Best Horse Feed

Last Updated on September 1, 2020

Are you searching for the best horse feed?

Maintaining your horse’s health and optimal performance requires a high quality diet and feeding high quality feed is not an option if that is your goal.

Over the years I’ve tested many feeds and I’ve reviewed the best horse feed brands available on today’s market and after reading this article you will know my recommendations.

Check the quick list below for links to customer reviews and prices for my best horse feed picks or read on for the full review:

1. Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator for Horses
2. Purina Mills Equine Senior Active
3. Victor Extruded Advantage Premium Horse Feed
4. Purina Animal Nutrition Omolene 400 Complete Advantage
5. Organic Horse Feed Oasis Alfalfa Pellets

Taking care of horses is a demanding job, but having the right food and products for them makes it much easier. I find that investing in the best horse food is a wonderful way to ensure that I am taking care of my best horse friends. You can use this guide to find the right feed for your horses.

How to Choose the Best Horse Feed

There are a lot of things that you will need to consider when shopping for horse feed so that you can be sure that you choose the right one for your animal. You will first want to start by performing an assessment of your horse so that you can determine their life stage, activity level, any health issues that you need to address, and how much money you have in your feed budget.

As horses age, they will have different nutrient requirements to be healthy and perform the best that they can. This means that you will have to change feed throughout their life to provide them with the nutrients that they need to look and feel great.

I also recommend that you take into consideration if your horse is going through any major changes, such as pregnancy, as this will affect their nutritional needs. This is just as important as considering how active your horse is and how much work it does.

In addition to providing great horse feed, you also want to make sure that you have plenty of forage available for the horse. This will ensure that you are able to compensate for any missing nutrients. I know that it’s easy to assume that you will choose the perfect feed and not have any missing nutrients, but great forage is the best way to ensure that this is not a problem.

The Advantages of Great Horse Feed

The quality of horse feed really matters and will play a huge role in ensuring that a horse is as healthy as possible. Great feed does more than simply give the horse the nutrients that it needs to survive, it can also be used to address health problems and concerns.

By using a high-quality horse feed, you can easily address problems with your horse and ensure that it will be as healthy as possible. Feed is a great way to keep an eye on what your horse is eating so that you can be sure that it gets the nutrients it needs. 

What to Look for

Depending on the needs of your horse, you will want to look for particular feeds that contain or exclude various ingredients. Vitamin E is a common vitamin in horse feed, as it will help boost the immune system. While some horses love alfalfa, others don’t, so the individual horse’s needs and likes must be taken into consideration.

How to Best Use Your New Horse Feed

While every horse is going to have different nutritional needs, you will want to make sure that you provide enough food throughout the day for your horse. Many people start out feeding the horse twice a day, while others provide more meals.

Make sure that you slowly adjust your feeding schedule and the amount of feed that you give your horse so it doesn’t get sick. Changing the type or amount of feed quickly can lead to colic.

Never feed your horse right before or after it exercises, as this can lead to problems with digestion. Make sure that a horse is completely cooled down before giving them anything to eat after they work.

Considerations

It’s normal and easy to believe that all horse feeds are created equally or that you can choose the perfect horse feed for your animal based off of the pictures on the bag. While this can be tempting, I strongly recommend every horse owner to learn how to read a feed bag and to take other things into consideration when feeding their horse.

Make sure that you choose a feed that has a “guaranteed analysis,” not just a “typical analysis,” as this will ensure that you are getting the exact ingredients in the feed that you need. A feed that is “guaranteed” is more likely to be higher quality than one that is just “typical.”

I also recommend that you take time to visually inspect the feed you’re going to give your horse. You want to make sure that kernels are thick and plump, corn and barley are unbroken, and that there aren’t lots of things in the feed that you can’t easily identify.

I always take the time to smell my feed to make sure that there isn’t a problem with the odor. Some feeds smell very fresh and appealing, while others don’t have much of a scent. Not having a scent isn’t an issue, the real problem is when the feed smells “off,” as you will need to return it right away.

Best Horse Feed

Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator for Horses

Keeping older horses healthy can be tricky, which is why using this feed is such a great option. It’s designed to help older horses easily keep weight on, which can help to protect them against a whole host of medical problems as they continue to age. It also tastes great, eliminating struggles at feeding time.

