Does my horse really need mineral feed?

The question of whether a horse needs mineral feed concerns many horse owners. After all, the daily feed ration usually consists of hay, pasture grass, and possibly some concentrated feed. But is this basic feeding really sufficient to supply a horse with all essential minerals and trace elements?

The answer is a little more complex than a simple yes or no. Generally, hay and grass already provide many nutrients, but the supply of certain minerals is often no longer fully guaranteed today.

The Basis of Horse Feeding: Forage

The foundation of any healthy horse feeding is forage. This primarily includes hay, grass, or haylage. A horse should consume approximately 1.5 to 2 kg of forage per 100 kg of body weight daily to maintain stable digestion and metabolism.

Forage provides important components such as:

• Energy

• Crude fiber

• Protein

• Minerals

Nevertheless, it often does not fully cover the entire requirement for trace elements. The main reason for this lies in the quality and origin of the feed.

Why hay often contains fewer minerals today

In theory, good pasture grass or high-quality hay could provide most of the minerals. In practice, however, the situation is often different.

Studies show that many basic feeds today contain fewer trace elements than before. Reasons for this include:

• mineral-poor soils

• intensive agriculture

• changes in the plant population of meadows

Trace elements such as zinc, copper, and selenium are particularly affected, as their levels in basic feed are often low.

This often leads to nutrient gaps in the feed ration, which can have long-term effects on health and performance.

Which minerals a horse needs daily

Minerals fulfill numerous functions in the horse's body. They are important for bones, muscles, metabolism, and the immune system.

An adult horse weighing about 500–600 kg of body weight needs approximately per day:

• approx. 32 g calcium

• approx. 22 g phosphorus

• approx. 12 g magnesium

• about 138 mg copper

• about 624 mg zinc

• around 1.8 mg selenium

These minerals are involved in important processes, for example:

• Bone and tooth formation

• Muscle and nerve function

• Blood formation

• Cell protection and immune defense

A persistently unbalanced supply can therefore lead to long-term problems.

Is hay alone sufficient for mineral supply?

For many horses that are primarily fed hay, the basic feed is not sufficient to fully cover all trace elements.

Interestingly, some minerals are even present in excess in hay, while others are lacking. Hay often contains sufficient or even high amounts of calcium, while trace elements like zinc or copper are often too low.

This means:
The challenge lies less in the total amount of minerals, but in the correct ratio of individual elements.

When mineral feed is particularly useful

Whether a horse needs mineral feed largely depends on its individual situation. Supplementation can be particularly useful for:

• Horses that primarily receive hay and little concentrated feed

• Sport horses with higher nutrient requirements

• Breeding mares, foals, or young horses

• Horses with increased requirements due to training, growth, or illness

Even in pure stable keeping, it can be useful to specifically supplement certain minerals or vitamins.

How to recognize a possible undersupply?

A mineral deficiency usually develops insidiously and is not immediately recognized. Possible signs may include:

• dull coat

• poor hoof quality

• increased susceptibility to infection

• muscle problems

• decreased performance

These symptoms can have many causes, but an unbalanced nutrient supply can play a role.

Why needs-based feeding is important

Nevertheless, more minerals are not automatically better. An oversupply can be just as problematic as a deficiency.

Therefore, mineral feed should always:

• match the entire feed ration

• be fed in the correct amount

• contain a balanced ratio of minerals

Ideally, feeding should be based on a ration calculation or a hay analysis to better assess the actual needs.

Conclusion: Does every horse need mineral feed?

Not every horse automatically needs mineral feed. The individual feed ration and the horse's needs are always decisive.

However, in many modern keeping conditions, mineral feed can be useful to compensate for possible nutrient gaps and ensure a balanced supply. Especially for rations consisting mainly of hay, targeted supplementation can help to reliably cover the mineral requirements.

A needs-based mineral supply is thus an important component for the health, performance, and long-term well-being of the horse.