You may wish to change your horse’s feed due to season, performance level, health reasons, their normal feed being discontinued or you have just found a new feed which you believe will be better for your horse.  Because of the sensitive digestive system of a horse, this should be done gradually.  If this is done too suddenly, the horse is at risk of digestive upset and even colic. Horses develop intestinal bacteria specific to what they are being fed and if feed is changed too suddenly, you could cause your horse a number of issues. A gradual change allows the intestinal bacterial population chance to adjust. Changes should be gradual and cautious. If in doubt about how to change your horse’s feed, consult a vet or speak to one of the feed helplines available.

Here are our top tips when it comes to changing your horse’s feed…

• Don’t rush! Changing a bagged feed product to another takes time, and it’s better to do it ‘too’ slowly than rush through and cause problems. It can take up to two weeks to change over a horse’s feed, so don’t decide to do this when you have a scoop left of your old feed! Plan ahead.
• When changing hay, make changes gradually also. Changing hay suddenly can also result in digestive issues. If you cannot switch the hay over as gradually as desired, consider soaking the hay before feeding.
• When turning a horse onto lush pasture, limit their grazing time at first, increasing it gradually each time they are turned out. Be aware that too much lush grass can cause weight gain, digestive upsets and can contribute to other problems such as laminitis, so always be aware.
• If a horse is prone to stomach upsets or colic, change their food even more gradually.
• During the transition period, if there are any loose stools or diarrhoea , cut back the new or different food again and give the horse a few more days of adjustment before increasing the new feed. 

If you’re concerned about you horse, it’s always best to call your vet.