The Importance of Fibre For Horses Zoe Davies MSc.Eq.S. The importance of quality fibre sources for horses cannot be overstated. The horse’s digestive system has evolved primarily to break down large quantities of fibre and turn this into volatile fatty acids, an important energy source. The horse relies on quality fibre to help maintain the health of the digestive tract and an absence of fibre will lead to health problems including colic and diarrhoea. The end products of fibre digestion result in a slow release of energy, which is natural and necessary for the psychological well being of the horse. Nutritionists now recommend that horses be fed adequate fibre sources first and foremost with cereals only being added if necessary to meet increased energy requirements such as in the working horse. Quality of hay is important as late cut hay will have less nutritional value and hay cut with too much moisture will produce fungal and mould spores that may have a serious effect on the horse’s health. An excellent alternative to hay is haylage. It is vital that haylage is made specifically for horses and good manufacturers such as Newhay will monitor quality control. The product quality must be consistent so that unnecessary dietary changes are not made with each new bale opened. Newhay analyse their new batches of haylage on a regular basis. Haylage and other dust extracted natural fibres have many advantages as a choice for conserved forage for horses – not least the benefits to the respiratory health of both horse and rider!