Chaff can add fibre, extend chewing time and provide a useful base for a horse's bucket feed, but one bag can be very different from another. Some products are deliberately light in calories for good doers, while others contain more oil and digestible energy to help horses maintain condition. Softer blends may also be easier for an older horse to manage.The best choice therefore depends on the horse, the rest of the ration and the job the feed needs to do. This guide explains the main figures and ingredients to compare before choosing a chaff or short-chopped fibre feed.Important: feed can support good management, but it cannot diagnose or treat conditions such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), laminitis or Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS). Speak to your vet and, where appropriate, an equine nutritionist before changing the diet of a horse with a diagnosed or suspected health condition.What is chaff?Chaff is forage such as straw, grass or alfalfa that has been dried and cut into short pieces. It is commonly added to bucket feeds to increase fibre and encourage a horse to chew rather than bolt a meal.Chewing produces saliva, while the physical fibre makes a meal take longer to eat. However, the word chaff does not tell you how many calories a feed supplies or whether it contains molasses, oil, pellets, herbs or added vitamins and minerals. The label matters far more than the product category alone.For more background, read our guide to the role of fibre in a horse's diet.Six things to check on a chaff label Its intended purpose: decide whether you need a light carrier feed, a partial forage replacer, a soft senior blend or a higher-energy conditioning fibre. Sugar and starch: look at both figures rather than relying solely on terms such as healthy or non-heating. Horses with metabolic or laminitis concerns need an individual feeding plan from their vet or nutritionist. Digestible energy: usually shown as megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg). A lower figure can help when calories need controlling; a higher figure may be more useful when maintaining condition is difficult. The fibre source: check whether the feed uses oat straw, other cereal straw, grass, alfalfa or a blend. Named ingredients make it easier to understand exactly what is in the bag. Whether the ration is balanced: many chaffs are fibre feeds rather than complete feeds. Depending on the quantity fed and the rest of the diet, a suitable balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement may still be needed. Whether it can replace forage: never assume every chaff can replace hay or haylage. Only use a product this way when the manufacturer specifically permits it, calculate the ration by weight and introduce the change gradually.For good doers and horses needing a low-calorie chaffFor a horse or pony that maintains weight easily, start by looking for a lower digestible-energy figure and low sugar and starch levels. The amount fed still matters: even an appropriate product can add unwanted calories if the portion is larger than the horse needs.Honeychop Chopped Oat Straw is the lightest option in the Honeychop range. It contains only screened, dust-extracted oat straw and has no added molasses, oil, alfalfa, soya or other ingredients. Honeychop states that it can replace up to 50% of the daily forage ration, but it is not a nutritionally balanced feed and the overall diet must still meet the horse's protein, vitamin and mineral requirements.Honeychop Lite & Healthy combines oat straw and Timothy grass with linseed and rapeseed oil, herbs and other ingredients. It remains low in sugar, starch and digestible energy but offers a more varied and aromatic feed than straight oat straw. The manufacturer recommends it for good doers and horses, ponies or donkeys needing a light fibre feed.If EMS or laminitis is a concern, see our separate guides to diet and Equine Metabolic Syndrome and managing laminitis risk as grass changes.For older horsesAge alone does not determine a horse's ration. Some senior horses remain good doers, while others struggle to maintain condition or find long-stem forage harder to chew. Regular dental checks, body-condition scoring and weight monitoring become especially important.Quidding, dropping partly chewed forage or finding unusually long fibres in droppings can indicate a dental problem. Arrange an examination by a vet or suitably qualified equine dental technician rather than simply changing the feed.Honeychop Super Senior is a soft, short-chopped blend of oat straw and dried meadow grasses with an oil-rich, low-starch pellet. It also includes glucosamine and added yeast. It is designed for older horses, including those that need help maintaining condition, but the ration should still be matched to body condition, workload, dental function and any diagnosed PPID or laminitis risk.For horses that need more conditionWhen a horse needs more calories, increasing cereal-based starch and sugar is not the only option. Fibre and oil can provide additional energy while keeping starch comparatively low.Honeychop Topline & Shine is the most energy-dense of the four feeds compared below. It contains oat straw, dried grass, alfalfa, sugar beet, rice bran, linseed and rapeseed oil, with 11% oil and digestible energy of 12MJ/kg. It is intended for horses needing support to gain or maintain body condition without relying on a high-starch feed.Loss of weight or condition can also be associated with dental problems, parasites, pain, illness or gastric disease. Investigate unexplained changes with your vet rather than treating them as a feeding problem alone. Our guide to Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome explains common signs, diagnosis and management in more detail.Honeychop fibre feeds comparedThe following figures are the current typical analyses published by Honeychop. Recipes and analyses can change, so check the latest bag label before feeding. Feed Typical use Fibre Sugar Starch Energy Chopped Oat Straw Straight, very low-calorie fibre 40% 1.6% 0.1% 5MJ/kg Lite & Healthy Low-calorie, low-sugar herbal fibre 31% 3.1% 0.5% 8MJ/kg Super Senior Soft senior fibre with added oil 25% 6% 3% 10MJ/kg Topline & Shine Higher-energy conditioning fibre 25% 4.5% 2.5% 12MJ/kg Introduce any new feed graduallyMake changes gradually, normally over at least 714 days unless your vet or nutritionist advises otherwise. Weigh portions rather than relying on an uncalibrated scoop, provide fresh water and continue to monitor weight, body condition, droppings and appetite.When several people share feeding duties, keep a clear written feed chart. Consistent portions and routines reduce the risk of accidental changes to the horse's ration.Further expert readingHoneychop commissioned equine veterinary specialist Dr Victoria South to prepare detailed feeding and management fact sheets. You can read the supplier's guides on: feeding and management for Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome equine gastrointestinal wellness feeding a horse with Equine Metabolic Syndrome feeding and management of senior horsesExplore our full range of horse chaff and fibre feeds. Always follow the latest instructions on the bag and obtain professional advice for horses with health, weight or dental concerns.

