31/08/2026
๐๐ด ๐ก๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ!
๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ญ โ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐: ๐ช๐๐๐ง'๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐?
We talk about protein and fibre all the time when feeding horses, but they are definitely not the same thing โ and one can't simply replace the other.
๐๐ค ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ช๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐ฉ ๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐จ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ.
Over the next few posts I'm going to take a closer look at some of the natural ingredients we stock at AHFS and explain exactly where they fit in when we're talking about protein and fibre.
But first...
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐?
If I had to choose the starting point of any horse's diet, it would be fibre.
Horses are designed to eat forage for many hours of the day. Grass, hay and other fibrous feeds aren't simply there to fill the stomach โ fibre is fermented by the microbes in the hindgut and provides a very important source of energy for the horse.
Adequate roughage and fibre also help support:
โข Normal digestive function
โข Healthy hindgut microbial populations
โข Normal gut movement
โข More natural feeding behaviour
โข A healthy, functioning digestive system
This is why good-quality roughage should remain the foundation of the diet.
๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข?
Protein has a completely different job.
When a horse eats protein, it is broken down into amino acids. The horse then uses those amino acids as building blocks throughout the body.
Protein is particularly important for:
โข Building and maintaining muscle
โข Growth and development
โข Tissue repair
โข Skin, coat and hoof structure
โข Enzymes and many normal body processes
And here's something I really want to discuss during this series:
It's not simply about feeding MORE protein.
The quality of that protein and the amino acids it provides are extremely important too.
๐ฆ๐ข ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ก๐ง?
I wouldn't look at it as protein versus fibre.
They have different jobs.
๐ฟ FIBRE = digestive health + fermentation + energy
๐ช PROTEIN = amino acids + muscle + growth + repair
A horse needs a properly balanced diet containing both.
And this is where it gets interesting...
Some natural ingredients are fantastic sources of fibre, some provide considerably more protein, and others give us a bit of both.
Over this series we're going to look individually at Spirulina, Nettle, Moringa, Fenugreek, Rosehips, Dandelion Leaf, Marshmallow Root, Milk Thistle Seed, Chia, Flaxseed and our two Pea Protein options.
I'll explain what each one actually is, what it brings to the horse's diet, whether I consider it more of a protein or fibre ingredient, and which horses I would consider using it for.
๐จ๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ, ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Next up: SPIRULINA โ tiny algae with a surprisingly impressive protein content. ๐ฟ
๐๐๐๐ฆ โ ๐ช๐ ๐๐ข๐กโ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ง๐ข ๐๐จ๐ฌ.
๐ช๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐ฆ๐ข ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ช ๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จโ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง.