Fibre feeds such as short chops and pelleted fibres can be used as partial or, where necessary, full forage replacers to help ensure horses and ponies continue to receive enough fibre in their diet. Used correctly, they can support gut health, help maintain routine and reduce the stress that sudden forage shortages can cause.
Running short of forage is something most horse owners hope never to face. However, increasingly unpredictable weather not only means yields in some areas of the UK are significantly down, but also that forage needs to be fed in the summer, which is significantly reducing what is left to get through winter. Planning ahead is key to trying to avoid running out of hay or haylage completely and having to make a significant change to your horse’s diet. This is beneficial for reducing the risk of digestive upsets and is usually more cost-effective in the long run.
When grazing and forage availability are reduced
The British climate is changing, with longer periods of drought occurring more frequently. This can affect both grazing and the availability of conserved forage in some areas. In situations like this, forage replacers can help existing forage supplies last longer.
Using a couple of kilograms per day, roughly equivalent to a section of a small hay bale, can make a meaningful difference. For a 500kg horse, this represents around 20–25% of daily forage requirements and is a practical option for many owners.
When forage quality is not ideal
Sometimes, forage or grazing may be too rich, particularly for good doers. In these cases, using a low-calorie chopped fibre feed can help reduce overall calorie intake while still supporting chewing time and digestive health.
Products such as a low-calorie, low starch highly digestible fibre short feed alternative that can be fed ad lib as a forage replacer. A straw or alfalfa blend short feed is another option and can be fed in a large bucket or trug to help keep horses occupied when stabled.
At the other end of the scale, late-cut forage or poor grazing may not provide enough nutrition, particularly for young horses, older horses or those in work. In these situations, higher-calorie chopped fibre feeds can be used to increase energy intake without relying on cereal-based feeds, which may be unsuitable for some horses. Options such as chopped grass, alfalfa or herb feed with added oil can be fed as partial forage replacers, up to recommended amounts.
Horses with dental challenges
A reduced ability to chew is not limited to older horses. Dental issues such as diastemas are increasingly seen in horses of all ages and can make long-stem forage difficult to manage.
If a horse can still cope with short chop fibres, these can be used as a complete forage replacer and fed on a weight-for-weight basis with hay. Where chopped fibre is no longer suitable, soaked fibre feeds, mashes, or pellets or beet-based feeds may be beneficial. These soaked feeds can also help increase water intake, which may be particularly useful during colder weather.
Encouraging fibre intake and foraging behaviour
Adding variety to fibre sources can help maintain interest and encourage foraging behaviour, especially during periods of increased stabling. Offering one or two buckets of chopped fibre alongside the usual forage ration can support intake and may be particularly useful for horses with smaller appetites or those that are fussy feeders.
Feeding forage replacers safely
When using forage replacers, it is important to keep a few key principles in mind:
- Not all feeds are suitable as forage replacers. They must be high in fibre, low in starch and nutritionally comparable to forage
- Feeding insufficient fibre increases the risk of digestive issues such as colic and loose droppings, so forage replacers should always be weighed
- When forage is fully replaced, a minimum of 1.5% of bodyweight on a dry matter basis should be fed daily
- Forage replacers should be fed in a wide, stable bucket rather than a net. Adding a football or smooth stones can help slow intake
- As with any dietary change, forage replacers should be introduced gradually over a period of at least a few weeks
Once introduced, larger quantities can be left available in the same way as hay.
