Horse Chaff Exposed: The Surprising Facts Every Owner Should Know

What is Horse Chaff?

Chaff is chopped forage, usually made from hay, straw, alfalfa (lucerne), or dried grass. It is sold in plastic bags at a higher cost per kilo than standard forage. Some products are plain, while others are enhanced with molasses, oils, or flavourings like mint or apple to make them more palatable and encourage feed intake. Despite its marketing, it is essentially processed fibre, akin to what you’d find in a haynet.

Nutritional value varies greatly depending on ingredients. Some chaffs are made from nutrient-rich alfalfa. Some may include broad-spectrum vitamins and minerals as a pellet. Others use poor-quality straw, which can be chemically treated.

Forageplus advice is always to check the label, particularly for horses with metabolic concerns like EMS or laminitis, to avoid hidden sugar, starch, or contaminants.

Why Was It Used Historically to Feed Horses?

Historically, a mix of chopped hay and straw served a very practical purpose in equine feeding. In eras when horses were essential for ploughing, hauling carriages, or transporting goods, they required energy-rich grain diets (such as oats and barley). Chaff was mixed with these cereals to slow their consumption, encouraging thorough chewing while reducing the risks of choke and digestive upset.

In military contexts, too, chaff provided a reliable buffer when high-quality hay was scarce. Dragoons and cavalry units often mixed chaff (also referred to as “shop”) with grain rations to stretch forage supplies and maintain digestion while on the move.

In essence, chaff was a cost-effective way to bulk out diets, manage digestion under heavy workloads, and maintain the health and performance of working horses in eras before mechanisation.

Today, while horses are no longer powering society, the use of chaff continues, though its original purpose has largely been forgotten.

What does chaff do for horses?

This horse feed is marketed for its ability to:

• Slow feed intake
• Encourage chewing
• Act as a partial forage replacer
• Increase saliva production
• Buffer stomach acid
• Add bulk to feeds

While these benefits can be useful in certain management scenarios, they are often more effectively achieved by long-stem forage such as hay or haylage. These options naturally promote extended chewing, support gut health, and buffer acid through saliva stimulation, but more safely and economically than chaff.

Does It Offer Digestive Benefits?

Research has been carried out looking at using chaff in a variety of situations. Always, the questions should be: Is this feed replacing adequate fibre in the diet? Is the bucket feed using high fibre products? Is the horse or pony fed enough high fibre from forage sources?

These are some key studies examining the effects of feeding chaff to horses and ponies:

1. Alfalfa chaff can increase glandular gastric lesions: Increased glandular and pyloric lesions were observed in horses and foals (Vondran et al., 2017).
2. In weanlings, alfalfa chaff caused more severe pyloric lesions than pellets: Foals fed this alfalfa developed worse lesions at the pylorus than those fed pellets, indicating that chaff may be more harmful than pelleted forms (Vondran et al., 2016).
3. Straw chaff added to concentrate feeds slowed eating: Chewing time and saliva production increased with chopped straw (Brüssow et al., 2007).
4. Alfalfa chaff affects starch digestion: Feeding this before or with oats altered glucose and insulin responses, potentially delaying starch digestion in the small intestine (Vervuert et al., 2009).
5. Chaff altered feeding behaviour: Encouraged longer feeding times and chewing (Argo et al., 2002).
6. Straw chaff reduced the rate of feed intake: Adding over 15% of this type of feed to a cereal meal significantly reduced the eating rate, helping prevent digestive upset from rapid feeding (Campbell et al., 2020).

While these studies highlight some benefits, they also show that this horse food is not a substitute for adequate forage intake, and coarse chaff, especially alfalfa, can increase ulcer risk.

Is chaff better than hay for horses?

Throughout this article, you’ll notice a consistent theme: long-stem forage is superior to chaff in almost every context. Here’s why:

• Chewing hay promotes saliva production and digestion more effectively.
• Long-stem forage supports gut motility and dental health better than chopped fibre.
• A haynet slows eating and reduces acid splash without the need for added bulkers.
• Chops are more expensive than hay and often wrapped in plastic packaging.
• For horses with dental issues, soaked fibre mashes (e.g. grass or hay pellets) are safer, more digestible, with higher nutrient availability than chops.

