A Preliminary Study on Feeding Straw to Horses and Its Effects on Equine Chewing and Consumption Rates
Authors: Nadine Louise Mostert, Katie Williams, Briony Witherow
Journal: International Journal of Equine Science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Straw's potential as a dietary tool for weight management in horses has received limited scientific validation, particularly regarding its mechanical effects on eating behaviour. Mostert and colleagues conducted a seven-day crossover trial with eight horses comparing a 50:50 oat straw and haylage mixture against 100% haylage, measuring both consumption rates (kg/hour) and chewing rates (chews per five minutes) across the feeding period. Consumption rates decreased significantly by day seven when horses received the straw-supplemented diet (p = 0.018), whilst chewing rates showed adaptive changes, initially declining but then increasing by day seven—suggesting horses adjusted their eating mechanics in response to the coarser forage. These findings indicate that incorporating oat straw at 50% of the forage ration extends meal duration and reduces overall intake, offering practical benefits for managing obese horses and those with minimal energy requirements without resorting to caloric restriction alone. For practitioners working with weight-prone equines, this preliminary evidence supports straw inclusion as a welfare-focused feeding strategy that maintains masticatory stimulation whilst naturally limiting consumption.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Mixing 50% oat straw with haylage slows how fast horses eat, which helps manage obesity and extends feeding time for better welfare
- •Horses adapt their chewing behavior within a week when straw is introduced, so allow time for adjustment before assessing effectiveness
- •This approach may be particularly useful for easy-keepers and horses with low energy requirements that need to be kept occupied longer
Key Findings
- •Consumption rate with 50% oat straw diet was significantly lower by Day 7 compared to 100% haylage (p = 0.018)
- •Chewing rate showed adaptive response, decreasing on Day 1 but increasing by Day 7 with straw diet
- •50% oat straw inclusion altered feeding behavior in a pattern consistent with weight management goals