Sources of Calcium for Horses

The most important thing to consider when adding calcium to your horse's diet is that you keep the proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus. If your horse consumes too much calcium and not enough phosphorus, he can develop metabolic problems and gastric ulcers. Too much phosphorus will result in your horse's body draining calcium from the bones. Follow this calcium-to-phosphorus ratio for daily feedings: for every 1 part phosphorus consumed, your horse needs 1.1 to 2 parts calcium.

  1. Hays

    • Grass hays contain the correct ratio of phosphorus to calcium. These hays include timothy and orchard grass. Beet pulp also contains the correct ratio. Legume hays, especially alfalfa, contain much more calcium than phosphorus. If you need to add calcium to your horse's diet to supplement a feeding program that contains a lot of phosphorus, such as a horse who receives a lot of bran, you can give your horse a small amount of alfalfa hay to add to his calcium consumption.

    Commercial Feeds

    • Most commercial horse feeds, or grain rations, have been designed so that the feeds contain the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus and contain more than enough of the minerals to fulfill the average horse's daily minimum requirements. Some horses do have higher daily needs, but these can be handled by buying a commercial feed ration designed for your horse's needs (such as a growing foal or lactating mares).

    Feeding Together

    • Check what type of hay your commercial feed is designed to be fed with, as some are developed to complement legume hays and others grasses. If designed to complement legume hay, the commercial feed will probably have more phosphorus to offset the amount of calcium in the hay.