All year
What supplements should I give my horse?
Give your horse supplements that address a specific gap in its whole diet or a need identified with your vet or equine nutritionist. There is no standard stack for every horse, and adding more products can duplicate nutrients or create harmful excesses.
Start with the whole ration
Bring your horse’s weight and body condition, age, workload, health history, forage information and feed labels to the discussion. Include amounts actually fed, not just the names on the bags. A forage analysis can identify nutritional gaps more precisely than the appearance of the hay.
A ration balancer can supply vitamins and minerals where the forage-based diet falls short. A fortified feed used at its recommended rate may already cover those needs; feeding less changes what it supplies. Adding another mineral mix without checking the totals is not a safe shortcut. Selenium, for example, can be toxic in excess.
Match the product category to the question
| Category | First decision |
|---|---|
| Vitamins, minerals and vitamin E | Identify what the existing ration provides and ask whether a dietary review or a specific test is needed. Do not automatically pair vitamin E with selenium. |
| Electrolytes | Discuss losses from sweating and a suitable plan. Provide plain drinking water; electrolyte water must not be the only option. |
| Joints | Investigate pain or stiffness with your vet. Ask for equine evidence on the exact formulation and outcome, rather than assuming every horse needs preventive joint powder. |
| Hooves, skin and coat | Review the ration and routine hoof and skin care. A feed additive does not diagnose or treat an abscess, infection or allergy. |
| Calming products | Review pain, management, training and the diet before shopping. Check ingredients, interactions and the rules of your competition. |
| Weight gain and senior products | Assess unexplained weight loss, teeth, forage intake and body condition first. Select a ration for the individual rather than a supplement solely because of age. |
| Digestive products | Discuss persistent loose droppings or recurrent discomfort with your vet. Probiotics contain live microorganisms; prebiotics support certain microbes. Neither category guarantees a useful result. |
| Immune and gastric support | Repeated illness or suspected ulcers need veterinary assessment. Keep prescribed medicines distinct from feed supplements and follow the treatment plan. |
What evidence can tell you
UC Davis describes limited and mixed findings for oral joint supplements. Research on one ingredient, another species or a different dose does not establish that the product on your shelf works. Ask what was tested and whether the result matters for your horse.
The published review of equine probiotics also reports variable evidence and product quality. A broad statement that every horse benefits is not a substitute for evidence on a strain, formulation and clinical use. An owner testimonial cannot separate a product’s effect from changes in care or natural recovery.
Checklist before buying
- Write down the specific need and who advised on it.
- Compare ingredient totals across the whole ration, including existing supplements and treats.
- Ask for a clear label with ingredient amounts, feeding directions, manufacturer contact, batch and expiry information.
- Check medication compatibility and any competition restrictions with the relevant professional or governing body.
- Choose a form your horse will actually eat: powder, pellets, liquid or paste. Follow that product’s directions for measuring, mixing and storage.
- Work out cost at the agreed daily amount: pack price divided by the number of daily portions. Include any different starting and maintenance amounts.
- Agree when to review the reason for feeding it and which adverse changes mean you should call earlier.
Record changes without assuming the cause
Record observations before the start, the product and batch, amount, start date and review date. Note whether the full feed was eaten. Alongside it, record changes in training, forage, treatment and weather so the history is useful to the professional advising you.
Use the same observation each time, such as dated hoof photographs or a recorded body-condition assessment. Improvement after starting a product does not prove it caused the change. Do not stop or restart prescribed treatment to run your own trial.
Common questions
Can I mix supplements?
Only after checking the combined ingredients and daily amounts. Different brand names can conceal overlapping nutrients; give your adviser all labels together.
Are supplements a replacement for feed or medication?
No. First provide an appropriate ration and follow prescribed treatment. Sudden illness, colic signs or significant weight loss need veterinary attention.
Should every older horse have the same supplements?
No. Age prompts a review of health, teeth, intake and condition; it does not identify which nutrient or product is needed.
In Halster
Look back at when a supplement started
Note the product, start date and specific observations in Halster so you can review changes later.
Install the test version through TestFlight.
Read next
Sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids (2026-10-11)
- University of Minnesota: Providing your horse vitamins and minerals (2026-10-11)
- UC Davis: Supplementing for Joint Health: What the Science Says (2026-10-11)
- Schoster et al.: Probiotic Use in Horses: What is the Evidence for Their Clinical Efficacy? (2026-10-11)
- UC Davis: Keeping Horses Healthy in Hot Weather (2026-10-11)