Are you looking for a hay replacer as an alternative or additional forage option for your horse due to the hay shortage or poor grass quality? While hay and haylage is commonly fed alongside grazing to ensure your horse receives sufficient fibre throughout the year, you may need to feed different types of forage to ensure your horse’s needs are being met. They are ideal for boosting fibre intake and offering variety, especially during the winter months when access to grazing is limited.
The choice and availability of hay replacers for horses has grown significantly over the last few years with advancing technology. Not all feeds can be used as hay replacers for horses – they must be high fibre and low starch, as well as being nutritionally comparable to forage to be suitable. I’ve spoken to feed companies and they have recommended products from their range that would be suitable forage replacers.
Best hay replacers for horses
Here is a selection of the best hay replacers for horses that are currently available, including the manufacturers’ descriptions of their products.
NB: Feeding rates have been recommended based on a 500kg horse – these feeding rates per day are a guide only.
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Full hay replacers for horses
Spillers Speedy-Mash Fibre
Size: 20kg
RRP: £15.85
Soaking time in cold water: 1 minute
Feeding rate: 11.5kg (dry weight) divided into a minimum of four feeds as a full forage replacer
- Sugar: 2.5%
- Starch: 7.5%
This mash has a super-fast soaking time to form a highly digestible and palatable mash. It has an apple aroma to temp fussy feeders, while also helping to keep horses hydrated and digestive systems healthy. It’s high in fibre, low in starch and molasses free and can be used as a partial or total hay replacer.
Simple System HayCare
Size: 20kg
RRP: £20.35
Feeding rate: Replace hay weight with same weight of dry HayCare
- Sugar: <7%
- Starch: <3%
A soft, palatable timothy grass feed that needs to be soaked before feeding to create a safe hay replacer. Naturally low in sugar and starch, it’s ideal for all horses, particularly those with dental problems, respiratory sensitivities, or weight management needs.
Dengie Meadow Lite with Herbs
Size: 15kg
SRP: £15.29
Feeding rate: Ad-lib as a forage replacer
- Sugar: 3%
- Starch: 0.5%
A soft, tasty blend of British-grown, chopped, precision-dried grass and high-quality cereal straw. Suitable for good-doers and those prone to laminitis because it provides maximum chew time while being low in calories.
Naturally low in sugar and starch, with cinnamon and thyme, and added postbiotics to promote digestive health, it can be fed as a total or partial forage replacer. Free from molasses, cereals, alfalfa and preservatives.
TopSpec FibrePlus Cubes
Size: 20kg
RRP: £16.40
Feeding rate: 1kg can replace 2kg of hay
- Sugar: 3%
- Starch: 9%
These high fibre cubes from TopSpec are ideal for good-doers or as a hay replacer. The formula is cereal-grain-free, low in starch and sugar and non-heating. They also good quality protein sources to help maintain muscle function and repair and internal metabolism, while the highly digestible fibre helps to maintain a healthy digestive system.
British Horse Feeds Fibre-Beet
Size: 20kg
SRP: £20
Soaking time in cold water: 45 minutes
Feeding rate: 1kg dry weight to replace 1.5kg of hay
- Sugar: 5%
- Starch: 3%
This is a combination of Speedi-Beet and alfalfa supplemented with biotin, sodium and calcium. It has all the benefits of Speedi-Beet with its high level of easily digestible fibre for slow energy release, low levels of starch and sugar, but can be fed in larger quantities. This makes it a good conditioning feed and is ideal for those needing to control starch intake.
Rowen Barbary ReadyFibre Mash
Size: 20kg
SRP: £14.92
Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes
- Sugar: 2.50%
- Starch: 5%
This mash has a very low starch and sugar content and no cereals making it suitable for horses that suffer from laminitis, good-doers and those that need a low-energy diet. It is ideal to use as a hay replacer for horses that are stabled for long periods of time or those that have difficulty eating long stem fibres.
The high fibre content helps to encourage slow digestion and is particularly valuable for horses requiring a diet that is gently on the digestive system. The super fibres also have an excellent water holding capacity, which helps improve fluid intake.
Baileys Natural Meadow Cobs
Size: 20kg
SRP: Around £22
Soaking time in cold water: 1 hour
Feeding rate: Weight for weight for the amount of forage (hay) being replaced
- Sugar: 7.8%
- Starch: 2.2%
Contains an appetising blend of naturally occurring meadow grasses, wildflowers and herbs. It is high in fibre, yet low in starch, sugars and calories, and contains no added vitamins and minerals so can be fed alongside any existing balanced diet.
