The importance of fibre in your horse’s diet
Fibre plays a vital role in your horse’s overall health, supporting both digestive function and body condition. A fibre-rich diet helps reduce the risk of gastric ulcers and other digestive-related issues, promoting long-term wellbeing.
If forage availability is limited, due to weather or other factors, adding a forage replacer to your horse’s diet may be necessary.
Forage replacers are an excellent way to supplement or fully replace traditional forage sources such as hay or haylage, particularly for horses that struggle with long forage strands or are prone to weight loss during the winter months.
If you are concerned about your horse’s weight or condition, please consult your vet.
When to use a forage replacer?
Forage replacers can be used in place of long stem forage to overcome this issue and help to increase the fibre allocation in the horse’s diet.
It is important to divide and spread out the forage replacer during the day and night, to ensure the horse is not without food for long periods.
Offering short, chopped fibre chaff can support your horses’ fibre intake, as well as providing a useful base to mix supplements or medications.
Which forage replacer is best for my horse?
Try to pick a forage replacer that suits the individual horse and is soft, finely chopped in texture and palatable.
You may need to continue to monitor your horse’s eating habits to adapt the diet further to include a fibre mash if his ability to eat short, chopped products declines further.
What is a partial forage replacer?
A partial forage replacer is a fibre-based feed product designed to supplement or partially replace some of the standard forage intake, such as hay, haylage, or grass.
These products are formulated to help increase fibre intake when availability, quality, or palatability is compromised.
Mollichaff Partial Forage Replacers
Mollichaff Light Molasses Free is a good source of fibre for horses and ponies on a calorie-controlled diet, as it is low in starch and sugar.
This chaff product can be used as part of a bucket feed, partial forage replacer, or to help support enrichment activities for horses and ponies on restricted grazing.
Mollichaff DailyFibre is high fibre and low in starch and sugar and is designed to provide horses and ponies with essential fibre while supporting their overall health and well-being.
This versatile chaff can be used as part of a bucket feed or as a partial forage replacer.
It is suitable for many horses and ponies in light to medium work.
This high-fibre chaff supports gastric health and is especially suited to supporting the well-being of older horses
Mollichaff Veteran is a tasty, fortified chaff for older horses that need a little more from their feed.
This highly palatable, high-fibre forage blend is designed to complement the forage ration where necessary and can be used as part of the bucket feed or a partial forage replacer.
The soft, short chop is ideal for those who may struggle to chew long forage.
Mollichaff Veteran provides some key vitamins and minerals so it should only replace up to 30% of your horse’s total forage allocation.
For horses and ponies with metabolic or endocrine issues, it is important to pick feeds that are low in starch and sugar – look out for the HoofKind logo on the bag.
If you’re unsure, contact our helpline, 01803 527274, for further nutritional support.
by Sarah Turnbull – HorseHage and Mollichaff Feed Adviser.
Want free nutritional advice?
It is important to ensure that horses receive a balanced diet to support their growth, development, and health.
If you are unsure about the best diet for your horse our friendly and knowledgeable team is available on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.
Give us a call at 01803 527274 or send an email to sales@horsehage.co.uk
