🐴 Feeding Concentrate to Horses: Healthy Limits and Feeding Frequency for 2025 🥣⚖️

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc

In 2025, we understand more than ever how important it is to feed horses based on their evolutionary needs. Horses were designed to eat small, frequent meals of forage while moving throughout the day—not large grain meals in confined spaces. Let’s explore why excessive concentrate feeding can be dangerous, and how to manage it correctly. 🧠🐎

🌱 A Horse's Natural Digestive Design

Horses evolved by grazing for 16–18 hours per day. Their digestive systems are optimized for:

• 🌿 Continuous intake of high-fiber forage
• 🚶 Movement while eating
• 🧪 Slow, steady nutrient absorption

Today’s reality is different: many horses are fed twice daily with large grain portions, particularly in stall-based or high-performance settings. This shift can lead to serious health risks. ⚠️

🧪 The Problem With Large Concentrate Meals

An average horse stomach holds only 2–4 gallons—small compared to their body size (1,100+ lbs). It cannot handle large volumes of feed in one sitting, especially when layered over undigested hay. ❌

Concentrates pass from:

• 🥣 Stomach ➜ Small intestine: where nutrients are absorbed
• 🌪️ If overwhelmed, grain moves too fast ➜ Large intestine

When grain ferments prematurely in the large intestine, it can lead to:

• 💥 Gas buildup (colic)
• 🔥 Hindgut acidosis
• ⚠️ Laminitis and founder

🚫 Concentrates and Colic: A Direct Link

Racehorses, for example, are often:

• 🏇 Fed large concentrate meals twice daily
• 📦 Kept in stalls 23 hours a day
• 🥄 Given large volumes of hay and grain at once

This combination increases the risk of:

• 🧨 Gastric ulcers
• 🌀 Impaction or gas colic
• 🚨 Nutrient malabsorption

🥄 Safe Feeding Guidelines

Dr Duncan Houston’s rule of thumb:

• ⚖️ Feed no more than 5 lbs of concentrate per meal for a 1,100-lb horse
• 🕒 Divide feedings into 2–3 or more meals per day when possible
• 🌿 Prioritize forage: feed hay before grain to slow intake

Forage-first diets reduce ulcer risk and support healthier digestion overall. ✅

🥣 When Are Concentrates Necessary?

Concentrates (grain, pellets, commercial feeds) are needed when:

• 🐎 The horse has high energy demands (e.g. racehorses, lactating mares)
• 🦴 The horse needs extra protein, vitamins, or minerals
• 🧓 Seniors have difficulty maintaining weight on forage alone

But even then, amount and timing are key to prevent GI complications. ⏱️

📲 Ask A Vet for Feeding Help

Need help designing a safe concentrate plan? Visit AskAVet.com or use the Ask A Vet App for daily ration reviews, grain-to-forage ratios, and ulcer prevention strategies. 📱🐴

Dr Duncan Houston and the team will help build a balanced program that fits your horse’s lifestyle, body weight, and metabolic status. 💬🧠

🏁 Final Thoughts

In 2025, we know horses thrive on small, frequent meals with minimal concentrate overload. Always prioritize hay and limit grain to protect your horse’s digestive system from colic, ulcers, and laminitis. 🐴🥣

Need a concentrate feeding calculator or ulcer-safe meal plan? Visit AskAVet.com to download today ⚖️🌾