A guide for conscious horse owners who want to give their horse the very best — naturally.

You want the best for your horse. You've changed the feed. You've tried different supplements. You've asked the experts.

And yet something still feels a little off.

Maybe it's the digestion. Maybe it's the energy levels. Maybe it's just a quiet feeling that your horse isn't quite thriving the way they should.

What I see again and again with the horse owners I work with is this: the problem is often not what you are feeding. It's what you are missing.

And one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle? Roughage.

Not because people don't care, but because there is so much confusion around what roughage actually is, what it does, and which types are genuinely good for your horse.

So let's go through it together.

Why Roughage Is The Foundation, Not Just The Filler

The most important thing to understand first: fibre is not filler. Fibre is the most important part of your horse's diet.

Yet so many people treat it as background noise, something to throw in the hay net without much thought, while spending hours researching supplements and concentrates.

The horse's entire digestive system is designed around fibre. It keeps the gut moving, feeds the microbiome, supports the acid-base balance in the stomach, and gives the horse the long, slow chewing time their system is built for.

When the roughage is wrong or unbalanced, everything else becomes harder. No supplement in the world will fix a foundation that isn't right.

It's also both healthier and more natural for your horse to receive more than one type of roughage. A horse in nature doesn't eat the same grass from the same field every single day. Variety is not just nice to have, it's how the body gets what it truly needs..

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The Different Types of Roughage — And What You Need to Know


🌿 Grass — The Natural Starting Point

Grass is the horse's natural source of nutrition. It's how horses instinctively obtain and process what their bodies need. Ideally, your horse should have access to fresh grass year-round, though this isn't always possible depending on where you live and the time of year.

When fresh grass is available, make the most of it. It's not just food. It's medicine in its most natural form.



🌾 Hay — The Best Supplement to Grass

When fresh grass isn't available, good-quality hay is your best option.

Hay is rich in nutrients, fibre, and many of the vitamins and minerals your horse needs. The nutritional value of hay varies significantly though, and this matters. Wind, weather, the condition of the field, and how the hay was harvested and stored all play a role.

Not all hay is created equal. The same bale from the same field can differ dramatically from year to year. If you have any concerns about the nutritional quality of your hay, it's always worth having it analysed.

Good-quality hay is the cornerstone of a balanced roughage plan. Build from here.


🌾 Straw — A Supplement, Never a Sole Source

Straw should never be used as the only roughage source. It simply doesn't contain the nutrition your horse needs, even though it does contain fibre.

That said, straw does have a place, particularly for horses and ponies with low energy requirements. If you want to extend chewing time, reduce energy intake, or simply give your horse something to nibble on, a small amount of straw mixed in with hay or grass can be a good option.

Some types of straw are better than others. A good bale of barley straw, for example, can work well as part of a mixed roughage plan.

One important note: don't let your horse eat excessive amounts of straw. Too much can lead to constipation. A little, alongside plenty of good roughage, is the key.



🌿 Alfalfa (Lucerne) — High Fibre, High Energy, High Value

Alfalfa is one of the most fibre-rich and energy-dense roughage options available. It's particularly well-suited to horses with high energy demands, performance horses, breeding horses, or horses that need extra support during recovery.

Alfalfa is also rich in calcium and other minerals, and it contains significant levels of cobalt, which enables your horse to produce its own vitamin B12. It provides excellent chewing time and a natural energy boost.

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If your horse needs more from their roughage than hay alone can give, alfalfa is worth including in the mix.

What You Need to Know About Wrap (Acidic Roughage)

This is one of the most important things I want you to take away from this post.

Wrap, also called haylage or wrapped hay, is considered an acidic roughage due to its low pH value.

When hay is wrapped in plastic, the fermentation process begins immediately, regardless of whether the hay is dry or moist. This creates an oxygen-free environment that kills off aerobic microorganisms, and as a result, the pH drops. The roughage becomes acidic.

Wrap contains histamine, a natural biological compound that stimulates the production of stomach acid. This increases the overall acidity in the digestive system, and it also acts as a hormone that influences the digestive and immune systems.

For these reasons, hay is always preferable to wrap when you have the choice.

I know that many horse owners do feed wrap, often because it's more practical, more widely available, or simply what their supplier provides. If that's your situation, it's essential to supplement your horse's diet with products that help maintain the acid-base balance in the stomach. This will help prevent the imbalances, symptoms, and health issues that can arise from long-term acidic feeding.


Beets, Carrots, and Herbs — The Finishing Touch

Beets and carrots are rich in fibre, and horses love them. They make an excellent supplement, especially during winter when grass is less abundant.

​Don't underestimate the power of fresh and dried herbs either. A wide variety of herbs are genuinely beneficial for the horse's digestive system and overall health. They're one of nature's most underused tools for horse owners who want to support their horse from the inside out.

The Bigger Picture


Not Sure What Your Horse Actually Needs?

If you are unsure about what your horse can tolerate, or you feel like something is off even though you are doing everything right — that is exactly when it makes sense to work with someone who looks at the root cause, not just the symptom.

I am here for that.

👉 Book a consultation or reach out — and let's find what your horse is actually telling you.

Real healing. Real results. For conscious horse owners who refuse to give up.

— Sofiia Nygaard | Treatment With Heart

→ The Ultimate Feeding Plan — the complete biologically-correct feeding framework for horses at every life stage and workload

→ The Overweight Horse — when the metabolic picture needs specific attention alongside the nutritional foundation

→ Homemade Horse Treats — because treats should nourish, not harm

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