Learn how to interpret feed tags and consider your horse’s specific dietary requirements so you can make informed decisions to maintain his health and performance.
The guaranteed analysis lists the nutrients provided in the feed. | Haylie Kerstetter
Q: I recently bought my first horse and have been trying to learn as much as possible about how to ensure his nutritional needs are met, but feed tags can be challenging to understand. How can I interpret the information on feed tags and use it to make educated decisions about my horse’s diet?- via email
A: Learning the ropes of horse ownership can be a bit overwhelming and selecting the right feed for your equine companion is no exception. The good news is you are on the right track by putting in the work to make informed decisions about his diet. Beautiful bags and flashy claims can be hard to overlook, but it’s the feed tag that gives you the most information about the nutrition your horse will receive. While a feed tag is the only consistent source of truth across feed manufacturers, there are limitations to what it can tell you.
To fully understand what type of bagged feed is right for your horse, you must first have an idea of his nutrient requirements. These differ based on factors such as age, weight, and activity level. You can find the gold standard for nutrient requirement information in the National Research Council (NRC) recommendations for horses. Find articles based on NRC guidelines that pertain specifically to nutrient requirements of horses. You can also work with an equine nutritionist or knowledgeable industry professional to help you focus on key nutrients and your horse’s specific needs when creating his diet.
Forage should be the foundation of your horse’s diet and can be a significant source of most nutrients. However, forage alone does not always adequately meet horses’ daily dietary requirements. Knowing your hay and/or pasture type, quality, and the amount your horse has access to is crucial when selecting a bagged feed to fill in the nutritional gaps. Once you know your horse’s requirements and forage intake, you can match a bagged feed to his needs.
Feed tags have several basic elements required by law, including the product name, purpose, guaranteed analysis, ingredient list, and feeding directions. Many of these elements help ensure you are providing the right feed for your horse.
The first place to look on a tag is the purpose statement, which is usually found right under the product name. The purpose statement indicates what class of horse the feed is formulated for and can help you decide whether to dig into the tag more thoroughly or move along. You probably don’t want to purchase a product formulated for hard-working athletes if your horse goes on monthly trail rides and spends the rest of his time lounging in the pasture (e.g., mature maintenance horse).
Guaranteed Analysis and Ingredients on Horse Feed Tags
The guaranteed analysis lists the nutrients provided in the feed. The law requires a list of certain nutrients that must be in all feeds and guaranteed at minimum or maximum levels. However, a manufacturer can expand this list if they choose. It’s easy to think that a longer list of guarantees means the feed is better for your horse. In reality, just because a nutrient is guaranteed does not mean it is at a physiologically meaningful level. If excluded, it does not mean it’s absent from the feed. You might notice a higher nutrient inclusion amount, but more isn’t necessarily better. In fact, oversupplementation is not only expensive but can be detrimental to the performance and health of your horse.
The guaranteed analysis does not provide any information about ingredient quantity, so two feeds might have identical nutrient guarantees but contain very different types or mixtures of ingredients. The ingredient listing is the best place to find out if the nutrients the feed supplies are suitable for horses in terms of quality and bioavailability. The law dictates that ingredients must be listed in descending order of highest to lowest. However, exact inclusion amounts are not required.
Ingredient listings can be expressed as specific or collective terms. Specific terms means that all ingredients are listed out individually such as “corn” or “oats,” while collective terms groups ingredients by type, such as “grain products”. With specific terms you have the advantage of knowing exactly what ingredients are included in your feed, but neither listing type gives insight on quality control during manufacturing or the formulation strategy used.
Feeding Directions on a Horse Feed Tag
The feeding directions usually found near the bottom or back of the tag tie all the other portions of the feed tag together. They give you recommendations on amounts to feed based on your horse’s life stage, body weight, and level of activity. You should feed according to the directions to ensure your horse gets his essential nutrients from what’s in the bag. It’s a good indication you haven’t chosen the right feed if you find yourself feeding much less or more than is recommended to maintain your horse’s body condition.
Take-Home Message
Feed tags are a great tool to help you decide what feed is best for your horse. However, they do not give you a complete picture of the exact amount and quality of ingredients or how that feed was formulated. Having some basic nutritional knowledge and a good idea of your horse’s requirements will serve you well when choosing the right feed for your new companion.
Do you have an equine nutrition question?
Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horse’s editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below.
Masa Williams, MS, PhD, says her lifelong love of horses and her insatiable need to ask “why” led her down the path to becoming an equine nutritionist. Prior to joining Land O’ Lakes, Williams spent 10 years as an equine specialist with Ohio State University Extension and teaching equine classes at The Ohio State University. In her current role Masa enjoys working with team members in research, formulation, manufacturing, and sales to bring the highest quality product available to customers and their horses. Masa says she can think of no better place to be where she can combine her passion for horses, teaching, and applied nutrition.
