What Is An “Easy Keeper”?
Easy keepers are horses that maintain or gain weight easily—sometimes too easily. While that may sound like a blessing, it can be a real challenge to keep these horses healthy without overfeeding them. Improper feeding can lead to obesity, insulin resistance, laminitis, and other metabolic problems.
Research shows that up to 40–54% of domestic horses and ponies are overweight, particularly in breeds known for metabolic thriftiness like Morgans, Andalusians, Arabians, and many pony breeds. Breeds like Welsh Ponies, Fjords, Mustangs, and Haflingers are genetically wired for survival on sparse forage—and in modern management, that often translates into metabolic chaos.
This guide explains how to safely and smartly feed your easy keeper to support longevity, soundness, and overall well-being.
Focus on Forage—But Choose the Right Kind
Forage isn’t optional—it’s the foundation. And for easy keepers, choosing the right kind of forage is the single most powerful tool you have to manage calories, support gut health, and prevent metabolic issues.
✅ Forage Should Be the Bulk of the Diet
Easy keepers should get 80–100% of their diet from forage, depending on workload. That includes hay, haylage, chaff, and yes—even straw.
Why? Fiber feeds the microbes in your horse’s hindgut, which break it down into volatile fatty acids (VFAs)—a slow-release energy source that doesn’t spike blood sugar like starches and sugars do. That’s exactly the kind of fuel a thrifty horse needs.
Even overweight horses need forage—just not in excess. Severely restricting hay can backfire, leading to serious health issues like gastric ulcers, colic, stereotypic behaviors, and even hyperlipidemia (a dangerous surge of fat into the bloodstream during calorie crisis).
👉 Minimum: 1.5% of current body weight in forage (dry matter) per day
👉 Target for weight maintenance: ~2% of body weight per day
👉 Weight loss: Feed 1.5% of current body weight or 2% of ideal body weight—whichever is greater
Example:
A 500 kg (1,100 lb) horse at ideal weight should eat:
- Maintenance: 10 kg (22 lb) forage/day
- Weight loss: 7.5–10 kg/day depending on forage energy
Why the right kind matters:
Some horses can eat more by weight if the hay is low enough in energy (like straw or late-cut timothy). Others need tighter control with slow feeders, soaked hay, or calorie dilution strategies.
Easy keepers should still have free or near-free access to forage to support digestive health and mental well-being. But the type of hay matters:
- Low-NSC grass hays such as mature timothy, Bermuda, or rhodes grass. (It is always better to have a hay analysis done or ask for one when buying hay)
- High-sugar hay can spike insulin and blood glucose levels, setting the stage for laminitis. Aim for hay with <12% NSC, or <10% if your horse has diagnosed metabolic issues.
- Clean, mold-free oat or wheat straw can be used to bulk up rations without adding calories—but it must be introduced gradually and balanced with extra protein and minerals.
- Avoid legume hays like alfalfa, unless directed by a vet.
- Test your hay for sugar and starch levels. Soak it for 30–60 minutes to reduce non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) if necessary.
- If your hay tests high in sugars, soaking for 30–60 minutes can reduce WSC by up to 50%. Just be aware it also leaches minerals—so supplementation is essential.
Ideal hay analysis targets:
- NSC (WSC + starch): < 12%
- ESC + starch: < 10% for metabolic horses
Flakes of hay vary wildly in weight. Use a hanging scale or luggage scale to weigh hay portions. Do the same for supplements and balancers. Feeding “a scoop” or “a flake” is not accurate.
Is Straw a Good Option?
Actually… yes, if used smartly.
Straw adds bulk and chew time without a big calorie load. It can safely replace up to 40% of the forage ration in overweight horses—but it must be:
- Clean, dry, and mold-free
- Introduced gradually over 2–3 weeks
- Paired with extra protein and minerals to avoid deficiencies
Oat straw and wheat straw are generally the best choices.
Soaking Hay to Reduce Sugar
If your hay analysis shows high levels of sugar or starch, soaking can help reduce the non-structural carbohydrates (NSC)—making it safer for easy keepers and horses prone to laminitis.
Studies show that soaking hay in cold water can reduce fructans and simple sugars by up to 50%, depending on the hay type. But be aware: soaking also removes water-soluble minerals, so you’ll need to feed a vitamin and mineral supplement to replace what’s lost.
- Soak in plenty of water — more water removes more sugar.
- 30–60 minutes is typically sufficient and will only lower potassium and sodium mineral levels; longer soaks extract more sugar but also more minerals.
