Are We Overfeeding Our Horses?

by Dr. Chris Mortensen, PhD

For many horse owners across the world, feeding has become an act of love. We want our horses looking healthy, shiny, calm, and performing well. But in trying to do the right thing, many modern horses may actually be receiving far more nutrition… and calories… than they truly need.

Ironically, some horses today are overweight while still being nutritionally unbalanced.

In fact, data from multiple countries around the world suggest over 50% of all domestic horses are overweight! 

With improved pasture systems, concentrated feeds, reduced movement, and an increasing number of feeding options available, the modern horse faces nutritional challenges very different from those of its ancestors. In many cases, the issue is no longer a lack of calories, it is managing excess.

And that excess may be contributing to obesity, metabolic problems, digestive issues, and long-term health complications.

Horses Were Never Designed for Modern Feeding Systems

Horses evolved as grazing animals designed to move continuously across large distances while consuming small amounts of low-calorie forage throughout the day.

Their digestive system was built for:

• constant fibre intake 
• near-continuous chewing 
• slow energy release 
• high daily movement 

Modern management often looks very different.

Today many horses:

• graze improved pasture rich in sugars and calories 
• exercise less frequently 
• receive large, concentrated meals 
• consume calorie-dense feeds despite light workloads 

Across New Zealand, lush ryegrass and clover pastures can provide enormous amounts of energy during spring and autumn. In Australia, many hardy breeds and easy keepers evolved to survive drought conditions, making them extremely efficient at storing energy when feed becomes abundant. 

At the same time, many modern horses move far less than their ancestors ever did. Horses that evolved to walk and graze for most of the day may now spend long periods in small paddocks, dry lots, or stalls with concentrated feeding schedules.

The result is often a mismatch between what the horse’s body evolved for and what many horses now receive daily.

What Overfeeding Actually Looks Like

Overfeeding is not always obvious.

Many overweight horses are described as:

• “looking fantastic” 
• “well covered” 
• “shiny” 
• “healthy” 

But excess body fat can quietly place stress on the horse’s metabolism, joints, and digestive system. Signs of overfeeding may include:

• fat pads behind the shoulders 
• a cresty neck 
• fat around the tailhead 
• generalized obesity 
• a pot-bellied appearance 
• horses becoming “fresh” or difficult to manage despite light work 

One of the biggest challenges is that horse owners often normalize overweight horses because they are so common. A horse in light work generally requires far fewer calories than many owners realize.

Overfed… But Still Deficient?

This is where horse nutrition becomes particularly interesting.

A horse can consume too many calories while still lacking important nutrients.

Calories are not the same thing as balanced nutrition.

Pasture and hay may provide plenty of energy, but they do not always provide optimal levels of:

• copper 
• zinc 
• selenium 
• vitamin E 
• essential amino acids 

This is particularly important in Australia and New Zealand, where many soils and forages naturally contain high iron levels. Excess iron may interfere with the absorption of important trace minerals like copper and zinc.

As a result, some horses may appear overweight while still having nutritional imbalances affecting:

• hoof quality 
• coat condition 
• muscle development 
• immune function 
• metabolic health 

This is why modern nutrition should focus less on simply adding calories and more on balancing what forage may not adequately provide.

Hidden Calories: Complete Feeds, Oils, and High-Fat Diets

Many horse owners underestimate how many calories their horse consumes each day.

A common modern scenario might involve:

• rich pasture access 
• hay 
• a complete feed 
• added oil 
• treats 
• multiple daily feeds 

…while the horse is only in light work a few times per week.

Even “cool energy” feeds can still contain significant calorie levels.

Fat can be an excellent energy source for certain horses, particularly high-performance athletes or horses struggling to maintain weight. However, many lightly worked horses simply do not require large amounts of added fat or concentrated energy.

For easy keepers, ponies, and many pleasure horses, this can quickly create an energy surplus.

The Rising Epidemic of Metabolic Horses

Conditions such as:

• Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) 
• insulin dysregulation 
• obesity-related laminitis 
• Cushing’s-associated metabolic problems 

are becoming increasingly common.

While genetics certainly play a role, modern feeding systems are also a major contributor.

