Shoppers strolling through the equine aisle at any feed store will find a multitude of options. Brands geared toward growing horses, mature horses and senior horses, or feed that is nutrient-dense or high in fiber.

Horses evolved thriving on pasture alone, but many barns or ranches don’t have the option for constant grazing. Still, the typical equine diet is mostly forage-based, combined with a grain mix. Some horses can rely on hay alone, while others might require a special diet.

In a perfect world, all horses could be fed the same. But with changing nutritional needs and life stages, how do you find the right ration for your horse?

Each animal needs its own

Each horse needs something a little different in its diet. One horse might thrive on grain alone; one could eat a mix of hay and grain; and one might require soaked alfalfa with a high volume of grain to stay heathy.

If you examine your horse’s equine body condition score and its workload, you can determine how much feed the animal might need.

According to Iowa State University Extension, performing a BCS test on your horse can determine the degree of fat coverage on its body, which is a good indicator of general health. The rating of 1 (poor) through 9 (extremely fat) can help owners assess calorie needs of the animal. A BCS score between 4 and 6 is moderate and recommended for most horses.

Grains, concentrates, pellet mixes or feed, ration balancers, complete feed, and textured feeds are the most common equine feeds. These are added to a horse’s diet to compensate for any nutrient deficits with forages, according to Penn State Extension.

When feeding concentrate mixes, feed according to the label’s instructions, often measured in pounds rather than scoops. Everyone’s feed scoop may be different, so a kitchen scale can be used to determine how much one scoop actually weighs.

Cereal grains such as oats, corn and barley are commonly fed to horses. These can be processed by steam flaking, crimping, rolling, extruding or cracking. These grains are generally high in energy but have different nutrients in each grain type. Oats are the most popular, being high in fiber and energy, particularly when processed.

Commercial grain and pellet mixes are a common feed option for horses. They provide energy, protein, vitamins and minerals that are balanced based on the animal’s needs. These can eliminate any guesswork by easily providing balanced quantities of nutrients. These feeds are what is commonly found in feed store aisles.

Pelleted feeds, which have a long shelf life, can stop picky horses from sorting ingredients in their feed. Hay or alfalfa pellets are different from other pelleted feeds and should be considered a part of the horse’s forage intake, not concentrate.

If trying to determine which feed under a specific brand would be best for your horse, many commercial brands offer feed calculators.

A little research and work into your horse’s nutrient requirements can help optimize your animal’s performance, whether it be in the performance pen or the pasture.

A cautionary feed tale

In August, Beutler & Son Rodeo Co. in Elk City, Okla., lost close to 70 bucking horses after a feed containing a high level of monensin was given to its herd.

Known by the brand name Rumensin, sodium monensin is an ionophore feed ingredient often added to cattle, sheep, goat and poultry feed. However, this feed is fatal for dogs, pigs and horses, and there is no cure or veterinary treatment for animals who have ingested it.

Formed in 1929, Beutler & Son is a fifth-generation operation that raises bareback and saddle bronc horses for rodeos across the United States, such as Cheyenne Frontier Days, the National Western Stock Show and the Oklahoma State Fair Rodeo. Its stock has won multiple saddle bronc and bareback horse titles from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the National Finals Rodeo.

The contaminated feed came from Livestock Nutrition Center in Kansas. It acknowledged the feed delivered contained monensin, which likely occurred due to a failed cleanout procedure and sensor malfunction. The company did confirm it was an isolated incident from a single facility, and no other feed was impacted.

“Many brands of feed are made in equine-only mills and are safe,” said Gregg VeneKlasen, Beutler & Son’s veterinarian, in a statement on Aug. 31. “I strongly suggest people stay with the big commercial companies with strict regulations in place. If you’re going to get custom feed from a mill that makes feed for multiple species, including horses, cattle, goats, pigs and whatever else, make sure before it leaves the mill that it’s been tested for ionophores. It’s not an expensive test, but it’s a critically important one.”

Black Kat was the only surviving bucking mare, only spared due to being at VeneKalsen’s Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital at the time the contaminated feed was delivered. One colt who refused to eat the feed also survived. This tragedy wipes out bloodlines that were five generations in the making, and left the Beutler’s breeding program with extensive financial losses.

Iowa State University Extension and Penn State Extension contributed to this article.