There has been extensive research into feeding horses - much is accurate & applicable, but some is not. Generally, it needs to be combined with other information for it to be usable. The traditional diet analysis offered by nutritionists has limitations because much of the advice is based on data provided by feeding experiments in other species to arrive at minimum feeding standards.

No consideration is given for weather, climate, individual requirements & veterinary clinical conditions. The minimum requirement is just that, calculated according to the amount required to prevent clinical signs of deficiencies. Equine clinical nutrition goes beyond minimum recommended intakes & standard feeding guides - taking into account recent veterinary & scientific studies, effects of growth, clinical conditions, performance problems etc, as well as the current diet.

Horses that suffer from colic, especially if recurrent, should have their history & diet reviewed & analysed. For horses that are overweight, induction of weight loss is necessary to promote a return to insulin sensitivity & reduce the risk of sub-clinical & clinical laminitis. Alterations to the diet & feeding management begin with a full diet analysis to support veterinary medical management. Diet analysis is the only way to determine total daily nutrient intake, set realistic goals & manage weight loss.

Computer calculations alone don’t reflect the complexity of requirements for a wide range of veterinary clinical conditions. Many nutritional recommendations change as new research expands our knowledge. Estimates of an individual horse’s requirements can be found on feeding guides, but to be clinically applicable & ‘best practice’, nutritional advice requires veterinary knowledge & understanding.

Horses that benefit from in-depth dietary analysis include: pregnant mares & growing horses, those at risk for or affected by veterinary clinical conditions such as arthritis, behavioural issues, body composition concerns, colic, convalescence, Cushing’s disease (PPID), dental conditions, developmental orthopaedic diseases (DOD), diarrhoea, EGUS, endocrine problems, EPSM, injuries, insulin resistance (IR), lack of muscle & topline, laminitis, orphan foals, poor hoof quality, performance problems, PSSM, post-surgery, tying-up (RER) & skin conditions.

To be clinically applicable & meet ‘best practice’, nutritional advice requires veterinary knowledge, understanding of biochemistry, epigenetics, physiology, pathophysiology & the clinical assessment of health, growth, performance & veterinary conditions.