Question

I have a friend who has complained that his horse eats the shavings in his stall when he feeds pellets. He thinks it is due to a lack of fiber in the pellets. Is this true?

Answer

Eating bedding material could be a sign of a fiber deficient diet. The major criteria would be the amount of fiber in the pellet or cubes and the amount of the product being fed. The amount of fiber in a hay pellet will be similar to the amount of fiber in a baled product as long as the pellet does not contain low fiber additives such as grain. Many hay pellets contain some grain to help them stick together.

It is also common for pelleted and/or cubed hay products to consist of “rabbit quality” hay. Rabbit quality hay is typically lower in fiber than more mature hay. If the pellets contain both a low fiber content and added grain, they will be higher in energy. This will result in fewer pounds of product necessary to maintain body weight. Ultimately, one could get into a situation where the horse requires only a small amount of high energy pellet to maintain body condition, but this small amount of feed does not provide adequate gut fill to maintain a “full” feeling in the horse.

The horse may eat bedding to maintain a full digestive system. Another factor to consider is that horses are designed to graze and/or eat on a constant basis. Pelleted diets can be eaten rapidly and leave many hours of boredom, leaving a hay to graze on whatever is available. These grazing choices often include bedding and fence boards.