4 Feed Myths

When we strip away tradition and look at the biology, the pattern is clear: horses thrive on fibre, movement, comfort, and clarity - not complexity, or fads, or long-held barn-yard myths. Most of those “rules” fall apart the moment we ask, “What does the horse’s body actually need to function well?”

That’s the heart of Sound Advice: simple, evidence‑based choices that make horses feel better from the inside out. Pragmatically, that makes them more productive for longer, but also spiritually, having a genuine partnership with a content, healthy horse who enjoys their time with you is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Feed Myth #1 “Senior feeds are only for old horses.”

Senior feeds were never designed around age, they were designed around chewing ability.

A young horse with poor dentition, a horse recovering from dental work, or a horse who struggles to maintain weight on long‑stem forage may benefit from a 'senior feed' long before they hit their teens.

Senior feeds are typically softer, more digestible, and easier to chew. They’re a tool for horses with compromised fibre intake, not a birthday milestone.

The mashes typically we recommend for added fibre are soy bean hulls (Maxisoy), or beet pulp (True Beet or Speedibeet). This is because they are high in fibre but relatively neutral in terms of minerals. You can then add the most appropriate minerals for your particular horse instead of trying to devise an excel spreadsheet, or spend hours on an online calculator to adjust your mineral ratios from a commercial senior feed with a proprietary vitamin and mineral blend. Copra meal is very useful for horses that are underweight as it's very high in fat, while still being low GI.

Brans can also be useful, however you need to adjust your calcium phosphorous ratio as these are typically high in phosphorous. This is very important for bone health.

Feed Myth #2 “High‑protein feeds make horses hot.”

Protein has been blamed for decades, but it’s the wrong suspect.

Protein doesn’t act like a stimulant. It doesn’t create fizz, tension, or excess energy. What does?

• Too many calories

• Too little work

• Stress load

• Pain

• Poor sleep

• Inconsistent routine

If a horse becomes “hot” on a higher‑protein feed, it’s usually because the calories increased, not the protein. Protein builds muscle; it doesn’t build drama.

Protein is one of the few nutrients horses can’t compromise on. It’s the raw material for muscle repair, topline development, hoof quality, skin integrity, immune function, and every enzyme that keeps the body running. Horses don’t store protein the way they store fat or glycogen, so they need a steady daily supply of quality amino acids - especially lysine, methionine, and threonine. When protein is low, you see things like poor topline despite good calories, dull coat, weak hooves, slow recovery, and that vague “not thriving” look. When protein is adequate, everything else works better - movement, metabolism, posture, and even behaviour. It’s not about feeding more; it’s about feeding enough of the right kind.

Soybean meal

Soybean meal is the most efficient way to lift protein quality in a horse’s diet because it’s incredibly dense in the amino acids horses actually need to build muscle, especially lysine, methionine, and threonine. With crude protein sitting around 44–48%, it delivers far more usable amino acids per scoop than most other feeds. This is why soybean meal is the go‑to when you’re trying to fix topline, support recovery, or correct the low‑protein reality of most Australian grasses.

Lucerne (alfalfa)

Lucerne sits in a different category: it’s a forage first, and a protein source second. Good lucerne hay typically contains 16–22% crude protein, with a moderate lysine content that makes it a reliable step up from grass hay. It’s ideal for horses who need more amino acids but don’t need the intensity of a concentrated supplement. Lucerne supports muscle, helps buffer the stomach, and adds nutritional density without the behavioural myths that often get attached to it. It’s not as amino‑acid rich as soybean meal, but it’s an excellent foundation.

Lupins

Lupins land in the middle; higher in protein than lucerne, lower in amino acid quality than soybean meal. With crude protein around 28–34%, plus extra fat and fibre, lupins are good for adding safe calories and moderate protein at the same time. They’re especially useful for horses who need more energy without the starch load of grain. Their amino acid profile isn’t as balanced as soybean meal, so they’re not the best tool for fixing topline on their own, but they can be a valuable part of many diets.

Feed Myth #3 “Beet pulp is just filler.”

Beet pulp is one of the most useful, underrated feeds we have.

It’s a highly digestible fibre source that ferments slowly in the hindgut, producing steady, cool energy and supporting microbial health. It’s ideal for:

• Horses needing safe calories

• Horses with metabolic issues

• Horses who can’t tolerate large grain meals

• Horses needing more hydration (soaked beet pulp is a gift)

Calling beet pulp “filler” is like calling oats “just grass seeds.” Technically true, practically useless.

Feed Myth #4 “You shouldn’t feed before riding.”

This one persists everywhere - and it’s backwards.

A horse’s stomach is small, acidic, and constantly producing gastric acid. When you ride on an empty stomach, that acid splashes onto unprotected tissue. A small amount of forage before riding actually protects the stomach by creating a fibre mat that buffers acid.

A horse with a bit of hay on board is more comfortable, more focused, and less likely to show girthiness or tension under saddle. We always encourage owners to supply hay on the float on the way to a day out, both to offer them some comfort on the journey, but also so they have something in their gut for whatever awaits them at the other end. There is never a bad time to offer low-sugar forage. Horses’ whole physiology is designed for it.

There’s no single “correct” way to care for a horse - only the best set of trade‑offs for your horse, in your environment, with your resources and your budget.

Most of the long‑held beliefs that get argued to death on forums and social media share one flaw: they promise a universal rule in a world where horses simply don’t operate on universals. Nutrition, husbandry, behaviour are systems, and systems are shaped by context.

The real skill in horse care isn’t memorising rules. It’s learning how to weigh evidence, read your individual horse, and choose the compromise that makes the most sense for your situation.

Good management lives in that middle ground - informed, adaptable, and willing to change course when the horse shows you something isn’t working.