Badminton 2026 seems a distant memory after such a wonderful summer in many ways. We thought we were lucky with our weather but as it has turned out there have been very few events this time blighted with undesirable weather of course the long spell of dry and hot weather has caused other concerns, i.e. problems with the ground, amount of forage that has had to be fed throughout.Following Ros and Lordship Graffalos triumph at Badminton was the beginning of many a good eventing story, and I witnessed the GBR team winning Gold and Ros individual Siiver at the World Championships. Well done also to Laura Collett, with London 52, for her Bronze individual medal.I have been privileged to visit other events through the summer and there is always something to be learnt or a good idea taken up! It is also a wonderful way of catching up with people across the equestrian and trading world. I am ashamed to say, I had not visited Bramham previously and now know why everyone praises the event, although this is one where the weather was not overkind it was a good competition and great fun to see the 4* long in which horses competing hopefully were using as their pathway to Badminton and other 5*s.Dublin show was another no where will you get more like-minded people or horses of every shape and size together in one place and it has its own unique special atmosphere. The Nations Cup was an exciting competition.Burghley was, as always, a great event and well done to Gemma Stevens with Chilli Knight on her win very much deserved.Blenheim was another event where there were plenty of combinations hopefully with Badminton in their sights next Spring!I also visited several other national events and what a great job they did with their ground, which was anything but easy at some sites.Badminton has looked like the Sahara desert for most of the summer but thankfully is green again now and has had the autumn work done on the cross-country course, arena, etc. The Lake has also had a clear out and, once the rain comes, will be refilled and cleaner than it has been for many a year.There is one new recruit in the Office in the form of Bumble the Lancashire Heeler, who is the great granddaughter of Missy, who was always by my side. Bumble thinks life is just made for fun but slowly understanding the routine, she has had the maiden voyage on the bike! My thanks on her behalf for Minnow, Tilly, Thelma and Evies doggy patience with her.As always, once the eventing season starts to draw to a close, is when we start in earnest. A great number of the contractors have been contacted, the Box Office is underway with their planning in order to be open for the beginning of January. Those that exhibited at Badminton 2026 will be contacted next month. The cross-country course is being given a new look here and there.Altogether a lot to do and look forward to..