- In warm weather, soak less to prevent bacterial growth.
- Always use clean, mold-free hay and fresh water for each soak.
- Don’t steam hay if sugar reduction is your goal—steaming doesn’t lower sugar content.
If soaking doesn’t bring sugar levels down far enough, it’s time to switch to a different forage entirely.
Pro tip: Use slow feeders to mimic natural grazing, reduce boredom, and extend chewing time, which supports digestive health without calorie overload. Combining multiple slow feeders in different areas of a track or dry lot encourages low-intensity movement throughout the day, which is exactly what easy keepers need to mimic natural foraging behavior.
Limit or Eliminate Grain
Most easy keepers don’t need commercial grain, sweet feed, or high-fat rations. These feeds are designed for performance horses—not horses prone to fat pads and metabolic stress.
- Avoid sweet feeds and textured feeds with molasses.
- If extra calories are needed (e.g., in winter or light work), choose a low-calorie balancer pellet or small amount of high-fiber feed. Add soaked beet pulp (no molasses), hay pellets, or a small amount of cool-energy feeds like high-fiber cubes—never corn, oats, or sweet feeds.
What if my horse always acts hungry?
Easy keepers are food-motivated by nature. Acting hungry doesn’t mean they’re underfed—it means they’re designed to eat constantly, even when they don’t need more calories. Instead of feeding more, focus on spreading meals out, using slow feeders, and providing forage variety (soaked hay, straw, pellets) to stretch chewing time.
Provide a Ration Balancer or Vitamin-Mineral Supplement
Even on hay alone, horses still need essential nutrients that forage alone can’t supply:
- Trace minerals like copper, zinc, selenium
- Key vitamins like E and A
- Amino acids like lysine and methionine
Choose:
- A ration balancer with complete trace minerals, protein, and no added energy
- Or a low-calorie loose mineral supplement with plain salt offered free-choice
⚠️ Avoid overlapping supplements. More is not better—it’s about balance, not bulk.
Watch Body Condition Closely
Use the Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS) to monitor your horse’s fat coverage:
- Ideal score: 4–5
- Warning signs: Cresty neck, fat pads on shoulders, tailhead, or behind the girth area
Weigh your horse regularly or use a weight tape. Take monthly photos for comparison.
Exercise Matters
Diet alone is not always enough to manage weight in an easy keeper. Movement helps regulate:
- Blood sugar and insulin sensitivity
- Calorie burn
- Gut motility and mental health
- Hoof function
Daily turnout and light work (even hand walking) can help immensely.
Not every horse needs under-saddle work to lose weight. In-hand pole work, hill walking, ground driving, and even baited stretches can improve insulin sensitivity and burn calories.
Manage Pasture Access and Encourage Natural Movement
Lush pasture—especially in spring and fall—can be dangerously high in sugars. Free access may look natural, but it’s not safe for easy keepers.
Pasture management tips:
- Use a grazing muzzle during turnout to slow intake
- Create a dry lot or sacrifice paddock to offer movement without sugar overload
- Turn out in the early morning, when grass sugars are typically lowest
🌀 Bonus: Consider a Paddock Paradise Setup
Inspired by wild horse behavior, Paddock Paradise track systems are ideal for easy keepers:
- Encourages continuous, low-level movement
- Reduces boredom and stress
- Places hay in multiple slow feeders to mimic foraging
- Supports hoof health and digestion
- Minimizes risk of overgrazing
It’s one of the most effective ways to combine exercise, forage control, and herd dynamics—all essential to keeping your easy keeper lean and happy.management with a dynamic environment, you can safely support your easy keeper’s need for movement without excess calories.
Salt and Supplements
Most horses need 1–2 ounces (30–60 grams) of salt daily, more in hot weather or with sweating. If your horse isn’t consuming enough, try top-dressing salt on moistened hay or mash.
Some salt licks are flavored or sweetened. These can encourage overconsumption. Instead:
- Offer plain white salt blocks or loose salt
- Consider individual mineral supplements if needed
Supplements should never be used to justify poor feeding practices. For easy keepers, they are best used as supportive tools—not as a substitute for low-calorie forage, smart pasture management, and daily movement. Always choose supplements based on your horse’s actual needs and forage analysis, not marketing claims.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is widely used in herbal medicine for its potential to improve insulin sensitivity. The active compound, a water-soluble polyphenolic polymer, appears to mimic insulin activity and acts as an antioxidant. This has been confirmed in several human and animal studies, but no equine-specific research has yet demonstrated weight loss benefits.
