# Feeding the Performance Horse Feeding performance horses comes down to one core difference, whether the diet delivers most of its energy as forage fiber fermented in the hindgut or as starch from grain concentrates. The rule of thumb is simple, keep forage as the base of every ration and add only as much concentrate as the horse's workload, body condition, and digestive health actually require. That rule matters because the horse's digestive tract evolved for a grass-based, low-starch diet, yet grain-based rations remain common practice for equine athletes [1]. Getting this balance wrong is one of the most common and most preventable drivers of gastric disease, gut dysbiosis, and erratic behavior under saddle in sport and race horses. This guide covers the main feeding performance horses options, the pros and cons of each, the criteria that decide real-world choices, worked scenarios, and the management habits that hold a ration together over a season. ## What Feeding Performance Horses Actually Involves A performance ration has three jobs. It must supply enough energy for the work asked of the horse, it must protect the digestive tract that evolved to process continuous forage, and it must be practical for the person feeding it every day. Equine gastric disease (EGD) is a common condition in performance horses and can compromise behavior, performance, and welfare. It is often attributed to high-starch, high-sugar feeds combined with limited forage access [2]. That single sentence shapes almost every decision in this article. Any feeding plan that pushes starch up while pushing forage down is working against the biology of the animal. Energy sources fall along a spectrum. Forage and fiber-based feeds deliver energy slowly through hindgut fermentation. Starch-rich grains deliver energy quickly but raise glycemic and digestive risk as amounts climb. Fat delivers dense energy without starch. Most real rations combine all three, and the art of feeding the performance horse lies in the proportions and the meal sizes, not in any single "right" product. ## Feeding Performance Horses Options: Side by Side The table below compares the core options. Each is explained on its own terms in the sections that follow. | Option | How it delivers energy | Best fit | Pros | Cons | Key watch-outs | |--|--|--|--|--|--| | Forage-only or high-forage ration | Hindgut fiber fermentation, slow release | Light to moderate work, horses with EGD history | Matches natural digestive biology, supports microbial co-metabolism, steady behavior | May not meet energy needs at high workloads, bulk handling, quality varies | Requires adequate hay quality, no single number fits every horse, discuss totals with your vet | | High-starch grain concentrate | Rapid starch absorption, glycemic response | Hard work, racehorses, horses that struggle to hold weight | Energy-dense, convenient, cheap per calorie, supports weight gain | Gastric and hindgut risk at high intakes, behavioral effects | Cap meal size, split into small meals, transition slowly | | Low-starch fat and fiber concentrate | Fat plus fermentable fiber | Sport horses, jumpers, EGD-prone individuals | Lower gastric risk shown in research, dense energy without starch | Often costs more per kg, some horses eat it less readily | Check starch and sugar percentage on the tag, transition fully | | Yeast top-dress (live S. cerevisiae) | Feed additive, not an energy source | Horses that must stay on starch-based rations | Studied benefits for fecal pH, digestion, gut permeability, inflammation | Not a substitute for ration reformulation | Strain and dose matter, effects documented with specific products | | Slow-feeding devices and hay boxes | No energy change, changes intake pattern | Barns managing waste, boredom, or long stalls | Extends eating time, reduces wastage | Some horses show frustration or awkward postures with nets | Match device to individual, monitor behavior | ## Forage-Only and High-Forage Diets The forage-first approach asks whether a horse can perform on forage alone. In athletic horses, the answer is increasingly nuanced. In a study of Standardbred trotters in race training, researchers compared a no-starch, forage-only diet with a high-starch forage-concentrate diet over 29-day periods. Metabolomic profiling of postprandial plasma, quantifying 52 metabolites, clearly discriminated between the two diets. The forage-only diet was strongly identified by metabolites originating from host-microbial co-metabolism, meaning the horses on forage alone were running substantially different metabolic machinery than their grain-fed counterparts, with potential implications for health and performance [1]. Two practical conclusions follow from that work. First, a forage-only ration is metabolically viable in at least some horses in serious training, so it belongs on the list of serious feeding performance horses options rather than being dismissed as a leisure-horse diet. Second, the metabolic fingerprint of a forage diet differs so clearly from a starch diet that switching between them is