Unusually Dry – Feeding Horses in dry Season

Normally, we have regular rain throughout the year here in my region.

But this year is different. For months, it has been dry — the ground is hard, and the grass has almost disappeared. Our horses are standing on dusty paddocks, with little to no fresh green available.

This situation is unusual for us here, and it changes more than it might seem. With the lack of rain, not only the landscape changes — but also the nutrient composition of our horses’ diets.

I wrote this article to bring awareness to this exceptional dry spell and to explain what’s important in your horse’s feeding right now to keep them healthy and in balance. 💚

🐴 The Current Feeding Situation: Teff, Lucerne & Oat Hay

With fresh grass unavailable and the new Teff harvest expected only at the end of the year, most horses are currently fed a combination of older Teff, Lucerne (alfalfa), and often Oat Hay.

This combination is generally good, but it changes the nutrient balance significantly:

• Teff from the previous season contains less protein, energy, and vitamins due to long storage.

• Lucerne is very high in calcium but low in phosphorus.

• Oat Hay can contain higher levels of sugar or starch, depending on when it was harvested.

Together, this results in lower antioxidant intake, shifts in mineral balance, and reduced nutrient availability.

🌿 Why Vitamin E Matters So Much Right Now

Vitamin E is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants in a horse’s body. It protects muscles, nerves, and cells from oxidative stress and supports immune strength and recovery. The main natural source? Fresh green grass.

Once hay is dried and stored, most of its vitamin E is lost — which means that horses without access to pasture can easily develop a deficiency.

🩸 Oil Feeding & Vitamin E – The Important Connection

Feeding oils or fat-based feeds increases the horse’s need for vitamin E, as more antioxidants are required to protect fatty acids from oxidation inside the body. But there’s another factor: Vitamin E is light- and oxygen-sensitive, and it can degrade quickly in pressed oils.

This is exactly why we developed Herbitality OmegaMix:

• It contains whole, unprocessed oil seeds — preserving all the natural fatty acids, vitamin E, and secondary plant compounds.

• Within the intact seed, these nutrients are naturally protected from light and oxidation, keeping them stable and bioactive.

• OmegaMix therefore provides natural vitamin E, not a synthetic addition — along with a wide range of plant-based antioxidants that work together to protect your horse’s cells.

👉 Feeding tip: We deliberately do not sell OmegaMix ground. Whole seeds preserve their nutrients best.

• You can feed it whole,

• or optionally soak or freshly crush it just before feeding to release more oils.

Whole seeds = longer nutrient life. Freshly soaked or crushed = maximum aroma & bioavailability. Both ways are perfectly fine for your horse!

💚 Natural Support: MoringaVital & OmegaMix

MoringaVital is packed with natural antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, and trace minerals.Its special feature: Fulvic Acid, which enhances nutrient bioavailability — meaning that the vitamins and minerals are absorbed and utilized more efficiently by the body.

Combined with OmegaMix, which provides Omega-3 fatty acids, natural vitamin E, and secondary plant compounds, you get an all-natural antioxidant system that supports:

🌿 Cell health,

🌿 immune function,

🌿 skin & coat, and

🌿 muscle metabolism.

⚖️ The Calcium–Phosphorus Balance

Lucerne is a fantastic forage — rich in protein and energy — but it contains far more calcium than phosphorus(around 5:1). The ideal ratio for horses, however, is closer to 2:1. When more Lucerne and less Teff are fed, this ratio can become imbalanced.

A long-term imbalance can affect the absorption of other minerals and trace elements, impacting metabolic stability.

💡 How to Maintain Balance

• PureMineral helps support the overall mineral and trace element supply, especially where stored forages fall short. It does not directly balance calcium and phosphorus, but it supports the body’s mineral metabolism.

• To restore the Ca:P ratio, check your concentrate feed. Many commercial mixes are low in phosphorus.

• Whole oats are a simple and natural way to increase phosphorus levels and bring the ratio closer to the ideal range — without removing Lucerne.

  
  

🌾 Commercial Concentrates – No Problem, Just Awareness

Commercial concentrates are widely used and completely fine — they’re practical, consistent, and provide reliable energy. However, during dry conditions, it’s worth checking:

• the starch and sugar levels,

• the type of added vitamins,

• and how the overall feed fits your forage quality.

Horses on older forage benefit from structured hay, natural nutrient sources, and healthy fats — such as those in OmegaMix. It provides gentle energy, supports muscle recovery, and promotes a shiny coat — without stressing the metabolism.

🐎 Older Hay – Same Structure, Fewer Nutrients

Teff from last season is perfectly fine but contains less protein, energy, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. It fills the stomach but provides fewer available nutrients.

💡 Recommendation

Check hay quality regularly (color, smell, leaf content, dust).If needed, complement with natural nutrient sources such as MoringaVital, PureMineral, or OmegaMix to support balance and vitality.

🌿 The Power of Fresh “Living Feed”

Whenever possible, fresh herbs and greens — even in small amounts — are an incredible addition to your horse’s diet. This kind of “living feed” provides active enzymes, chlorophyll, and a broad range of micronutrients that cannot be preserved in hay or processed feeds.

Offering your horse the chance to nibble on fresh herbs, wild plants, or seasonal greens supports:

🌱 natural digestion,

🌱 detoxification, and

🌱 overall metabolic balance.

In times when everything else is dry and stored, a handful of fresh, living plants can make a meaningful difference to vitality and well-being.

🌧️ When the Rain Comes – Take It Slow

At some point, the rain will come. 🌱After a long dry spell, the first fresh grass grows quickly — but it’s rich in sugars and proteins, while lacking fiber and minerals.A sudden change to this lush pasture can lead to bloating, loose manure, colic, or even laminitis in sensitive horses.

💚 Support During Transitions

Bloat&ColicPrevent supports digestion during these periods of change. It combines anise, caraway, and fennel, which help to naturally stimulate the digestive system and reduce gas formation.

👉 Start with short grazing times, continue feeding hay, and increase turnout gradually to let the gut flora adapt.

💚 Final Thoughts – A Challenging Season, but Manageable

This unusually dry season is a challenge — but with the right adjustments, your horse can stay healthy, strong, and in balance:

✅ Natural vitamin E & antioxidants – OmegaMix (whole seeds) + MoringaVital (with Fulvic Acid)

✅ Check your concentrate feed – add oats to support phosphorus levels

✅ Stabilize minerals – PureMineral

✅ Monitor hay quality

✅ Support digestion – Bloat&ColicPrevent

With awareness, patience, and natural, well-chosen support, your horse will stay balanced through this exceptional dry period — and be ready for the first green shoots when the rain returns. 🌦️💚