5 Best Grain Free Horse Feed For Laminitic Horses That Mimic Natural Forage
Explore 5 top grain-free feeds for laminitic horses. These forage-based options offer safe, low-starch, high-fiber nutrition for optimal hoof health.
Seeing your horse in the tell-tale "founder stance" is a heart-stopping moment for any owner. That rocked-back posture, the heat in their hooves—it’s a clear sign of the intense pain of laminitis. Managing this condition feels overwhelming, but the single most powerful tool you have is controlling what goes into their feed bucket. Shifting your mindset from traditional grain-based feeds to forage-mimicking options is the foundation of a sound management plan.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!
Understanding Laminitis and Low-Starch Diets
Laminitis is more than just a sore foot; it’s a whole-body metabolic crisis that manifests in the hooves. The delicate structures, called laminae, that connect the hoof wall to the coffin bone become inflamed and can begin to separate. This is intensely painful and, in severe cases, can lead to permanent rotation of the coffin bone. It’s a true emergency.
The most common trigger, especially on a small farm, is a diet too high in starch and sugar. These are technically called Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC). When a horse consumes a high-NSC meal, like a scoop of sweet feed or a sudden binge on lush spring grass, it can cause a massive insulin spike. For metabolically sensitive horses, this chain reaction is what leads directly to the inflammation in the hoof.
This is why a low-starch, low-sugar diet is non-negotiable. The goal is to feed your horse in a way that mimics their natural diet of slow, steady grazing on fibrous plants. This means prioritizing high-quality hay and supplementing with feeds that derive their calories from fiber and fat, not simple sugars. Your entire feeding strategy must revolve around keeping blood sugar and insulin levels stable.
Key Factors in a Safe, Forage-Based Horse Feed
When you’re standing in the feed store aisle, the colorful bags can be confusing. For a laminitic horse, you need to ignore the marketing and look straight at the feed tag. Your decision should be based on a few key factors.
First and foremost is the NSC content. This number, representing the combined starch and sugar percentage, is your most important guide. For a horse with active laminitis or a history of it, you should aim for a total diet NSC under 10-12%. Many safe feeds will proudly display this number on the bag or their website; if they don’t, you should be skeptical.
Next, look at the first few ingredients. You want to see forage-based products, not grains.
- Safe ingredients: Beet pulp (without molasses), soybean hulls, alfalfa meal, timothy grass meal. These are often called "super fibers."
- Ingredients to avoid: Corn, oats, barley, wheat, molasses. These are high in starch and are the primary culprits in triggering a laminitic episode.
Finally, ensure the feed is fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. A horse on a restricted diet, especially one that may be getting less-than-ideal hay, needs this nutritional support. Look for balanced levels of copper, zinc, and selenium, as well as added biotin for hoof health. This turns a simple forage replacement into a complete nutritional solution.
Triple Crown Safe Starch: A Top Forage Choice
Triple Crown Safe Starch isn’t just a feed; it’s a purpose-built forage supplement designed for horses exactly like yours. Its primary purpose is to provide nutrition without the dangerous sugar rush. The name says it all, and it delivers on that promise with a guaranteed NSC level of around 8.5%, making it one of the safest options on the market.
The ingredient list reads like a who’s who of safe fibers. It’s built on a foundation of beet pulp and other high-fiber sources, providing calories from digestible fiber rather than starch. This means you can feed it to provide necessary energy for weight maintenance without worrying about a metabolic spike. It feels substantial, like a real meal for your horse, which can be psychologically comforting for both of you when you have to eliminate their old grain.
Think of this product as a bridge between plain forage and a complete feed. It provides the safety of chopped hay with the balanced nutrition of a fortified grain. For a horse needing to gain or maintain weight without the risks of traditional concentrates, Safe Starch is a fantastic, reliable choice.
Standlee Timothy Pellets: Pure and Simple Forage
Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best one. Standlee Timothy Pellets are exactly what they sound like: pure, compressed timothy hay. There are no other ingredients, no molasses for binding, and no fortification. This purity is its greatest strength.
The primary role for a product like this is consistency. If your hay supply is variable, or if you can’t get it tested to confirm its NSC content, these pellets provide a guaranteed-safe forage base. You know exactly what you’re feeding every single time. They are excellent for soaking to create a mash, which helps with hydration and is easier for older horses with dental issues to eat.
