Most horse lovers know and understand that the horse's digestive system is very sensitive, so you don't make sudden changes in the horse's diet, says equine nutrition specialist Eleanor Richards.

Disrupting the delicate balance of microbes in the large intestine can lead to colic, laminitis, founder and death, Richards warns. When you are going to change a horse's diet, be sure you do it gradually. That includes the introduction of a new load of forage, she says. Mix some of the existing forage with the new forage for several days, she advises.
Richards says, Do not purchase the least expensive feed you can find. Cheap feeds will have non-digestible fillers and you'll end up feeding more to meet the nutrition requirements of your horse.

Cheap feeds, she says aren't cheap! (You can do the math along with Eleanor at her web site, www.thewayofhorses.com See article archives.) Richards teaches the www.horsecoursesonline.com course Nutrition for Maximum Performance. The course can be taken for college credit , as part of a professional certification program or just for personal enrichment. See: for a course description and outline.

The third thing you do not do is feed by the scoop. Weigh your feed. If you feed less than the recommended amounts as stated by the manufacturer you will not be providing a balanced diet. Always follow the feeding direction on the feed tag, Richards insists.

Do not feed a product that is not designed for your horse.
If your horse is growing, in training or on poor quality forage you don't want to be feeding a product designed for a mature horse that is not being worked and is on abundant pasture.

Richards teaches students how to balance a feed ration for the individual horse. Feeding to reach the specific requirements of the individual horse is extremely important, she says.

Finally, do not feed any product if you have even the slightest doubts about its quality and freshness. Horse feed should be free of dust, contain no mold, smell good and be of consistent texture from batch to batch. Return questionable products, or throw them out, Richards says emphatically.

Better to waste a little feed than to endanger your horse.