Designed to be soaked before feeding, Natural Meadow Cobs can be fed as a total forage replacement, to older horses with poor dentition, or as a healthy additional fibre source for a wide range of horses.
Thunderbrook Hay Flakes
Size: 20kg
SRP: £24.95
Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes
Feeding rate: 6–12kg per day
- Sugar: 9.7%
- Starch: 0.8%
Thunderbrook Hay Flakes area rich in natural fibre to promote healthy digestion and well-being. Designed especially for senior horses and those with dental challenges, these flakes soften quickly, making them easy to chew and digest.
Whether used as a complete hay replacement, an additional fibre source, or a practical way to extend feeding times, Hay Flakes can provide a nutrient-rich, easy-to-digest, and highly palatable solution for horses of all ages.
Partial hay replacers for horses
Allen & Page Fast Fibre
Size: 20kg
SRP: From £13.74
Soaking time in cold water: 1 minute
Feeding rate: maximum daily amount 6.5kg. Split into multiple feeds not exceeding 2kg each meal
- Sugar: 2.5%
- Starch: 5.0%
A low calorie/energy feed, ideal for good-doers or those prone to laminitis, Fast Fibre is high in fibre and low in starch and sugar. It is particularly useful for horses with dental problems and can be fed as a partial hay replacer.
It contains unmolassed sugarbeet so it must be soaked before feeding and that only takes one minute, so you can be sure that your horse’s feed is always fresh.
Pure Feed Meadow Mash
Size: 15kg
SRP: £18
Soaking time in cold water: 5 minutes
Feeding rate: Up to 1kg per 100kg bodyweight per day
- Sugar: 2.5%
- Starch: 8.5%
A quick-soak, high-fibre hay replacer that’s ready in just five minutes. Free from molasses and wholegrain cereals, it’s gentle on digestion. Perfect for older horses, fussy feeders or those needing extra hydration, this soft, easy-to-chew mash mimics the goodness of hay while supporting gut function.
Spillers Happy Hoof Molasses Free
Size: 20kg
SRP: £18.15
Feeding rate: 3kg per day divided into at least two feeds for a 500kg horse
- Sugar: 1.25%
- Starch: 1.5%
This product is the same as the original Happy Hoof, providing all the same nutrients, but without the molasses coating, which lowers the sugar content from 4% to just 1.25%. It contains garlic, biotin and a full range of added vitamins and minerals to provide a balanced diet and can be used as a total hay replacer.
Mollichaff DailyFibre
Size: 12.5kg
SRP: £10.50
Feeding rate: Up to 3kg per day
- Sugar: 5.2%
- Starch: 3.7%
A high fibre, low sugar and starch chaff ideal for those in light to medium work. Mollichaff DailyFibre provides controlled slow-release energy and supports healthy digestion, joint and nerve function, and a shiny coat. Free from molasses, alfalfa, cereal grains, and preservatives, this chaff can be used as part of a bucket feed or as a partial forage replacer.
Dengie Meadow Grass with Herbs & Oil
Size: 15kg
SRP: £18.19
Feeding rate: Up to 1kg per 100kg bodyweight
- Sugar: 12%
- Starch: 2%
A natural blend of chopped and pelleted British-grown meadow grasses (fescue, rye and timothy( with a rapeseed oil coating and a blend of tasty herbs (liquorice roots, fennel, mint, chamomile and aniseed).
Rich in highly digestible fibre, naturally sweet, soft and easy to chew the high level of oil promotes condition and coat shine. Free from molasses and preservatives.
TopSpec TopChop Lite
Size: 15kg
RRP: £14.99
Feeding rate: 1kg can replace up to 2kg of hay
- Sugar: 2%
- Starch: 1%
A natural product made from chopped British alfalfa and oat straw; with real mint, and a very light dressing of linseed oil. TopChop Lite contains no added molasses or any other sugar coating. It is of similar nutritional value to average quality hay but contains significantly less sugar.
Suitable for all horses, including those prone to laminitis, and good-doers, it can be used as a partial or complete hay replacer if needed.
Saracen Super Fibre Cubes
Size: 15kg
SRP: £15.49
Feeding rate: 2–3.5kg per day
- Sugar: 4.5%
- Starch: 10.5%
Easily digestible, high fibre cubes, which are suitable to be fed in a variety of situations. They are cereal free and provide a source of readily digestible fibre. They are ideal for supplementing the forage ration of horses when forage is in short supply or of poor quality. They are also suitable to be fed to those that are sensitive to dust and moulds to help maintain optimum respiratory health.
