many other aspects of health and behaviour.