by Kentucky Equine Research Staff
Ohio has one of the largest horse populations in the United States, with close to a quarter million horses. A recent survey of Ohio horse owners and enthusiasts gathered data on current management practices, with the goal of identifying research and educational opportunities to enhance equine welfare. In this article, Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist Ashley Fowler, Ph.D., addresses some of the survey findings related to nutrition, offering practical insights to help horse owners improve the health and well-being of their animals.
General Information
A total of 1,422 Ohio residents responded to the 52-question survey, the majority of whom were horse owners. Respondents reported owning a wide variety of breeds, with Quarter Horses being the most common (29%), followed by Thoroughbreds (9%), Paints (8%), Warmbloods (7%), and Miniature Horses (7%). Most horses (21%) were between six and ten years of age.
In terms of housing, 32% were group-housed on pasture, 31% were stalled with unlimited turnout, and 13% were either stalled full-time or had limited turnout. Despite this, horses typically had access to grazeable pasture for only about six months of the year.
Additionally, 27% of horses were classified as “at maintenance,” receiving only voluntary exercise.
Feeding Hay and Concentrates
Most survey respondents (96%) reported offering concentrates that were fed either by weight or visual estimation. The primary reason owners fed concentrates was to “meet nutrition requirements not met by forage alone,” such as vitamin, mineral, and protein needs, as well as energy requirements.
“As the researchers discussed, a limitation of this question is that horse owners were not asked to specify what kind of concentrate they fed. Ration balancers, complete feeds, and other commercial concentrates are fed for different reasons,” explained Fowler.
The reasoning for feeding a concentrate is sound, according to her, as forage rarely provides all the required nutrients. Ration balancers provide important vitamins, minerals, and high-quality protein and are appropriate for horses that do not need additional calories, such as horses in light work or easy keepers. More energy-dense concentrates help provide additional calories beyond what forage can provide, in addition to filling gaps in minerals, vitamins, and amino acids.
Forage was primarily fed by flakes, bales, or “armfuls” rather than by weight.
“Weighing forage is particularly important for horses that are overweight. These horses often should be fed restricted amounts of forage. Without a scale, it can be easy to overestimate how much hay the horse is receiving. Flakes can vary in size and density, even sometimes within a bale! Using a simple luggage or fish scale to weigh hay in a hay net is an easy way to understand how much forage a horse is being offered,” recommended Fowler.
Almost three-quarters of survey respondents reported having their hay analyzed.
“Having 75% of respondents analyze their hay is an impressive number! A hay analysis can provide a lot of information about the hay’s quality that we cannot ascertain through visual inspection,” Fowler said.
For example, the starch and sugar content of the hay cannot be assessed visually and can change from batch to batch depending on weather, drying conditions, and hay field management.
She added, “Owners feeding horses that require a hay low in nonstructural carbohydrates should have each batch of hay tested to confirm starch and sugar concentrations.”
When horses had no access to pasture, owners provided forage once (19%), twice (30%), or three times (24%) per day. Concentrates were offered most commonly once or twice per day.
“Unfortunately, the survey did not ask participants to indicate how much forage or concentrate they provided at each meal. It is possible that some owners offer horses free access to hay once per day, which is an acceptable management strategy for horses that can have unlimited forage,” Fowler shared.
If horses are fed restricted amounts of hay, management strategies should focus on prolonging the amount of time the horse spends eating. Feeding less forage more frequently or offering forage in slow-feed nets or feeders are a couple of strategies designed to increase chewing time.
“It is possible that the horses in this survey required small amounts of concentrates to maintain body weight, so feeding once or twice per day would be acceptable. Ideally, we want concentrate meals to be approximately 5 lb (2.4 kg) or less. Feeding large meals of concentrates with high starch and sugar can increase the risk of starch overflow into the hindgut, which can cause issues such as hindgut acidosis and laminitis in some horses. Smaller meals help ensure that the horse can digest and absorb the nutrients in the small intestine most efficiently,” Fowler explained.
Owner Education
Owners relied equally on internet searches (15%), their veterinarian (14%), and their colleagues (12%) for information on horse management. Only 3% of survey respondents indicated they were extremely aware of the Ohio State University Extension service, with the vast majority of respondents only moderately or somewhat aware of this vital horse resource.
According to Fowler, “Every U.S. state has a university that provides extension services at no cost to the public. In some states, equine extension specialists are available to help horse owners with common questions and problems, using research and science.”
*Share, E.R., S.L. Mastellar, J.N. Rumble, and M.L. Eastridge 2025. Ohio horse industry survey: Feeding and housing management practices. Translational Animal Science 9:txaf072.
Reprinted courtesy of Kentucky Equine Research. Kentucky Equine Research is an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving horse owners and the feed industry. Our goals are to advance the industry's knowledge of equine nutrition and exercise physiology, apply that knowledge to produce healthier, more athletic horses, and support the nutritional care of all horses throughout their lives. Learn more at Kentucky Equine Research.
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