a real physiological event, not a bag swap. Transitions deserve time and monitoring. The pros of a forage-dominant ration are continuity with the horse's evolutionary design, steady energy release, sustained chewing and salivation, and a gut environment that favors fiber-fermenting microbes. The cons are straightforward. Hay is bulky to store and transport, quality varies from batch to batch, and at very high workloads some individuals will lose condition on forage alone no matter how much is offered. When that happens, the fix is adding concentrate energy, not simply piling on more hay the horse cannot physically finish. ## High-Starch Grain Concentrates ![Formula multiplying 2 g of starch per kg body weight per meal by the horse's weight to give the starch in one meal.](/article-images/illustrations/feeding-performance-horses-starch-per-meal.webp) Grain concentrates remain the default energy top-up in many training yards because they are energy-dense, economical, and effective for weight gain. But grain choice and starch load are not interchangeable. In a study of weaned foals fed steam-flaked corn, oats, or barley at equal starch intake, apparent nutrient digestibility differed by grain type, and the researchers noted that glycemic responses vary considerably based on grain type, starch content, composition, and structural properties [3]. Starch chemistry, not just starch quantity, shapes what happens after the meal. The dose limits used in equine research give owners useful anchors. The yeast trial described below used a concentrate delivering 2 g of starch per kg of body weight per meal [4], and the foal grain study set intake at 2 g of starch per kg body weight per day [3]. Those figures come from specific study designs, so treat them as discussion points with your veterinarian rather than universal rules. What the research consistently shows is that keeping starch per meal low and splitting concentrates into multiple small feedings is a protective strategy, while large single grain meals are where digestive trouble concentrates. The pros of grain feeding are real, dense calories, easy handling, reliable weight gain, and decades of familiarity in training barns. The cons are equally real. High starch with limited forage is the classic profile linked to equine gastric disease [2], and postprandial glycemic and insulin responses differ by grain type [3], which matters for any horse with metabolic concerns. ## Low-Starch Fat and Fiber Concentrates Low-starch concentrates replace grain energy with fermentable fiber, fat, or both. This is the category with the most direct performance-horse evidence in recent literature. In a study of nine elite showjumping horses on one yard, the entire string was transitioned from a concentrate containing 31% sugar and starch to a low-starch, low-sugar feed containing 16.5%. Gastroscopies before and 12 weeks after the change showed major improvement. Total gastric disease scores fell from a median of 4, range 0 to 5, to a median of 1, range 0 to 2, with squamous scores falling from 1, range 0 to 3, to 0, range 0 to 1, and glandular scores from 2.5, range 0 to 4, to 0, range 0 to 2, all statistically significant. Fecal microbiota communities did not shift overall, but the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio dropped, and lower F/B ratios were associated with lower total gastric disease scores [2]. That study carries a big message for anyone weighing feeding performance horses pros and cons. A single diet change, made under standardized management on a professional yard, produced measurable gastric healing in high-level athletes within 12 weeks. The cons of low-starch feeds are mostly practical, higher cost per kilogram in many markets, and some individuals find them less palatable than sweet feeds. The watch-out is label literacy, verify the combined starch and sugar percentage on the analysis rather than trusting marketing terms like "performance" or "cool" on the bag. ## Yeast and Digestive Supplements Direct-fed microbials sit in a middle category, they do not supply energy, but they can change how a ration behaves in the gut. The best-studied example in horses is live Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077. In a 32-day trial, 30 mature [Quarter Horse](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/equine-care/quarter-horse-health-common-conditions-and-preventive-care) geldings were fed a high-starch concentrate delivering 2 g starch per kg body weight per meal, either alone or top-dressed with 25 g per day of the live yeast. The supplemented group showed increased body weight change, and the study tested fecal pH, fecal starch content, digestibility, serum D-lactate as a marker of gut permeability, whole-blood bacterial counts, fecal microbiota, and inflammatory markers. The stated hypotheses, that the yeast stabilizes fecal pH, reduces gut permeability, maintains microbial communities, and decreases inflammation in horses on a high-starch diet, reflect the mechanisms this additive targets [4]. The honest pros and cons framing