Chaff is often marketed as a healthy forage solution for senior horses because it requires less chewing than long hay. It can also help prolong consumption times of grain-based or pelleted diets that horses would otherwise eat very quickly. | Photo: iStock

In a recent Australian-U.K. study, blends including at least 15% chaff significantly increased horses’ feed consumption times. Why is this important? Because “guzzling” meals, especially concentrated cereal-based feeds, can put horses at risk of gastrointestinal, metabolic, and behavioral problems such as choke and colic, the researchers said.

“Using the appropriate type and levels of chaff addition can be a valuable management tool for owners and should be considered to help slow intake rate and potentially extend the time spent foraging,” said Patricia Harris, MA, VetMB, PhD, Dipl. ECVCN, MRCVS, head of the Equine Studies Group at the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute in Waltham on the Wolds, U.K.

Chaff’s Effect on Consumption Rates

Chaff is often marketed as a healthy forage solution for senior horses because it requires less chewing than long hay. However, it can help prolong consumption times of grain-based or pelleted diets that horses would otherwise eat very quickly