How to Choose Horse Feed for Easy Keepers

What is the best horse feed for easy keepers? How do you find a low-calorie diet with low starch and sugars? Why are diet balancers a good fit for overweight horses? Our equine nutritionists at Nutrena® brand break down some of these most frequently asked questions about how to choose horse feed for easy keepers and overweight horses, so you can feel confident that you are providing a nutritionally balanced diet for your horse’s specific life stage and activity level. Because here at Nutrena, we believe what’s inside counts®.

Before Feeding Overweight Horses and Easy Keepers

Before feeding overweight horses and easy keepers, it is important to establish a baseline for their condition by weighing them and evaluating their Body Condition Score (BCS). Both will be necessary to determine an ideal diet and how many lbs. to feed per serving.

Evaluate Body Condition Score

For BCS, download a copy of the scorecard along with a tracking form here, and reference the nine-point scoring system below:

• 1 / Poor
• 2 / Very Thin
• 3 / Thin
• 4 / Moderately Thin
• 5 / Moderate
• 6 / Moderate to Fleshy
• 7 / Fleshy
• 8 / Fat
• 9 / Extremely Fat

Weigh Your Horse

For weighing your horse, use a scale or equine weight tape, which uses heart girth and body length to estimate weight. Depending on your horse’s age, use one of the following equations to estimate weight.

• Adult horse: (Heart Girth x Heart Girth x Body Length) ÷ 330 = Bodyweight in pounds
• Yearling: (Heart Girth x Heart Girth x Body Length) ÷ 301 = Bodyweight in pounds
• Weanling: (Heart Girth x Heart Girth x Body Length) ÷ 280 = Bodyweight in pounds

Note: The above calculation is not accurate for all breeds. Additional equations for different breeds can be found through the University of Minnesota Extension.

Factors Impacting Weight Loss

In addition to establishing a baseline weight and BCS, be sure to also consider other factors that could be impacting your horse’s ability to lose weight. Some questions to ask are:

• What is your horse’s age and activity level?
• What is your horse’s primary forage type, quantity, and frequency?
• Are there any other underlying health conditions or metabolic concerns?

If your horse is struggling to drop weight, we always recommend working with your equine vet or scheduling a virtual consultation, so one of our equine nutritionists can help.

Diet Recommendations for Easy Keepers

Diet recommendations may vary depending on the cause for being overweight, but as a rule of thumb, here are some tips to look for on your feed bag:

• Low Feeding Rates: One of the biggest misconceptions horse owners have is that if their horse is overweight, they should just scale back on their grain. This isn’t always true. While scaling back may reduce calories, it will also drop your serving below the recommended feeding rate which won’t satisfy the minimum nutrients your horse needs. Instead of lowering your feeding rate below the recommended amount, it is better to switch to a feed, or balancer, with fewer calories per serving. For example, at just 0.8 – 3.0 lbs. per 1,000 pound horse, Empower® Topline Balance® is Nutrena feeds lowest calorie product that still offers a blend of the essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals horses need to look and feel their best. Since Empower Topline Balance is a diet balancer with concentrated nutrient levels, it allows for low feeding rates to balance forages without all the extra calories.
• Controlled Starch and Sugar: For overweight horses, especially those prone to metabolic challenges, it is critical your feed guarantees levels of starch and sugar. Often, low Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) are necessary, so finding a controlled starch formula with guaranteed maximum sugar and starch is important.
  Our most popular feed for low NSC is SafeChoice® Special Care at only 10% NSC with no added corn, corn co-products, or molasses, Chromium to support metabolic issues, Topline Balance® Technology to support topline health and muscle, Nutri-Bloom Advantage® for easier nutrient absorption, and Digestive Shield™ for complete gut and immune health.
• Gut Support: For your horse to lose and maintain weight, they need to reduce caloric intake without sacrificing their gut and immune system. Check your feed tag to see if it includes ingredients like prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and calcite – like our SafeChoice products with Digestive Shield™, a proprietary blend of all of these ingredients.

Find Horse Feed for Easy Keepers Near You

Nutrena offers a few different options depending on your horse’s weight loss needs. The most popular go-to feeds for easy keepers are:

• SafeChoice® Special Care (14% Protein | 21% Fiber | 7% Fat)
• SafeChoice® All Life Stages (14% Protein | 15% Fiber | 8% Fat)
• Empower® Topline Balance® (30% Protein | 8% Fiber | 5% Fat)

Visit our Dealer Locator to find horse feed for easy keepers near you.