Can be soaked to produce a mash that can be easily chewed for horses and ponies with compromised dental health or even to tempt the fussy feeder or to help maintain optimum hydration in performance horses.
British Horse Feeds Speedi-Beet
Size: 20kg
SRP: £20
Soaking time: 10 minutes
Feeding rate: 1kg dry weight to replace 1.5kg of hay
- Sugar: 5%
- Starch: trace
Speedi-Beet is unmolassed sugar beet pulp cooked to produce flakes that need a fraction of the soaking time of traditional sugar beet shreds or pellets. It is high in fibre – particularly soluble fibre, which is readily digested and yields slow release energy – as well as being low in sugar and containing no starch.
Baileys Light Chaff
Size: 18kg
SRP: Around £17.50
Feeding rate: Weight for weight for the amount of forage (hay) being replaced
- Sugar: 2.25%
- Starch: 2.5%
Baileys Light Chaff is a blend of high-temperature dried alfalfa and oat straw with a sprinkling of mint and a very light dressing of soya oil, which encourages a shiny coat. It is high fibre and low calorie, as well as having a low starch and sugar content, so is ideal for good-doers, those prone to laminitis and those on a calorie-controlled diet.
Simple System Organic Lucie Stalks
Size: 12.5kg
SRP: £18.85
Feeding rate: Feed according to requirements and condition to a maximum of 1% of ideal bodyweight per day
- Sugar: <5%
- Starch: <3%
An ideal feed for extending eating time, this lucerne chop offers superior high fibre and quality protein, yet is very low in calories. To prolong the hay ration, mix into hay nets or feeders, or dampen in larger buckets in the stable alongside their hay or haylage.
Forage blocks for horses
These are a great way to keep your horse occupied for longer and support their digestive health. They can be used to encourage natural foraging, to slow down food intake or even a smaller alternative to hay when travelling.
Simple System MeadowBrix
Size: 1kg
SRP: £3.50 (1kg block), £22.95 (5 x 1kg blocks)
Varieties: LucieBrix or SainfoinBrix
Useful as a hay alternative. Made from nothing but timothy grass, they are suitable for all horse types so long as they have good dentition for chewing. Each individual forage block replaces the approximate equivalent of 1kg of hay.
Equilibrium Vitamunch
Size: 1kg
SRP: £3.50 (each), £22.95 (20 brix bag)
Varieties: Heavenly Hedgerow, Marvellous Meadow, Calmmunch and Litemunch
High fibre, low sugar 1kg fibre block, full of tasty herbs and nutritious vitamins and minerals. Can be soaked with warm water to soften to make suitable for horses with poor dentition.
SilverMoor Grassabix
Size: 1kg
SRP: From £4.50 for 2 x 1kg
Varieties: Turmeraid, linseed, minty unicorn or cinnamon
These forage blocks can be fed dry or soaked in water to create a delicious mash. These yummy blocks have been compressed for easy feeding, storage and handling.
Benefits of feeding a hay replacer
- Increase fibre in the diet
- Lots of forms, so something for all horses
- You can ensure that your horse is receiving a set level of nutrients
- Quality doesn’t alter with the seasons
- Soaked options are great for horses with poor dentition
- Soaked options help maintain hydration.
Is it safe to feed a forage replacer in large amounts?
While it’s recommended to keep bucket feeds small, it is safe to feed forage replacers for horses in large amounts as you would hay or haylage in a haynet. As with any change in feeding regime, it is important to gradually introduce a forage replacer and slowly increase the amount used.
Once a hay replacer has been introduced, divide the daily ration up as much as you can to ensure your horse is trickle feeding. These meals can be split between two or three large buckets and left with the horse to graze on either in the field or stable
Can I feed an older horse a hay replacer?
Yes, some hay replacers can totally replace hay in the diet. Soaked hay replacers or mashes come in a pellet form and need to be soaked before feeding. They will be easier to chew than short chop fibres for horses with poor dentation.
When to weigh a hay replacer that needs soaking
You need to measure and weigh out all soakable feeds before you add water to soak them.
You might also be interested in:
Know your forage: which type is right for your horse?
Importance of feeding fibre for healthy horses all-year round
20 feeds suitable for horses prone to gastric ulcers
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