In most cases, chaff is a management aid, not a nutritional benefit, and it certainly isn’t a magic solution for digestive health.

Benefits of Feeding Chaff to Horses

• Slows down fast eaters: Encourages chewing and reduces the risk of choke or digestive upset when high cereal feeds are fed.
• May help buffer stomach acid: Some research suggests it can form a “fibre mat” to reduce acid splash during movement. However, regular access to long-stem hay, haylage, or grass achieves the same good digestion, often more effectively and at lower cost.
• Helps in group feeding: Bulks out meals and extends eating time, reducing feed stealing between horses who are in a herd together at feeding time.
• Supports positive reinforcement training: Acts as a low-value, low-calorie food reward. Can be fed alone or mixed with higher-value treats like hay or grass pellets to reduce food frustration and over excitement.
• Effective for enrichment activities: Added to snuffle mats or boxes chop can be a low-calorie boredom breaker
• Bucket feed texture: Can help carry supplements (though not ideal for clumping powders)

What are the disadvantages of horse chaff?

Many chaffs contain added molasses or high-sugar ingredients unsuitable for horses with metabolic conditions such as laminitis, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), or insulin resistance. Feeding this type of chop can lead to blood sugar spikes and hormonal imbalances, significantly raising the risk of a laminitic episode.

To protect metabolically sensitive horses, it’s important to:

• Always read the nutritional analysis on the label.
• Avoid chaffs that include added sugars, molasses, or high levels of starch.
• If it is used at all, choose a low-sugar, molasses-free version made from pure grass or clean, untreated organic straw.
• Monitor the total sugar and starch levels in their diet. The combined simple sugar and starch content should ideally be below 10%.

It doesn’t absorb water, so it makes mixing powdered supplements for horses difficult. Supplements are likely to clump in a chaff-only bucket feed. Soaked hay or low-sugar grass pellets, which absorb water, are a more effective carrier for horse feed balancers and other supplements.

Coarse or dry chaff (especially straw-based) may increase impaction colic risk, particularly in horses with dental issues or those not drinking enough.

Straw as a horse feed is to be avoided if it is not from an organic source. This is because straw is often contaminated with chemicals (glyphosate, fungicides). Straw also offers low nutritional value.

Is Chaff Unnecessary for Horses on Adequate Forage?

For horses with consistent access to good-quality forage, whether that’s hay, haylage, or long-stemmed grass, we believe it is unnecessary as a stand-alone bucket feed.

A study carried out by Gallagher et al, looking at chopped hay vs. long hay in ponies, found no nutritional advantage in feeding chopped hay. Although the ponies ate more chopped hay, long hay was equally effective and more economical.

For horse owners, skipping chaff:

• Reduces cost
• Simplifies feeding and storage
• Reduces plastic waste
• Improves supplement mixing when you use soaked fibre alternatives such as grass or hay pellets

Cost vs. Nutritional Value of Horse Chaff

• It is often marketed as a specialist feed, but it’s essentially just chopped forage sold at a significantly higher price per kilo than hay or haylage.
• Nutritional benefits are minimal, especially if the horse already has access to ad-lib high-quality forage.
• When used only to bulk out food or slow eating, the cost of chaff often outweighs its actual usefulnessunless as a strategy to feed horses in herds and stop fast eaters from stealing slower eaters’ food.
• For budget-conscious owners, better investments include: High-quality long-stem forage, beet pulp, grass nuts or hay pellets. These options usually offer more fibre and better nutrient density per pound spent.
• Unless it serves a specific management purpose, like slowing fast eaters or supporting training, it rarely delivers value for the cost.

How to Feed Chaff Properly (if you choose to)

Most horses will only require a handful or two (roughly 100–200 grams) per meal if it’s being used to slow eating or carry supplements.

Always choose a chop that suits your horse’s individual needs. Opt for low-sugar, molasses-free options for horses prone to laminitis or metabolic issues, and avoid varieties containing cereal straw or additives unless the source is organic, clean and clearly labelled.