Many horses now live in environments with:

• constant calorie availability 
• reduced movement 
• prolonged access to high-sugar pasture 
• excess energy intake relative to workload 

Ponies and easy keepers are especially vulnerable because they are naturally adapted to survive on limited nutrition. Unfortunately, their efficiency becomes a disadvantage in calorie-rich modern management systems.

Are Performance Horses Overfed Too?

Not all overfeeding involves overweight horses.

Some performance horses genuinely require significant calorie intake to support training and competition demands. However, even performance horses can sometimes receive more starch, sugar, or calories than necessary.

In some cases:

• horses become overly reactive or difficult to manage 
• digestive stress increases 
• gastric and hindgut issues become more common 

Feeding for “energy” does not always improve performance.

In fact, excessive calorie intake or poorly balanced feeding programs may sometimes create unnecessary physiological stress.

The Psychology of Feeding Horses

Feeding is emotional. For many owners, feeding is deeply connected to care, routine, bonding, and love.

Reducing feed can sometimes feel uncomfortable emotionally… even when it is the healthiest decision for the horse. Horses also quickly learn feeding routines and often appear enthusiastic for additional feed regardless of whether they physiologically require it.

Modern marketing can add to the confusion by creating the impression that every horse needs:

• more products 
• more calories 
• more additives 
• more energy 

But sometimes the healthiest feeding program is actually the simpler one.

A Smarter Approach: The Poseidon Pyramid

Rather than focusing on feeding more, modern horse nutrition should focus on feeding appropriately. At Poseidon Animal Health, we often use the “Poseidon Pyramid” approach to simplify feeding priorities. 

Step One: Fibre First

The foundation of equine nutrition should always be fibre.

Horses are fibre fermenters first.

Pasture and hay support:

• hindgut microbial health 
• chewing behaviour 
• saliva production 
• digestive stability 
• slow-release energy 

Without adequate fibre, many other aspects of digestive and metabolic health begin to suffer.

Step Two: Correct Nutritional Gaps

Once fibre intake is appropriate, the next step is balancing deficiencies that forage may not fully provide.

While pasture and hay can provide excellent fibre and energy, they are often inconsistent or imbalanced in key nutrients required for long-term health and performance. That is why a complete and precise daily vitamin and mineral supplement like DailyBalance can play such an important role in supporting a horse’s overall wellbeing and helping meet daily nutritional requirements without adding unnecessary calories.

Many forages are low or imbalanced in:

• copper 
• zinc 
• selenium 
• vitamin E 
• essential amino acids 

Rather than adding unnecessary calories, this stage focuses on targeted nutritional balance.

The goal is not to feed more.

It is to feed more appropriately.

Step Three: Support Gut Health

Once fibre and foundational nutrition are addressed, maintaining digestive health becomes a major priority/ Thus, we highly suggest adding DigestiveEQ to your horse’s daily feed.

The horse’s digestive system is central to:

• nutrient absorption 
• microbial balance 
• immune function 
• behaviour 
• performance 
• overall wellbeing 

Modern horses are exposed to many challenges that may place stress on the gastrointestinal system. Thus, for many horses, digestive support may help maintain a healthier stomach and hindgut environment, particularly during periods of stress or dietary change.

This may include nutritional support aimed at:

• maintaining healthy gut pH 
• supporting hindgut microbial populations 
• supporting fibre digestion 
• buffering excess acidity 
• supporting gut lining integrity 

A healthier digestive system often forms the foundation for better overall health, body condition, and performance.

Step Four: Add Extra Support When Needed

Only after fibre, nutritional balance, and gut health are addressed should additional targeted support be considered.

This may include support for:

• energy requirements 
• muscle development 
• topline support 
• metabolic health 
• joint support 
• performance demands 

Every horse is an individual. A high-level performance horse has very different nutritional needs compared to a retired pony or lightly worked pleasure horse.

The best feeding programs are often built around identifying the horse’s actual physiological needs rather than simply adding more feed “just in case.”

Modern horses face very different nutritional challenges than horses did even a few decades ago.

For many horses today, the greatest risk is not starvation or underfeeding, it is nutritional excess combined with hidden imbalances.

Good feeding is not about providing the most calories, the richest feed, or the largest number of products.

It is about understanding the horse in front of you:

• workload 
• body condition 
• metabolism 
• forage quality 
• environment 
• individual needs 

Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do for our horses is not feeding more.

It is feeding smarter.