matters here. A yeast top-dress is a mitigation tool for horses whose ration must contain meaningful starch. It is not a free pass to feed large grain meals, and it is not a replacement for moving a ulcer-prone horse onto a lower-starch ration where that change is feasible. Owners who pick this option should confirm the specific strain and dose on the product label, since research findings apply to defined strains at defined rates. ## Slow-Feeding Devices and Hay Delivery How hay reaches the horse matters as much as what is in the bucket. Slow feeding devices (SFDs) are widely promoted for welfare and waste reduction, but they change the physical act of eating. In a behavioral study of ponies fed hay on the ground, from a fully filled hay net, from a partially filled hay net, or from a slow-feeder hay box, head tilting occurred more often with both hay nets compared to ground or hay-box feeding, and the forward forelimb posture was less frequent with nets. Ponies, particularly the larger Welsh and Cob types, also showed more backward ear positions, a frustration signal, when eating from nets [5]. This is one of those feeding performance horses options where the pros and cons are individual. A device that extends eating time and reduces waste may suit one horse and frustrate another. Ground feeding remains the most natural posture. Hay boxes appear to sit between the two, offering slower consumption without the postural compromises of small-mesh nets. Feeding environment also has a behavioral dimension that owners underestimate. In a study of how horses learn from observing humans, 12 of 17 horses significantly changed their preference for a feeding location after observing approval expressed between two humans at that location, and socially housed horses adapted in a higher proportion of trials than individually housed horses [6]. The practical takeaway for a busy barn is that where and how you present feed, and the routine around it, carries information your horse is picking up, and consistent handling around feeding time supports calm, predictable eating behavior. ## How to Choose: The Criteria That Decide Real Choices When owners search for the best feeding performance horses setup, they are usually comparing options on six criteria: 1. **Energy density versus digestive risk.** Starch is efficient but risky at high per-meal loads. Forage and fat are gentler but bulkier or more expensive. 2. **Gastric health history.** A horse with documented squamous or glandular disease earns a low-starch, forage-forward plan first [2]. 3. **Body condition trend.** Horses that cannot hold weight on forage need concentrate calories, and grain type affects digestibility and glycemic response [3]. 4. **Meal practicality.** The best ration on paper fails if the feeding schedule is unrealistic. Split concentrates, keep forage available as continuously as your barn allows, and pick delivery devices the individual tolerates. 5. **Behavior under saddle.** Diet-driven metabolomic differences are large and measurable [1], and behavior changes often show up before laboratory markers do. Track them. 6. **Cost and consistency.** Feed that varies batch to batch undermines every other decision. Buy consistent lots and keep records. No single option wins on all six. Most successful performance rations combine a forage base, a modest and well-split concentrate, and selective use of additives. ## Feeding Performance Horses in Practice: Matching Energy to Workload Energy level in concentrate is a dial, not a switch. Research on Mongolian broodmares in late gestation compared high, medium, and low energy concentrates and found that the medium energy level significantly improved final body weight, tended to increase average daily gain, and enhanced nutrient digestibility, while blood markers suggested reduced hepatic or muscular stress compared with the other levels [7]. The study population was pregnant mares rather than competition horses, but the principle travels, more energy is not always better, and an intermediate level can outperform both extremes on physiological markers. For owners, that means workload matching works in steps. Horses in light work may need no concentrate at all. Horses in moderate work often do well with small, split concentrate meals on top of full forage access. Horses in intense work, racing, three-day eventing, endurance, need individualized rations built from measured hay analysis, current weight, and body condition score. This is also where mathematical modeling enters mainstream practice. Nutritional modeling is increasingly used to predict feed intake, nutrient use, and excretion in response to animal characteristics and management, and modeling frameworks now feed into broader sustainability assessments of production systems [8]. The practical translation for a horse owner is that your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist can estimate requirements far more precisely than a rule of thumb when they have real inputs, accurate body weight, body condition score, workload description, and a hay