Let’s Talk About Why That’s Not True

I hear this all the time: “I tried a forage-only or anti-inflammatory diet and my horse lost weight.”

And the conclusion?

“My horse needs grain.”
“Performance horses need more energy.”
“Broodmares need more fuel.”
“Growing horses need more nutrition.”

You’re right about one thing, they absolutely need more energy but here’s where the misunderstanding happens. You’re looking in the wrong place for it.

Let’s Clear This Up First

Horses were not designed to run on grain.

They were:

• War horses
• Travel horses
• Work horses covering miles daily

And they did it all on forage. So if modern performance horses “can’t perform without grain,” we need to ask, has the horse changed… or has the quality of what we’re feeding changed?

Where Do Horses Actually Get Energy?

Not from grain. From forage.

Specifically:

• Fermentable fiber → VFAs (primary fuel source)
• Natural starch in hay → glycogen (stored for bursts of energy)

VFAs fuel:

• Endurance
• Strength
• Daily metabolism

Glycogen fuels:

• Speed
• Sprinting
• Explosive effort

Both come from forage, when it’s the right forage.

The Biggest Mistake: Not Testing Your Hay

Most people know more about their grain tag than they do about the hay that makes up 80-100% of their horse’s diet. That’s the problem.

Two hay sources can look identical, green, leafy, soft..

But one can:
✔ Maintain weight
✔ Support performance

And the other:
❌ Leaves your horse underweight
❌ Lacking energy
❌ Struggling to build muscle

Why?

• Digestible Energy (DE)
• RFV (digestibility)

If DE is too low:

• Your horse is not getting enough usable calories
• VFA production is limited
• Glycogen storage is reduced
• Performance and condition decline

Even if they’re eating all day.

“More Feed = More Weight” — Also Not True

You can feed more, but if the hay is low in digestibility:
1. Those calories are not absorbed
2. They pass through unused

This is why some horses:

• Eat constantly
• Still lose weight
• Still lack topline

Because: Calories on paper ≠ calories absorbed

Why Horses Lose Weight on “Clean” Diets

This is where people get frustrated. They remove:

• Grain
• Processed feeds
• Inflammatory ingredients

…and suddenly their horse drops weight.

So they assume that “Forage-only doesn’t work.”

But here’s what’s actually happening:

1️⃣ The Forage Was Never Enough

If your hay is low in DE, you removed grain (the calorie source), but didn’t replace it with adequate forage energy. So now:, the horse is in a calorie deficit.

2️⃣ Digestive Function Is Compromised (TCM Perspective)

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective:

Long-term feeding of processed, inflammatory feeds weakens the Spleen and Stomach, the systems responsible for digestion and nutrient transformation.

When you remove grain:

• The digestive system doesn’t instantly recover
• The Spleen is still weak
• Nutrients pass through too quickly
• Absorption is reduced

The horse loses weight not because forage doesn’t work, but because the body can’t utilize it yet.

3️⃣ Gut Inflammation & Leaky Gut

Processed feeds and inflammatory ingredients create:

• Intestinal heat
• Gut lining damage
• Leaky gut

When this happens:

• The immune system is constantly activated
• The body is under stress
• Nutrients are diverted away from building muscle and maintaining weight

The body is trying to survive, not thrive.

So What Should You Do Instead?

Step 1: Test Your Hay

This is non-negotiable.

You need to know:

• DE (Digestible Energy) → are there enough calories?
• RFV → can your horse actually digest it?
• Protein → is it sufficient for muscle maintenance?

If your hay isn’t meeting the demand, nothing else will fix it long term.

Step 2: Match Forage to the Horse

Performance horse?
Needs higher DE forage

Broodmare?
Needs higher DE forage

Growing horse?
Needs higher DE forage

Not more grain.
Better forage.

Step 3: Support the Digestive System

When transitioning off grain, many horses need support to:

• Strengthen digestion
• Improve nutrient absorption
• Calm inflammation

This is why we often recommend Redemption during transitions:

• Supports Spleen/Stomach function
• Reduces GI inflammation
• Helps regulate the immune system
• Allows the horse to actually utilize nutrients again

The Truth Most People Don’t Want to Hear

“Forage-only didn’t work” usually means:

• The forage wasn’t good enough
• The hay wasn’t tested
• The digestion wasn’t supported
• The system wasn’t functioning properly

Not that the horse “needed grain.”

The Reality of Forage Only Feeding

Your horse doesn’t need: more feed, more starch, more shortcuts.

Your horse needs: Usable energy, Digestible nutrients, and a functioning digestive system.

And all of that starts with your hay. If you’re not testing it, you’re guessing.

And that’s where most feeding programs go wrong.