How to avoid clumping of supplements

It can be added to concentrate feeds, but balancer pellets may sink, and powders may clump around the chopped stalks. One way of avoiding the clumping of powders is to use a gym shaker or an old water bottle to dissolve the supplements in hand-warm water. Shaking to make a solution and then pouring this onto the bucket feed and mixing will ensure thorough dispersal and good acceptance from horses and ponies.

Carried in a bag and used as a low-value treat, chops will cause more chewing time and less frustration from mugging when used for training purposes. This way, it can be used to replace some of the hay fed to good-doer horses and ponies for effective, high fibre, body weight management.

Chaff is often marketed to horse owners’ emotions, but your horse needs fibre, not flashy packaging and clever marketing.

Does chaff need soaking?

Generally, it is fed dry, but soaking or wetting it is advisable:

• For horses with dental issues: Soaking helps soften the chopped fibres, making it easier to chew and reducing the risk of choke or impaction.
• For greedy or fast eaters: Wetting it can slow down eating further and make the feed safer to swallow.
• If the chaff is very dry or dusty: Adding water helps reduce dust inhalation and supports respiratory health.
• In hot weather or for hydration support: Adding water can contribute to fluid intake, especially if the horse isn’t drinking enough.

While soaking isn’t essential for all horses, moistening chaff is a good practice, especially for vulnerable horses or when feeding dry concentrates alongside it. If in doubt, adding a splash of water is a safe and simple precaution.

What is the Best Chaff for Different Horses (e.g., laminitic, performance, seniors)

Choosing the right type depends largely on your horse’s individual needs. For laminitic or metabolically sensitive horses, opt for a low-sugar, molasses-free chop made from pure grass or organic oat straw. Ensure it’s dust-free, clean, and free from additives like rapeseed oil or mould inhibitors.

Products like Thunderbrooks Healthy Herbal Chaff are formulated with good-doer horses in mind and are very clean and free from nutritionally improved straw.

Performance horses may benefit from a lucerne (alfalfa)-based chaff, which provides higher levels of protein and calcium to support muscle function and possibly buffer stomach acid during training. But monitor for leg swelling or skin reactions and buy clean, additive-free (no molasses or rapeseed or soya oil) versions. There are higher protein and sugar grass chaffs, which are a perfect addition for horses in moderate work and above. Our favourite and one which gets a thumbs up from the Forageplus horses is Northern Crop Driers Grazon.

For older horses or those with dental issues, avoid chaff because it is difficult to chew. Ones made from nutritionally improved straw should be avoided for elderly horses and ponies, due to their poor trace elements and protein content. Instead, use a soaked hay or grass pellet mash for easier consumption and safer digestion. Emerald Green has a low sugar, high fibre feed pellet which is perfect for any horse which is laminitis-prone, as the simple sugar and starch content are below 10%. Pellets like this have been ground more finely. This is very important for older horses as their teeth are not able to grind the forage enough for the best nutritional absorption.

Always check labels for sugar, starch, and ingredient content, and match it to your horse’s dietary profile, not just what’s popular on the shelf. The bags and marketing on chaff are there to appeal to you. Your radar for understanding how colour and marketing slogans encourage you to buy should be firmly switched on!

For personalised advice and support in tailoring feeding plans to your horse’s specific needs, or to learn more about feeding young horses, consider contacting our expert nutrition team.

Should you feed straw, chaff horse feed?

Straw is often marketed as a low-calorie fibre source, but its suitability for horses is highly questionable. Nutritionally, straw offers very little; it’s low in protein and digestible energy, making it a poor choice for anything other than bulking out a feed. More concerning, however, is the potential for contamination.

Conventional straw is frequently sprayed with fungicides, pesticides, and even desiccants like glyphosate before harvest. Straw may carry chemical residues that are unsuitable for equine digestion.

Additionally, most commercial straw is genetically modified and grown in intensively farmed soils that lack the biological diversity needed to produce clean, healthy forage. Its high lignin content also makes it harder to digest and potentially risky for horses with dental issues or those prone to impaction colic.