analysis. Bringing those four data points to the conversation changes the quality of the recommendation you receive. ## A Horse Care Checklist for Daily Feeding Management Rations fail in execution more often than in formulation. A simple daily and weekly horse care checklist keeps execution tight: **Daily** - Weigh concentrates by scale, not by scoop, and record the actual grams fed - Split starch into the smallest practical number of meals - Confirm forage availability and note any period of gap or shortage - Watch eating behavior, speed of consumption, quidding, or left-over feed - Check water intake, and record anything noticeably abnormal **Weekly** - Body condition score and record it - Note behavior under saddle, girthiness, irritability, or reluctance to work - Confirm feed room contents match the written ration sheet **Per season** - Analyze a representative hay sample when a new batch arrives - Reassess the ration against current workload with your veterinarian - Reconcile your feeding log with your [horse health record template](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/equine-care/horse-health-record-template) so weight trend, workload, diet changes, and veterinary findings sit in one file That last item deserves emphasis. A horse health record template that captures date, body weight, body condition score, ration, workload, dental work, and gastric scope findings turns anecdote into data. Owners who maintain one can show their veterinarian a weight trend and diet history in minutes, which shortens every diagnostic conversation and makes feed transitions measurable rather than guesses. ## Worked Scenarios **Scenario 1, the show jumper with recurring gastric scores.** A ten-year-old jumper in full training has ulceration on scope. Following the evidence, the first move is ration structure, forage stays available continuously, and the 31% sugar and starch concentrate is replaced with a feed around half that starch and sugar level [2]. Expect re-evaluation on the order of weeks, since measurable gastric improvement appeared at 12 weeks in that study. A live yeast additive can be discussed as adjunct support if starch remains meaningful in the ration [4]. **Scenario 2, the [horse losing weight](/knowledge/veterinary-medicine/equine-care/horse-losing-weight) despite generous hay.** A horse in moderate work dropping condition on forage alone needs denser calories. Grain-type selection matters, since digestibility and glycemic response differ between processed corn, oats, and barley at equal starch intake [3]. The practical path is a hay analysis plus a concentrate chosen with your veterinarian, introduced gradually and split across meals. **Scenario 3, the horse on a fixed training-yard ration.** In some yards, individual diet reformulation is not possible, and the horse must stay on the standard starch-based feed. Here the additive route and delivery management carry the load, a defined live yeast supplement at a labeled rate [4], small per-meal starch amounts, and hay delivery methods the individual handles without frustration [5]. Document fecal consistency and behavior weekly so problems surface early. ## Common Mix-Ups - **Confusing meal size with daily total.** Digestive risk tracks per-meal starch as much as daily amount [4]. Two large meals are not equivalent to four small ones. - **Assuming "performance feed" on the label means low risk.** Only the declared starch and sugar percentage tells you where a feed sits on the spectrum that separates the diets in the showjumper trial [2]. - **Treating grain types as interchangeable.** Equal starch from different grains does not produce equal digestibility or glycemic response [3]. - **Using yeast as a license for high-starch feeding.** Yeast supplements mitigate some consequences of starch feeding, they do not erase the case for reformulation where reformulation is possible [4]. - **Judging slow feeders by internet consensus.** The same device that extends eating time for one horse produces frustration signals and awkward postures in another [5]. Trial and observe. - **Ignoring slow eating as a dental or oral problem.** Reluctance to eat or difficulty chewing can signal oral disease, and when routine oral examination does not explain it, imaging such as ultrasonography of the tongue has diagnosed abscesses that radiographs missed, with both affected horses in one report resuming normal feeding within days after drainage [9]. - **Changing feeds overnight.** The metabolomic differences between forage and starch rations are large [1], and abrupt change denies the gut microbes time to adapt. ## Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian ![Decision path from a feeding problem through refusal to eat, colic signs and weight loss to the point of calling a veterinarian.](/article-images/illustrations/feeding-performance-horses-when-to-call-vet.webp) This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment. Individual horses need individualized plans, and the studies cited here describe specific populations under controlled conditions, not guarantees for your animal. Contact your veterinarian promptly when you see any of the following: - **Feed refusal or difficulty chewing that lasts more than a day or two.