Communications Manager Badminton Horse TrialsAbout BamintonBadminton Horse Trials is a premier outdoor sporting event held every year in early May at the Badminton Estate is South Gloucestershire. The event attracts a significant and diverse audience onsite ranging from the equestrian sports enthusiast through to the family day tripper. An ever growing audience, both domestic and internationally also experiences the event remotely through various digital channels.This newly created role is an exciting opportunity to play a significant part in the success of staging a significant outdoor sporting event with an international audience.About the RoleThe event is now seeking a professional & creative individual to manage the broad spectrum of communication needs of the event across all communication channels from traditional PR through to modern digital. Curiosity and creativity are key attributes needed for this role to maintain the progressive nature of the events organisation in delivering a world class experience to our various audiences.This is a customer facing role where you will have direct contact with a variety of stakeholders from sponsors through to competitors, owners, enthusiasts and the press. Badminton thrives thanks to people who take ownership, but work as part of the wider office team. Badminton has a very busy website and social media presence all of which will fall under the control of this role. There will also be significant interaction with our event based radio and digital TV channel as well.As Badminton is an annual event it is envisaged this role will be full time from October to May, including some weekend working, with flexibility during the summer months to reduce days as needed. The role will be office based with some flexibility for working remotely.What youll be doing:Creating cohesive and comprehensive communication strategies for all channels that engage our audiences.Liaising with a variety of event stakeholders to produce tactical communication plans throughout the year to fulfill our objectives both commercially and aspirationally.Manage and execute a diverse range of communications related projects, often with a mix of aligned or competing priorities, ensuring objectives are met.Oversee, manage and mentor a range of external media contractors who contribute to the communications delivery.Crafting PR, Social Media and other communication campaignsEnsuring all of our communications and digital channels reflect the messaging and brand image of a world class sporting event.Overseeing the media centre operations and communications functions during the eventWhat youll need to bring to the role:A modern, professional approach to communications, with the ability to work with a variety of individuals and stakeholders.An excellent understanding of the modern technologies that drive and assist todays communications function.A growth mindset, curiosity, and the ability to use impartial analysis to review and improve the communications function and its effectiveness.Creativity to drive continuous enthusiasm amongst our audiences and stakeholdersA blend of self-sufficiency and team mentality. This role very much owns the communication function as part of a larger event management team.Experience of managing a teamExcellent written and verbal communication skills with an attention to detailGood project management skills with the ability to work effectively on your own but also seek advice and guidance where appropriate.An understanding and appreciation of equestrian sport.5+ years experience working in a communications function with exposure across a mix of channels.Interested applicants should forward a covering letter highlighting their suitability plus a current CV to:Applications@badminton-horse.co.ukNo Agencies please.Closing Date for applications: 13th November 2026Interviews expected to commence week commencing 23rd November 2026Anticipated Salary Range: 40-45K depending on experienceAPPLY NOW

With a spate of recent cases of equine grass sickness (EGS), horse owners are being encouraged to read up on the often fatal disease and its signs, as well as consider signing up for risk alerts in their area.In addition, those who have been affected by EGS are urged to anonymously report their case(s) as well as consider donating samples to help advance understanding and protect future horses.There is currently no cure for grass sickness, with only 20% of horses contracting it in Britain surviving. In December 2024, Your Horse reported that researchers believed they had identified the cause to be a neurotoxin produced by pasture microbe.An anti snake venom drug was then set to be trialled on a small group of horses last year in an attempt to find a cure.The Moredun Foundation Equine Grass Sickness Fund (EGSF) is working to shed more light on the complex disease by advancing research and improving treatment.This year, the team have witnessed cases cropping up in areas they wouldnt normally expect, as well as more fatalities among the horses who contract the disease.New warning systemDr Beth Wells, EGS project lead at the Moredun Research Institute, which works in partnership with the EGSFto fund, manage, and conduct scientific research into the disease, told Your Horse about the new alert system, which warns owners when conditions could make cases more likely.Certain patterns in weather, and in particular patterns of temperature fluctuations and breaks in drought, followed by sufficient rainfall, may lead to a higher incidence of EGS cases. The alert system allows owners to sign up to receive weekly or monthly alerts via WhatsApp, which will identify their risk of weather more highly associated with an EGS case. Messages contain a risk prediction for their selected geographical area, providing a better insight into the potential risk for the horses in their care.How you can help: Reporting cases and donating samples Dr Wells said it was incredibly useful to anonymously report cases of EGS to help her team learn as much as possible about the disease, as well considering donating samples, which are taken during diagnosis. The Moredun Foundation and EGSF, with support from the British Horse Society, have a nationwide biobank to gather these samples, which includes blood, urine, faeces and saliva. The biobank supplies kits to vets who are aware of the resource, and owners are encouraged to speak to their vets to discuss this.When cases are sadly fatal, owners can help improve chances for future horses by donating tissue samples. Vets can apply for the biobank to cover the cost of taking these samples, so it costs nothing to the owner of vet, and data will be used anonymously for EGS research purposes only.Which horses are affected?Dr Wells stressed that all types of horses can get the disease, and it is not isolated to natives.The breed profile will mostly be natives and cobs, but thats because thats what we mostly have out at grass, she explained. We see it across all breeds.For owners its devastating because it happens so quickly and there is some sort of stigma surrounding the disease, but its not the owners fault and we need to get rid of that stigma.Its happening so randomly and every horse owner should have a working knowledge of the signs at least, so they can alert the vet.The more we speak about it, the more we raise awareness and the more we understand the disease. The recently updated EGSF website offers a vast resource of information for those who want to find out more about EGS, including the signs of the disease and management practices which may reduce risk, as well as advice for managing chronic grass sickness.Lead image by EGSFRelated contentEquine grass sickness: this is what you need to know about this deadly diseaseSignificant breakthrough as probable cause of equine grass sickness discoveredHow three horses survived equine grass sicknessAn introduction to a horses digestive systemThe post Take action now, warns expert, after spate of devastating equine grass sickness cases appeared first on Your Horse.