Usually, it is barley straw or oat straw used in the products available to buy. Unless you’re sourcing organic, untreated straw chaff from a trusted supplier, and even then, only feeding it in very small quantities, either form is generally best avoided in favour of cleaner, more nutritious fibre sources.

It might seem a good idea to feed your horse something so low in calories and nutrients that it will lose weight, but at what cost? Prolonged feeding of straw will result in many nutritional deficiencies, which, over time, will lead to less resilient health. It is better to feed higher-quality forage in slow-feeder trickle nets than straw, no matter how heavy your horse might be.

How do feed companies make straw chaff tasty?

Straw is naturally dry, coarse, and unappetising to many horses. Yes, they will eat it when they are hungry, but they would much rather eat hay. Feed companies know this; they also know that you would like to see your horse enjoying their food. For these reasons, they often add flavour enhancers to improve palatability. The most common additives used:

1. Molasses (Sugar Syrup)

• Purpose: Sweetens the straw and masks bitterness or dustiness.
• Concerns: High in sugar—unsuitable for laminitic, EMS, or insulin-resistant horses and can contribute to behavioural issues and poor gut health in sensitive horses.

2. Apple Flavouring

• Purpose: Mimics the smell and taste of apples to encourage fussy eaters.
• Type: Can be natural or most commonly artificial.
• Note: Often used in combination with molasses or oils.

3. Mint

• Purpose: Adds a fresh, appealing scent and taste.
• Benefit: May stimulate appetite in horses with dull interest in feed.
• Note: Sometimes listed as “herbal blend” on ingredient lists.

4. Oil (e.g., soya or rapeseed oil, less commonly linseed oil)

• Purpose: Adds sheen, softens texture, and improves mouthfeel.
• Benefit: Makes straw less dusty and more palatable, while also increasing energy slightly.
• Note: Often used in low-sugar chaffs as an alternative to molasses.
• Concerns: Highly processed and linked to inflammation.

5. Alfalfa or Grass Mixes

• Purpose: Not a flavouring per se, but adding even a small percentage of lucerne or grass to a straw chaff improves smell and palatability.
• Note: Often used to justify “herbal” or “natural” flavour claims.

Many of these flavourings are not disclosed on labels, especially when classed as “natural flavourings” or “additives.” If your horse has metabolic concerns, respiratory issues, allergies, or a restricted diet, always look for molasses-free, unflavoured organic straw chaff or avoid straw altogether in favour of more nutritious and cleaner alternatives like hay or grass chaff or pellets.

Clean and Safe Alternatives to Chaff for Horses

Choosing clean, safe forage is one of the most important steps in protecting your horse’s digestive and overall health. The reason for this is that it is by far the greatest proportion of your horse’s diet, so it has the greatest effect on horse health. Forage is the grass, hay or haylage your horse eats.

Start by asking your supplier about farming practices, prioritise forage that is grown with minimal use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides. Generally, hay and haylage are crops which are not heavily sprayed like straw. Often, farmers will save money by only spot-spraying weeds such as docks and ragwort.

When you choose hay or haylage, you should visually inspect the forage for dust, mould, or foreign material, and avoid anything with an overly strong or musty smell. Avoid anything with mould or a lot of dust.

Where possible, request an analysis that includes sugar, starch, protein, and mineral content, especially if you’re managing a horse with metabolic or digestive sensitivities. Look for forage with consistent texture, good leaf content, and minimal weed contamination.

For haylage, ensure it has been properly wrapped and stored to prevent spoilage. This article is useful for learning how to tell if the haylage your horse is eating is good.

When it comes to bagged forage products like chaff or pellets, check labels for clear ingredient sourcing, and avoid any that list molasses, preservatives, mould inhibitors, or vague terms like “fibre blend.”

Transparency and traceability are key. If you can’t verify where it came from or how it was grown, it’s probably not the safest choice for your horse.

Ignore the colour of the feed bag and the marketing hype and move on to read the next label. Becoming a label reader is one of the most powerful ways to protect your bank balance and your horse’s health.

Long-Stem Hay (Timothy, Meadow, etc.)