Suggested dose: Up to 5 grams per 100 kg of body weight per day (25 grams per day for a 500 kg horse)
Use cautiously, and always consult with your vet or equine nutritionist before adding it to your horse’s diet.
Support healthy metabolic function in horses prone to insulin resistance and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. This formula combines chromium, magnesium, vitamin E, cinnamon, bitter melon, and antioxidants to promote balanced blood sugar, improve insulin sensitivity, and combat oxidative stress. When paired with a proper diet and exercise, it may help your horse achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green algae rich in protein, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. In one study, spirulina supplementation in horses with EMS led to measurable improvements in insulin sensitivity and a reduction in cresty neck scores after three months of feeding.
While more research is needed, spirulina may be a useful tool for horses struggling with metabolic dysfunction, especially when combined with a low-NSC forage-based diet and controlled pasture access.
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Avoid Over-Supplementing
More supplements ≠ better health.
Many products are over-fortified or high in unnecessary calories. Stick to a forage-first philosophy and only add:
- What your horse truly needs based on work level, age, or diagnosis
- What your hay lacks (from a hay analysis)
If you want to learn what and how to feed your horse on a daily basis: check this guide
Winter Blanketing
Many easy keepers are over-blanketed in winter, preventing the natural calorie burn that comes with thermoregulation. If your horse is healthy, unclipped, and has shelter, letting them “feel the cold” can safely encourage mild winter weight loss—especially helpful before spring grass hits. Save the blankets for elderly, underweight, or clipped horses.
Get Regular Vet Checks
Obesity can hide deeper metabolic problems, including:
- PPID (Cushing’s Disease)
- Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)
Annual metabolic screenings, body condition assessments, and dental checks are vital to long-term health.
Final Thoughts
Feeding an easy keeper isn’t about restricting food—it’s about making smart, informed choices that support health without triggering weight gain or laminitis. From choosing the right hay and supplements to managing turnout and encouraging movement, every decision adds up.
When in doubt, less is more.
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References
- Anderson, Richard A., et al. “Isolation and Characterization of Polyphenol Type-A Polymers from Cinnamon with Insulin-like Biological Activity.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, vol. 52, no. 1, Jan. 2004, pp. 65–70, https://doi.org/10.1021/jf034916b
- Cook, J. (2021). Paddock Paradise track system for horses. Colorado State University Extension / NRCS. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://sam.extension.colostate.edu/topics/pasture-range/paddock-paradise-track-system-for-horses/
- Dugoua, Jean-Jacques, et al. “From Type 2 Diabetes to Antioxidant Activity: A Systematic Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Common and Cassia Cinnamon BarkThis Article Is One of a Selection of Papers Published in This Special Issue (Part 1 of 2) on the Safety and Efficacy of Natural Health Products.” Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, vol. 85, no. 9, Sept. 2007, pp. 837–847, https://doi.org/10.1139/y07-080.
- International Consensus Group on Equine Metabolic Syndrome. (2018). Diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disease: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) consensus statement. Equine Veterinary Journal, 50(2), 211–223. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6430910/
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- Longland, A. C., et al. “The Effect of Wearing a Grazing Muzzle vs. Not Wearing a Grazing Muzzle on Intakes of Spring, Summer and Autumn Pastures by Ponies.” Forages and Grazing in Horse Nutrition, 2012, pp. 185–186, https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-755-4_20.
- Mack, S. J., et al. “Impact of Water-Soaking on the Nutrient Composition of UK Hays.” Veterinary Record, vol. 174, no. 18, May 2014, pp. 452–452, https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.102074.
- Mad Barn. (2022). Paddock Paradise for horses: A guide to track systems. Retrieved June 8, 2025, from https://madbarn.com/paddock-paradise-for-horses/
- McGowan, C.M., et al. “Dietary Restriction in Combination with a Nutraceutical Supplement for the Management of Equine Metabolic Syndrome in Horses.” The Veterinary Journal, vol. 196, no. 2, May 2013, pp. 153–159, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.10.007.
- Nawrocka, Daria, et al. “Spirulina Platensis Improves Mitochondrial Function Impaired by Elevated Oxidative Stress in Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (ASCs) and Intestinal Epithelial Cells (IECs), and Enhances Insulin Sensitivity in Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) Horses.” Marine Drugs, vol. 15, no. 8, 3 Aug. 2017, p. 237, https://doi.org/10.3390/md15080237.
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