Your Horse's Diet Deserves More Than Marketing

I’ve spent many years trying to convince equestrians that equine nutrition is far more complex than most people realize. Over those years, one of the hardest things to explain has been that nutrition does not fall into the “how well you care for your horse” category. It is its own area of expertise within the equine industry.

I’ve treated plenty of wounds in my time, but that does not make me a veterinarian, nor does it mean I don’t need one. I’ve pulled a shoe a time or two, but that certainly does not make me a farrier either. Nutrition is no different.

Equine nutrition professionals spend countless hours learning how the equine digestive system works, how nutrients are metabolized, nutritional biochemistry, recommended amounts of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, forage types, concentrates, supplements, and how all of those things interact with one another. You get my point?

A qualified equine nutrition professional will often have formal education in animal science, equine science, nutrition, or a related field. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Science with a concentration in Equine Health and Wellness, and I am continuing my education with a Master’s degree in Nutrition. Graduate nutrition takes things even further into the chemistry, metabolism, physiology, and science behind why we feed what we feed.

And that matters because our industry is constantly changing.

New trends from the human health and fitness world regularly make their way into equine products, even when the science does not translate particularly well to horses. Creatine is one example I’ve recently seen showing up in equine products, including electrolyte supplements, often at a hefty price. The problem is that research has not shown oral creatine supplementation to provide the same performance benefits in horses that people associate with its use in humans.

So why are owners paying extra for it?

Marketing.

This is exactly why having someone who understands equine nutrition matters. The industry changes, products change, research changes, and new ingredients are constantly being introduced. A good nutrition professional continues learning so they can separate what sounds impressive on a label from what may actually provide value to the horse. That is one of the reasons I chose to continue my own education with an advanced degree in nutrition.

Look at it another way. As humans, we know we need to eat. Most of us have at least a general idea of what foods are considered healthy or unhealthy. But can you truthfully explain how your digestive system works? How nutrients are absorbed? How minerals interact with one another? How certain nutrients are metabolized?

Most people can’t. Even fewer people understand how the equine digestive system works. I can tell you that I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did about nutrition until I took my first college nutrition course shortly after graduating high school. At the time, I planned on becoming a nurse. Eating wasn’t supposed to be this complicated.

But it is.

And as society has evolved, so has marketing. Influencers, sponsorships, discount codes, testimonials, and beautifully packaged products have made it increasingly difficult to separate good nutrition from good advertising. That is probably the part I struggle with most...people falling into the trap.

There are plenty of people promoting products they know very little about, but they can give you 15 percent off with their discount code. The equine industry has leaned heavily into that kind of marketing because horse owners genuinely want to do the best for their horses. They see their favorite barrel racer, dressage rider, trainer, or influencer using a specific product and assume it must be something their own horse needs.

But being able to ride well does not automatically mean someone understands how to correctly formulate a horse’s diet. A beautiful, well-conditioned horse also does not prove that one particular supplement created that result. There may be excellent genetics, training, forage, veterinary care, management, conditioning, and an entire feeding program behind what you are seeing.

Nutrition has to be looked at as a whole.

I also wish the equine nutrition industry had more regulation. There are plenty of short programs and certifications available that use titles such as holistic equine nutritionist, yet some contain about as much information as a one-credit college course. If you know, you know.

I actually took one of those courses for shits and giggles once and spent around $300 on it. If anything, it solidified what I already believed: credentials and education matter, and marketing can make something appear far more comprehensive than it actually is.

That is why you should know where your information is coming from.

If you are considering working with an equine nutritionist, ask questions. What kind of education do they have? Do they have a degree? If they have an advanced degree, what is it in? Where did they receive their education? Do they have references or examples of previous work? Are they willing to collaborate with your veterinarian when appropriate?

Those questions matter.

And don’t expect a qualified nutrition professional to give away everything they know for free either. They worked hard for that education and experience. They did the hard work to make it easier for you.

A perfect example is pre- and probiotics. I wrote a college research paper on prebiotics and probiotics because I noticed how heavily they were being marketed in the equine industry. I wanted to understand which organisms actually made sense, what evidence existed behind them, and whether the amounts being provided were meaningful.

You will see plenty of concentrates and supplements advertised as containing added pre- or probiotics. But then you turn the bag around and sometimes find very little information about the specific organisms, strains, amounts, or viability of what is actually included. Those details matter.

Different microorganisms tolerate manufacturing, storage, heat, and the digestive environment differently. The specific organism, amount provided, stability, and whether it remains viable long enough to provide the intended benefit all make a difference when evaluating a product.

The average horse owner should not be expected to spend hours digging through research papers and figuring all of that out every time they walk into a feed store.

That is part of what an equine nutritionist is for. A good nutrition professional knows what to look for. They know which questions to ask. And when they do not know the answer, they know where to find credible information rather than simply relying on the claims printed on the front of a bag.

You could be spending a significant amount of money every month on products that overlap with one another, contain ingredients your horse does not need, or are being fed at amounts unlikely to provide the result you are expecting.

Sometimes improving nutrition means adding something. Sometimes it means changing something. And sometimes the best thing you can do for your horse—and your wallet—is stop buying something altogether.

I’m not here to tell you that you don’t know anything about nutrition. I’m encouraging you to recognize the value and importance of working with someone who specializes in it. Horse owners know their horses better than anyone, but nutrition is its own area of science, and there is nothing wrong with bringing in someone who has spent years studying it.

At the end of the day, just because something is the way it has always been done doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being done correctly—or that there isn’t a healthier, simpler, and more cost-effective way to do it.

Stephanie Baker

Equine Nutritionist | B.S. Equine Science | M.S. Nutrition Candidate | Founder, The Sound Horse