Long-stem hay remains the gold standard for equine forage, providing essential fibre that supports healthy digestion, natural chewing behaviour, and mental well-being. Varieties like timothy, meadow hay, and ryegrass hay offer varying nutritional profiles, with timothy often favoured for its lower sugar content and meadow hay appreciated for its diverse plant mix.

Rye grass has a reputation for being high in sugar. In reality, this depends upon the species of rye grass, with perennial rye grass often being part of meadow blends and thus good for nutritional diversity. It is rye grass associated with dairy farming that should be avoided both as grass and hay or haylage crops for horses. This is usually the Italian rye grass species.

We don’t find Timothy grass a better option than meadow grass. Our extensive forage analysis database shows timothy, as a single species mono-crop, can be poor in nutrients compared to the varied plant species contained in meadow hay.

Unlike chopped or processed forages, long-stem hay promotes slower eating and longer chewing time, encouraging saliva production that naturally buffers stomach acid and helps prevent gastric ulcers. It also supports dental health by requiring the full grinding motion of the jaw.

For most horses, ad-lib access to clean, well-cured long-stem hay is the most effective way to meet fibre requirements, regulate appetite, and reduce the risk of colic or behavioural issues linked to restricted forage intake. Where horses need controlled calories, then a small hole, trickle net, and a measured amount of hay is ideal, spread over 24 hours.

When stored correctly and sourced from reputable growers, long-stem hay is not only more cost-effective than many chopped forage bagged feeds, but nutritionally superior.

Haylage as a Chaff Alternative

Haylage is also an excellent alternative to chaff for providing essential fibre and nutrients in a horse’s diet. Haylage, which is semi-fermented forage, offers a higher moisture content than traditional hay, making it a palatable option for horses and ponies.

It is particularly beneficial for horses with respiratory issues, as it is typically dust-free. Haylage provides a rich source of fibre as long as it is harvested around the same time as a traditional hay crop. Haylage is also often lower in sugar than hay, as the fermentation process uses some of the available sugars.

Are Sugar Beet and Pelleted Forages Better than Straw Chaff? (Hint: Yes)

When comparing straw chaff to other forage alternatives, soaked sugar beet and pelleted forages, such as grass or hay pellets, clearly come out on top in terms of clean, nutritional value and digestive support. These feeds provide a more complete and varied protein profile, making them especially beneficial for muscle maintenance, tissue repair, and overall health.

More importantly, they’re rich in soluble fibre, which feeds the beneficial microbes in the hindgut, supporting a healthy gut microbiome and improving overall digestion.

As a bonus, these fast-soak fibre providers act as ideal carriers for powdered supplements, ensuring even mixing and reducing the risk of refusal. Unlike dry chaff, which can be dusty, low in nutritional value, and harder to chew, soaked fibre feeds are palatable, hydrating, and safer, particularly for horses with dental issues or those needing tailored diets.

For most horses, sugar beet and forage pellets are a more cost-effective, cleaner, nutrient-dense, and versatile choice than chaff.

Mycotoxins in Straw Chaff: A Real Risk

When straw is harvested during damp weather or stored improperly, it becomes an ideal environment for moulds and fungi. These fungi, such as Fusarium, Aspergillus, and Penicillium, can produce mycotoxins, which are harmful compounds that may negatively impact equine health.

How common is mycotoxin contamination?

Mycotoxins in straw are relatively common, especially in non-organic or poorly stored straw. In the UK and Europe, straw samples have been shown to contain mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone. These can interfere with digestion, hormone regulation, immune function, and liver health in horses.

Do feed companies treat straw chaff to reduce mycotoxins?

Some reputable feed manufacturers do take steps to minimise the risk of contamination, including:

• Sourcing straw from farms with high hygiene standards
• Drying or heat treating straw to inhibit mould growth
• Using dust extraction and sieving systems during processing
• Applying mould inhibitors or preservatives (e.g., organic acids such as propionic acid)
• Conducting occasional mycotoxin testing

However, these practices are not universal, and many companies do not disclose whether they test for or treat mycotoxins. Additionally, straw used in chaff is often sprayed during its growing phase with fungicides, pesticides, or glyphosate, which may raise further concerns for horses with sensitivities.

