🐴 Feeding a New Horse: How to Avoid Colic and Founder in 2025 🌾🔄

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

Bringing home a new horse is exciting—but one of the biggest mistakes new owners make is rushing into feeding changes. In 2025, the advice is clearer than ever: make all feed, hay, and pasture changes slowly to protect the horse’s digestive system. Let’s break down how to transition your new horse safely and successfully. 🧠🐎

🚫 Don’t Change Everything at Once

Even if you’re eager to improve the horse’s diet, resist the urge to switch feeds immediately. That includes:

• 🍽️ Grain or concentrate
• 🌾 Hay—even if it’s still coastal or alfalfa, different cuttings vary
• 🌿 Pasture—grass types and soil profiles differ from farm to farm

Even subtle changes in forage composition can lead to colic, diarrhea, or founder. ⚠️

🔄 Why Slow Feed Changes Matter

Horses rely on a delicate population of hindgut microbes to digest fiber and ferment food. These microbes are highly sensitive to dietary shifts:

• 🦠 Sudden feed changes disrupt the microbiome
• 🔥 Leads to acidity in the hindgut (hindgut acidosis)
• 💥 Can trigger colic, laminitis, or endotoxemia

Solution: Gradually mix in new feed or hay over a 10–14 day period to allow microbes to adapt. ✅

📦 Step-by-Step Transition Tips

1. 🪵 Get hay and grain from the previous owner if possible—enough for 1–2 weeks
2. 🔄 Mix your new hay/feed into the old gradually (start with 10–25%)
3. 🐎 Limit pasture turnout initially—introduce 30 minutes per day and increase slowly
4. 🚿 Walk the horse through the pasture to show water troughs and fencing
5. 👀 Observe for signs of digestive upset (soft manure, bloating, reduced appetite)

🕒 Feed Small, Frequent Meals

Instead of two big meals, feed your new horse:

• 🥄 Smaller meals 3–4 times per day
• 🍃 Use hay nets or slow feeders to mimic grazing behavior

This supports digestive health and reduces stress. 🧘‍♂️

📲 Ask A Vet for Feed Transition Support

Need help managing your new horse’s nutrition? Visit AskAVet.com or use the Ask A Vet App for step-by-step feeding plans, digestive supplements, and hay recommendations. 📱🐴

Dr Duncan Houston and the team can guide your transition process to avoid common errors and GI upsets. 💬🧠

🏁 Final Thoughts

In 2025, feeding a new horse safely is about one thing: slow and steady changes. Give your horse—and their gut—time to adjust, and you’ll lay the groundwork for long-term health. 🐴❤️

Need a feed transition calendar? Visit AskAVet.com to download yours today 📅🌾