The Eqceed feeding guide
Choosing the Right Horse Feed
A good feed choice starts before you look at the bag. Take stock of the horse, the forage, and the job the feed needs to do.
A starting point for choosing a feeding program, with product directions linked below.
A feeding plan starts with what is already in the manger.
In this guide
Start with the horse and the forage
Hay and pasture form the foundation of most horse diets. Their quality, availability, and nutrient content help determine what else belongs in the manger. A hay analysis gives you more to work with than appearance alone. Age, growth, breeding, and exercise also change the horse’s needs. [1]
Note the horse’s weight, daily work, body condition, and ability to chew. Discuss changing condition with your veterinarian or equine nutritionist. [3]
Give the feed a job
Start with the feeding directions, rather than ranking bags by protein alone. Ask what the feed is intended to add to the rest of the diet.
01 · Balance the forage
Ration balancer
A concentrated source of protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals can help fill gaps when forage provides much of the horse’s energy. A balancer is fed in the amount its directions specify; it is not a replacement for hay. [2]
Eqceed Ultra Balancer is Tucker’s ration-balancer example. Its directions vary by size and activity. [4]
02 · Add to the program
Feed with forage
When additional calories and nutrients are needed, look for directions that fit the horse and the forage program. Supplemental feeds and balancers have different feeding amounts and purposes. [3]
Eqceed 12 gives directions with hay or pasture, plus separate instructions when good-quality forage is unavailable. Read the applicable instructions; do not assume every bag fits only one category. [5]
03 · Read replacement directions
Complete feed
A complete feed may have directions for use with forage or in place of it. Replacing hay requires a planned ration, not simply adding another scoop of feed. [3]
Eqceed Ultra Complete is formulated for mature horses and has directions for feeding with forage or replacing all hay. [6]
“Senior” describes the horse, not the whole feeding plan
Some senior feeds are complete feeds, but the word “senior” alone does not tell you that a feed can replace hay. Read its intended use and directions. An older horse that holds weight and chews well may need a different plan from one with dental problems or unexplained weight loss. Have your veterinarian assess those concerns before changing the ration around them. [3]
Make the choice practical
Check the intended horse
Read the life stage, purpose, and cautions on the current bag. Eqceed Ultra Balancer contains added copper and must not be fed to sheep or species sensitive to supplemental copper. Eqceed 12 also carries a “do not feed to sheep” caution. [4, 5]
Weigh the feed
Follow feeding directions by weight. Weigh your feed, and recheck when the product changes. [3]
Follow the feeding amount
Feeding a fortified product below its recommended amount can also reduce the vitamins and minerals supplied. Ask for help if the label amount does not suit the horse’s calorie needs. [2]
For the numbers and terminology on the bag, read How to Read Your Feed Tag.
Sources
General feeding principles come from the publications below. Tucker examples use our published catalog; follow the current bag tag for the product in hand.
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Forage, hay analysis, and needs that change with life stage and work. Accessed October 8, 2026.
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Providing your horse vitamins and minerals ↩
Ration balancers and the importance of the label feeding amount. Accessed October 8, 2026.
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30 is the new 20: Equine nutrition for the golden years ↩
Feed roles, senior horses, body condition, dental concerns, and weighing feed. Accessed October 8, 2026.
