Horse nutrition is a complex science with direct welfare implications. Understanding nutritional needs and common mistakes helps owners feed appropriately for health and behaviour.
Horse nutrition errors cause a substantial proportion of the most serious welfare conditions in equines. Overfeeding of energy-dense concentrates at the expense of adequate forage contributes to gastric ulcers, hindgut dysfunction, and laminitis. Restricting forage access to manage weight causes gastric ulceration through prolonged acid exposure on an empty stomach. Obesity from inappropriate nutrition predisposes to laminitis, metabolic disease, and joint problems. The natural feeding behaviour of horses — continuous foraging for many hours — is at odds with the management approach of providing two or three large grain meals in confined spaces. The welfare-positive feeding approach provides ad libitum forage (restricted if calorie management is required), minimal concentrates matched precisely to workload, and fresh water always available.