Masa earned her BS in animal science from the University of Arkansas, her MS in animal nutrition from the University of Kentucky, and her PhD in animal nutrition from The Ohio State University. Masa’s doctorate research focused on the effects of energy source and amount on nutrient digestibility and prediction of digestible energy in horses.
Understanding Horse Feed Tags
Q: I recently bought my first horse and have been trying to learn as much as possible about how to ensure his nutritional needs are met, but feed tags can be challenging to understand. How can I interpret the information on feed tags and use it to make educated decisions about my horse’s diet?- via email
A: Learning the ropes of horse ownership can be a bit overwhelming and selecting the right feed for your equine companion is no exception. The good news is you are on the right track by putting in the work to make informed decisions about his diet. Beautiful bags and flashy claims can be hard to overlook, but it’s the feed tag that gives you the most information about the nutrition your horse will receive. While a feed tag is the only consistent source of truth across feed manufacturers, there are limitations to what it can tell you.
To fully understand what type of bagged feed is right for your horse, you must first have an idea of his nutrient requirements. These differ based on factors such as age, weight, and activity level. You can find the gold standard for nutrient requirement information in the National Research Council (NRC) recommendations for horses. Find articles based on NRC guidelines that pertain specifically to nutrient requirements of horses. You can also work with an equine nutritionist or knowledgeable industry professional to help you focus on key nutrients and your horse’s specific needs when creating his diet.
Forage should be the foundation of your horse’s diet and can be a significant source of most nutrients. However, forage alone does not always adequately meet horses’ daily dietary requirements. Knowing your hay and/or pasture type, quality, and the amount your horse has access to is crucial when selecting a bagged feed to fill in the nutritional gaps. Once you know your horse’s requirements and forage intake, you can match a bagged feed to his needs.
Feed tags have several basic elements required by law, including the product name, purpose, guaranteed analysis, ingredient list, and feeding directions. Many of these elements help ensure you are providing the right feed for your horse.
The first place to look on a tag is the purpose statement, which is usually found right under the product name. The purpose statement indicates what class of horse the feed is formulated for and can help you decide whether to dig into the tag more thoroughly or move along. You probably don’t want to purchase a product formulated for hard-working athletes if your horse goes on monthly trail rides and spends the rest of his time lounging in the pasture (e.g., mature maintenance horse).
Guaranteed Analysis and Ingredients on Horse Feed Tags
The guaranteed analysis lists the nutrients provided in the feed. The law requires a list of certain nutrients that must be in all feeds and guaranteed at minimum or maximum levels. However, a manufacturer can expand this list if they choose. It’s easy to think that a longer list of guarantees means the feed is better for your horse. In reality, just because a nutrient is guaranteed does not mean it is at a physiologically meaningful level. If excluded, it does not mean it’s absent from the feed. You might notice a higher nutrient inclusion amount, but more isn’t necessarily better. In fact, oversupplementation is not only expensive but can be detrimental to the performance and health of your horse.
The guaranteed analysis does not provide any information about ingredient quantity, so two feeds might have identical nutrient guarantees but contain very different types or mixtures of ingredients. The ingredient listing is the best place to find out if the nutrients the feed supplies are suitable for horses in terms of quality and bioavailability. The law dictates that ingredients must be listed in descending order of highest to lowest. However, exact inclusion amounts are not required.
Ingredient listings can be expressed as specific or collective terms. Specific terms means that all ingredients are listed out individually such as “corn” or “oats,” while collective terms groups ingredients by type, such as “grain products”. With specific terms you have the advantage of knowing exactly what ingredients are included in your feed, but neither listing type gives insight on quality control during manufacturing or the formulation strategy used.
Feeding Directions on a Horse Feed Tag
The feeding directions usually found near the bottom or back of the tag tie all the other portions of the feed tag together. They give you recommendations on amounts to feed based on your horse’s life stage, body weight, and level of activity. You should feed according to the directions to ensure your horse gets his essential nutrients from what’s in the bag. It’s a good indication you haven’t chosen the right feed if you find yourself feeding much less or more than is recommended to maintain your horse’s body condition.
Take-Home Message
Feed tags are a great tool to help you decide what feed is best for your horse. However, they do not give you a complete picture of the exact amount and quality of ingredients or how that feed was formulated. Having some basic nutritional knowledge and a good idea of your horse’s requirements will serve you well when choosing the right feed for your new companion.
Do you have an equine nutrition question?
Do you have an equine nutrition question? The Horse’s editors want to hear from you! Submit your question via the form below.
Written by:
Masa Williams, PhD
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