Nutrition in the horse is an exciting and expanding area. Most questions we are asked regarding nutrition begin with whether a horse under- or over-weight. This question is a fundamental one as under-weight horses and over-weight horses are both equally at risk of developing disease.

The condition of a horse can be graded from very under-weight to very over-weight using a 9-point scale. Horses who are graded 1 are emaciated whilst horse graded 9 are grossly obese.

Horses who are of ideal condition are graded 4-5. To determine whether your horse is in ideal condition a good rule of thumb to follow is that the ribs should not be seen but they should be easily felt. Your horse's nutritional requirements will depend upon its condition, work, breed, and management. Obviously the larger the horse the more absolute nutrients (sugars, fat, protein and minerals) it requires. The proportion of the diet made up from each type of nutrient will be determined by the work, breed and management of your horse.