** Oral causes, including lingual abscesses, can require imaging and drainage and respond well when caught early [9]. - **Unexplained weight loss or a declining body condition score over several weeks** despite unchanged feeding. - **Signs of colic**, including pawing, rolling, flank watching, or absence of fecal output, which is an emergency, not a feeding problem to solve at home. - **Evidence of gastric pain**, such as girthiness, poor performance, or behavioral change that is new and persistent, which warrants a discussion about gastroscopy. - **Loose manure, unusual fecal consistency, or visible feed material in manure** following a ration change. - **Any planned major ration change** in a horse with known metabolic, gastric, or muscular disease, which should be designed with your veterinarian rather than improvised. A veterinarian or qualified equine nutritionist should also be involved whenever a horse's workload is changing substantially, since energy requirements shift faster than most owners expect. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much should I feed my performance horse each day? There is no single number, the right total depends on your horse's body weight, body condition score, workload, and hay analysis. Bring those four data points to your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist, who can estimate requirements far more precisely than any generic chart. ### Is a high-starch grain diet bad for performance horses? Not inherently, but dose and structure matter. High starch with limited forage is the profile linked to equine gastric disease, and research keeps per-meal starch amounts low and splits grain into small meals for good reason. If your horse needs grain energy, keep meals small and forage continuous. ### Are low-starch feeds better for sport horses? For horses prone to gastric disease, yes, the evidence is strong. Showjumpers moved from a 31% to a 16.5% sugar-and-starch concentrate showed significantly improved gastric scores within 12 weeks. For horses without gastric concerns, the decision should weigh cost and the horse's actual energy needs. ### Do yeast supplements actually help? A defined live yeast strain has documented benefits in horses eating high-starch rations, including effects on fecal pH, digestion, gut permeability, and inflammation markers. Strain and dose matter, so choose a labeled product and treat it as support for a ration, not a correction of one. ### How slowly should I change my horse's feed? Gradually, over days to weeks rather than overnight. The metabolic profile of a forage-based diet differs measurably from a starch-based one, and the hindgut microbes that drive that difference need time to adapt. Make changes stepwise and monitor manure and appetite as you go. ### What should a horse health record template include for feeding purposes? At minimum, dates, body weight, body condition score, the exact ration fed, workload level, dental visits, and any diagnostic findings such as gastroscopy scores. Keeping this alongside your daily horse care checklist turns seasonal ration reviews into data-driven decisions. ## Sources 1. [The metabolomic profile of a high starch versus no starch diet in athletic horses.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41083709/) 2. [Impact of Low-Starch Dietary Modifications on Faecal Microbiota Composition and Gastric Disease Scores in Performance Horses.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40646806/) 3. [Effects of different grain types on nutrient apparent digestibility, glycemic responses, and fecal VFA content in weaned foals.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40229645/) 4. [Influence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 on the fecal pH, markers of gut permeability, fecal microbiota, and markers of systemic inflammation in sedentary horses fed a high-starch diet.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39803897/) 5. [Feeding behaviour related to different feeding devices.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38704815/) 6. [Learning from eavesdropping on human-human encounters changes feeding location choice in horses (Equus Caballus).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40095148/) 7. [Effects of supplementing concentrates with different energy levels on growth performance, blood indicators, and fecal microbiota of Mongolian horses in late gestation.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42151949/) 8. [ASAS-NANP symposium: mathematical modeling in animal nutrition: contributions of mathematical modeling to life cycle assessment to support environmental sustainability of animal production.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41410510/) 9. [[Sonographic diagnosis of lingual abscess formation in 2 horses with feeding difficulties].](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40513603/)