Horses evolved to graze for 16-20 hours per 24 hour period while traveling long distances in search of foraging areas and shelter. They constantly consume small amounts of forage, and then periodically move and rest. As herd animals, they’re most comfortable grazing together safely with other horses. 

Their digestive system adapted for this lifestyle. Horses are hind gut fermenters, with simple stomachs and a hindgut that contains millions of microbes that can break down (or ferment) fibre.

By providing forage and maintaining their environment to fulfill their instinct to chew and to move, we can have happier, healthier horses.

When grazing is not available or sufficient, the most common source of forage is hay. Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be used for food. The quality and quantity of hay needs to be assessed to optimize your horses’ diet.  

Factors like the types of plants, growing conditions, harvest stage, and baling and storage practices will have significant impacts on the nutritional content of the hay. A handy resource for assessing your hay is available here: Equine Guelph’s Hay Scorecard 

Horses need to consume approximately 2–2.5% of their body weight in forage on a dry matter basis. This is the recommended amount for most domestic horses as it helps the digestive tract operate normally. Calculate your horse’s forage requirement with Equine Guelph’s Forage Calculator. A horse will require more hay to maintain their body condition for every degree that drops below their lower critical temperature. This temperature can vary based on the region and factors related to horse, such as their haircoat. A horse in Ontario, Canada with a decent winter coat usually has a lower critical temperature of around –15°C. Outdoors, adult horses being fed at maintenance will need an additional 2% more feed per degree below the lower critical temperature (-15°C). At –40°C, the horse will need 4.5–5 kg (10–12lbs) more than it ate at temperatures above –15°C. You can learn more about management and feeding of horses in cold weather here: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Horses are trickle eaters, and giving unlimited, palatable free-choice hay can lead to overeating. Horses can also be very picky eaters and will root through hay to find the tastiest bits. On top of that, they like eating clean hay, so hay that’s on the ground and is soiled is often wasted. In fact, research from the University of Minnesota has shown that up to 50% of hay fed on the ground will be wasted.

Slow feed netting is proven to manage the consumption of hay and some reduction in waste. But filling hay bags every day takes a lot of time. And horses often hold their heads in unnatural positions while they’re eating from a bag. 

The OptiMizer combines the best of slow feed netting with the convenience of a multi-bale feeder. Our research shows that the OptiMizer results in natural forage behaviours. Hay consumption is regulated and horses are content. With an OptiMizer, you can rest assured that you always have hay available for your horses.

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