Pros

• Includes Omega 3 fatty acids to help improve skin and coat health
• Has probiotics to ensure proper digestion
• Highly palatable, which means that horses are going to be more willing to eat it
• Features biotin to ensure that hooves are healthy and strong

Cons

• Not a good option for horses that don’t need to gain weight
• Small bag is easy to go through quickly

Purina Mills Equine Senior Active

Make keeping weight on an older horse easier than ever, even when the horse is highly active. Thanks to this unique formula, working and active horses can continue to put on weight and remain healthy without a huge struggle at feeding time. The high-quality ingredients help keep horses looking and feeling great and protect against blood sugar problems.

Pros

• Included Vitamin E does a great job boosting the immune system
• Higher fat content is provided from flax seed and vegetable oil
• Perfect for maintaining blood sugar levels
• Supplies horses with 100 required minerals and vitamins

Cons

• Not a great option for younger horses who aren’t struggling with weight
• Some horses do not like the taste

Victor Extruded Advantage Premium Horse Feed

Using this feed in addition to plenty of hay is a great way to ensure that any horse is getting the nutrition that it needs to be as healthy as possible. It’s packed with lots of minerals, such as copper, zinc, selenium, calcium, and Vitamin A, making it a great option for horse owners who need a reliable feed that will help improve overall horse health.

Pros

• Designed to help improve digestion of starch in the small intestines
• Perfect supplement with a lot of fresh and healthy hay
• Features a guaranteed analysis of ingredients to put an owner’s mind at ease
• Includes a lot of wholesome grains to encourage palatability

Cons

• Can be difficult to introduce to some horses without any GI upset
• More expensive than other options

Purina Animal Nutrition Omolene 400 Complete Advantage

Picky eaters who can’t consume feed with hay products in it will love this feed, as it is designed to be easy to eat and won’t cause allergies to flare. The textured feel of this feed makes it easy for older horses to enjoy, and the delicious flavor keeps them coming back. It’s a wonderful option for helping horses put on a little additional weight.

Pros

• Offers slow release energy in the form of loose beetpulp shreds
• Free of alfalfa, barley, and oats
• Designed for horses that are allergic to mold and dust or who are heave prone
• Great for picky eaters as most horses will happily consume this product

Cons

• Has a lot of molasses in it
• Can cause some horses to put on excessive weight

Organic Horse Feed Oasis Alfalfa Pellets

This is as close as you can get to turning your horse loose in a field full of fresh alfalfa. The pellets are easy to eat and taste great thanks to the high-quality alfalfa used in their production. Additionally, this feed doesn’t have any additives added to the feed at any time during the production process, ensuring that you know just what you’re feeding your horse.

Pros

• Non-GMO pellets are healthy and free from dangerous chemicals
• Fields are free from pesticides and herbicides so that insects can thrive
• Included alfalfa is bright and rich in color and nutrients
• Free from any additives that may lower the quality of the feed

Cons

• Not a good choice for horses that have allergies
• Can have a little dust in the bag, which can be a turn off for some picky horses

For more equine articles and tips read these articles:

• Stay Calm: Best Pastes and Supplements for Your Horse
• No More Overeating: Grazing Muzzles for slower eating
• High Quality Horse Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
• Fix Their Gut: Equine Probiotics

A great feed will do wonders for any horse, helping them stay healthy, look great, and giving them the energy that they need to work and play. I recommend the Victor Extruded Advantage out of the other feeds on this list. While it is a bit more expensive than other options, that’s because it’s packed with incredible ingredients and works to provide your horse with the high-quality nutrition that it needs. It’s a wonderful choice for any horse that needs a great feed that will keep them healthy and strong without causing an issue at feeding time, as it tastes great.

Here is the quick list with my picks for the best horse feed again. If you want to check price and customer reviews view the links

1. Manna Pro Senior Weight Accelerator for Horses
2. Purina Mills Equine Senior Active
3. Victor Extruded Advantage Premium Horse Feed
4. Purina Animal Nutrition Omolene 400 Complete Advantage
5. Organic Horse Feed Oasis Alfalfa Pellets