Forage Replacers For Horses

At Dengie, we have several fibre feeds in our range which are suitable as either partial or full forage replacement options, and these are outlined below. If you would like help and advice on which forage replacer would be the most suitable for your horse or pony, contact the Dengie Nutrition Team for personalised advice. Call our Feedline on 01621 841188 or fill in our Feed Advice form.

Dengie’s range of full forage replacers can be fed ad-lib to entirely replace your horse’s hay or haylage ration.

Meadow Lite with Herbs

• A blend of grass and straw which provides maximum chew time whilst keeping calorie intake to a minimum
• 5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 3% sugar | 0.5% starch
• Includes cinnamon and thyme to tempt fussy feeders and the added postbiotics help to promote digestive health

Click here to learn more about Dengie Meadow Lite with Herbs.

Hi-Fi Lite

• 7.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 7% sugar | 1.5% starch
• A short chopped fibre feed with no added pellets to provide increased chew time whilst remaining low in calories
• Includes a light molasses coating to tempt fussy feeders

Click here to learn more about Dengie Hi-Fi Lite.

Ulser Lite

• 8 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 6% sugar | 2% starch
• Contains chopped dried grass for natural sweetness alongside good quality straw and tasty herbs
• Includes prebiotics and added alfalfa pellets for supporting digestive health
• Approved by BETA for horses and ponies prone to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

Click here to learn more about Dengie Ulser Lite.

Hi-Fi Senior

• 9 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 10% sugar | 1.6% starch
• A straw-free formulation, made with a blend of soft grass and nutrient-rich alfalfa with a light molasses and rapeseed oil coating
• An easy-to-chew, highly digestible fibre feed for all horses and ponies, particularly those with poor teeth

Click here to learn more about Dengie Hi-Fi Senior.

Pure Grass Pellets

• 10 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 12% sugar | 2% starch
• 100% naturally grown meadow grass with no added sugar
• Naturally sweet so are ideal for tempting fussy feeders
• Soak to a tasty mash before feeding – perfect for horses with poor dentition who struggle to chew a chopped fibre

Click here to learn more about Dengie Pure Grass Pellets.

The following feeds in the Dengie range can be fed as partial forage replacers for horses and fed at levels of up to 1kg per 100kg of bodyweight, meaning that they can still make a significant contribution to your horse’s fibre intake.

Alfa-Beet

• 10.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 5% sugar | 2% starch
• A high-fibre feed combining alfalfa and unmolassed sugar beet pulp, two sources of highly digestible fibre, which should be soaked before feeding to make a tasty mash
• Ideal for aiding hydration and promoting weight gain
• Perfect for older horses or for those with poor dentition who struggle to chew

Click here to learn more about Dengie Alfa-Beet.

Meadow Grass with Herbs & Oil

• 11.5 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 12% sugar | 2% starch
• A blend of chopped and pelleted meadow grasses with a rapeseed oil coating supplying additional calories and a unique blend of herbs to aid palatability
• Soft and easy-to-chew, making it perfect for veterans, youngstock or horses with poor teeth

Click here to learn more about Dengie Meadow Grass with Herbs & Oil.

Performance Fibre

• 12 MJ/kg Digestible Energy | 12% sugar | 1.5% starch
• A blend of soft, highly digestible fibres with a high oil level – perfect for horses who need extra support maintaining their weight and condition
• The light molasses coating and added spearmint oil make this the ideal feed for encouraging fussy feeders
• Approved by BETA for horses and ponies prone to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome

Click here to learn more about Dengie Performance Fibre.

When should you feed a forage replacer?

Whilst hay or haylage are commonly used alongside pasture to ensure horses and ponies receive sufficient fibre throughout the year, there are some circumstances when a forage replacer for horses is a more appropriate alternative or addition. This includes for:

• Horses with poor dentition: In order to maintain fibre intake, horses with poor dentition need a forage replacer that is easier to chew. Initially this may be a short chop fibre feed, but longer term, an entirely soaked forage replacer for horses may be required.
• Supplementing a lack of forage or poor quality forage: The British weather is increasingly unpredictable. Over recent years there have been several instances of forage shortages in the UK which has meant that an alternative to hay or haylage is required. A forage replacer can help to make the usual hay ration last longer or totally replace it if needed.
• Providing variety in the diet: Offering a bucket or two of chopped fibre alongside the usual forage ration is a great way to keep your horse interested and encourage foraging behaviour. This is beneficial for all horses and ponies but may be particularly useful for those with limited appetites or fussy feeders where offering a variety of fibre sources may help to increase the overall intake.

Hay Replacer vs Forage Replacer?

Although the term ‘hay replacer’ is commonly used, at Dengie we prefer the term ‘forage replacer’. Referring only to hay replacers suggests that it’s just the hay that needs replacing, but in reality, horses who struggle to chew hay typically find other long stemmed forages (like haylage or straw) difficult as well. Poor dental health can also mean that grass pasture intake is reduced while grazing. In these situations, simply replacing the hay isn’t going to be sufficient. Using the term ‘forage replacer’, instead of ‘hay replacer’, more accurately reflects the broader range of forages a horse may rely on, and highlights the importance of considering the entire forage intake when putting together a replacement ration.

How to feed a forage replacer

• Replace forage on a weight for weight basis. At minimum all horses should have 1.5% of their bodyweight on a dry matter basis of fibre based feeds. e.g 7.5kg for a 500kg horse
• Divide forage replacers into smaller meals to reduce time the gut is empty
• As forage replacers are fibre based it is appropriate to feed larger amounts than you would cereal based feeds even though you feed them in a bucket. Think of them as forage not bucket feed
• Feed forage replacers in a large trug or preferably several trugs to encourage foraging behaviour
• To slow the rate of eating use a large football or some very large smooth pebbles on top of the feed to help slow the rate of consumption
• Adjust the amount of forage replacer given according to the amount of grazing access and your horse’s bodyweight
• Any dietary change should ideally be done gradually increasing the quantity of new feed used over the period of a couple of weeks

More information on feeding forage replacers can be found here.

If you would like the Dengie nutrition team to review your horse or pony’s diet and help you select the most appropriate feed, get in touch by calling us on 01621 841 188 or by completing our feed advice form.