However, it’s crucial to understand the tradeoff. Because this is just forage, it is not a complete feed. It lacks the balanced vitamins and minerals your horse needs for long-term health. If you choose to use timothy pellets as a significant portion of the diet, you must also add a ration balancer or a comprehensive vitamin/mineral supplement to fill those nutritional gaps.
Tribute Kalm ‘N EZ: Low-NSC Pellet Option
Tribute’s Kalm ‘N EZ is another stellar choice in the low-starch pelleted feed category. It’s specifically formulated for horses that require a controlled-starch diet, including those with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or a history of laminitis. Its NSC level is typically around 13.5%, which, while slightly higher than some others, is still well within the safe zone for most managed horses.
This feed uses a blend of soy hulls, beet pulp, and rice bran to provide calories from fat and fiber. This combination provides "cool," slow-release energy, which is ideal for keeping a horse calm and focused without the fizziness that high-sugar feeds can cause. It’s also fully fortified with essential nutrients, including organic minerals which are more easily absorbed by the horse’s system.
Where Kalm ‘N EZ really shines is its palatability and versatility. It’s a straightforward pellet that many horses readily accept, making it a good option for a picky eater transitioning off a sweet feed. It works well for everything from the easy keeper needing basic nutrition to the performance horse requiring more calories without the risk of starch overload.
Crypto Aero Wholefood for Natural Nutrition
For owners who prefer a less-processed approach, Crypto Aero Wholefood offers a unique alternative. This feed is not a pellet or an extruded nugget; it’s a textured mix of whole-food ingredients like timothy and alfalfa hay pellets, oats (a hull-less, lower-starch variety), peas, sunflower seeds, and various herbs. It looks more like a healthy muesli than a traditional horse feed.
The philosophy here is to provide nutrition in its most natural state possible. The feed is free from common fillers and allergens like corn, soy, molasses, and wheat, making it an excellent choice for horses with sensitivities beyond just sugar. The NSC content is reliably low, and the calories come from a diverse profile of fiber, fat from seeds, and protein from peas.
This feed is a great fit if you’re looking to support your horse’s whole system. The variety of ingredients provides a wider range of nutrients than a single-source feed, mimicking the diversity a horse would find while grazing naturally. It’s a fantastic way to ensure your laminitic horse gets a rich, supportive diet that goes beyond just being "low sugar."
Seminole Wellness Perform Safe for Sensitive Horses
Seminole’s Wellness line is specifically designed for horses with health challenges, and Perform Safe is their go-to for metabolic cases. This feed boasts an impressively low NSC level, often coming in under 10%. This makes it one of the most conservative and safest choices for a horse that is actively recovering from laminitis or is extremely sensitive.
Like the other top contenders, it’s built on a foundation of highly digestible fibers, ensuring gut health and stable energy release. It’s a pelleted feed that is highly palatable but doesn’t use molasses or high-sugar binders to achieve that. It’s also fortified with antioxidants like Vitamin E and selenium to help combat the oxidative stress that often accompanies metabolic disease.
This feed is a workhorse for the truly sensitive equine. If your horse has been diagnosed with Cushing’s (PPID) or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) in addition to laminitis, Perform Safe is formulated to meet those complex needs. It provides peace of mind, knowing you’re using a product scientifically designed for the most vulnerable horses.
Transitioning to a New Feed Plan Safely
Making a dietary change for any horse requires care, but for a metabolically fragile horse, it’s absolutely critical. A sudden switch can disrupt the delicate balance of their gut microbiome, leading to colic or other digestive upsets. The golden rule is to transition slowly, over a period of at least one to two weeks.
Start by replacing just 25% of the old feed with the new feed. Do this for three to four days, watching your horse closely for any signs of trouble, like loose manure or lack of appetite. If all is well, move to a 50/50 mix for another few days. Continue this gradual process, moving to 75% new feed, and finally to 100%.
During this transition, ensure your horse has constant access to fresh water and good-quality, low-NSC hay. Remember, the concentrate you choose is only one part of the equation. The foundation of any laminitic horse’s diet is, and always will be, safe forage. This careful, measured approach protects their gut and gives their system time to adapt.
Choosing the right feed is a powerful act of stewardship for your laminitic horse. By swapping high-starch grains for these forage-based, low-NSC alternatives, you’re not just feeding them a meal; you’re providing the nutritional foundation for their recovery and long-term comfort. This dietary shift is the single most important step you can take to manage the condition and give your horse the best possible quality of life.