How can horse owners reduce risk?

To avoid potential problems:

• Consider alternatives like grass chaff, hay pellets, or beet pulp, which offer cleaner, safer fibre options with better nutritional profiles
• Choose straw chaff made from organic or untreated straw whenever possible
• Ask manufacturers about their sourcing and testing procedures
• Avoid straw-based chaff altogether for horses with metabolic issues, digestive sensitivities, or liver problems

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

“Can horses eat chaff instead of hay?”

Chaff horse feed can be used as a replacement for hay, but it will be an expensive alternative. Many of the types available are great for humans to feel like they are ‘feeding’ their horse something for tea, but in reality, some handfuls of hay would be just as good and kinder on the owner’s bank balance.

Additionally, some chaffs are nutritionally inferior to high-quality hay. They are either all straw or partial straw, which, as discussed above, is not clean unless organic. Chaff is always more expensive per kilo than a bale of hay. Chopped straw is always nutritionally inferior to grass and hay chops.

In cases where horses can’t chew hay due to dental problems, soaked grass or hay pellets with a fast soak beet pulp mash are a safer and more suitable main feed. Chaff fed to older horses can end up being partially chewed, and where hay would ball up and quid, chaff may be swallowed and contribute to the potential for impaction colic.

It may have its place as a feed topper, but chaff is no substitute for a diet built around ample, good-quality clean forage and a bucket feed matched to that forage.

“Does chaff help with weight gain in horses?”

Whether it helps a horse gain weight depends entirely on its sugar, starch, and overall energy content. Some chaffs, especially those based on lucerne (alfalfa) or containing added molasses, can provide extra calories and protein that may support weight gain in underweight horses. However, many are low in nutritional value and primarily serve as fibre fillers rather than energy sources.

Feeding a low-calorie, straw-based chaff to a horse needing conditioning is unlikely to make any meaningful difference. If more weight is the goal, it’s better to focus on high-quality forage, beet pulp, and pelleted fibre feeds that offer digestible energy without relying on sugar spikes. Micronised linseed fed at 1 gram per kilogram of bodyweight is also a far more powerful weight booster than chaff.

Always check the nutritional analysis of the chaff you’re using, and ensure it complements the horse’s total diet rather than simply bulking out the feed bucket.

“Is alfalfa chaff better than straw chaff?”

Yes, alfalfa (lucerne) chaff is generally far superior to straw types in terms of nutritional value, digestibility, and safety. Alfalfa chaff is rich in protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients, making it especially beneficial for growing, working, or underweight horses. It also provides a more digestible source of fibre that supports hindgut health, without the risks associated with coarse, indigestible straw.

In contrast, straw chaff is typically low in protein and energy, harder to digest, and often heavily treated with chemicals like fungicides and glyphosate during production.

Poor-quality or contaminated straw can increase the risk of colic or respiratory issues, especially if dusty.

Unless you’re feeding a very good doer horse and have access to clean, organic, untreated straw, alfalfa chaff is the more nutritious and horse-friendly option by far. Try to source alfalfa chop which has not been sprayed with seed oils such as rape seed.

It is worth mentioning that alfalfa can be associated with reactions from some horses. Some horses will develop oedema in the legs, sheath and udder when fed high amounts of alfalfa. Alfalfa can also cause skin itching and hives in some susceptible horses. It is not recommended to feed alfalfa to laminitis-prone horses as it can trigger hoof sensitivity.

“Can too much chaff cause colic?”

Yes, feeding excessive amounts of chaff, especially if it’s coarse, dry, or poorly chewed, can increase the risk of colic. When fed in large quantities without adequate hydration or alongside insufficient long-stem forage, it can contribute to digestive blockages, particularly in horses that eat quickly or have dental issues.

Straw-based chaffs are particularly problematic, as they are less digestible and more likely to accumulate in the gut, potentially leading to impaction colic. The low level of sodium in straw is particularly problematic in leading to a reduction in water consumption by horses. A low-sodium diet will cause horses to drink less to conserve precious sodium resources. Horses rely on continuous access to water and a balanced, fibre-rich diet to maintain healthy gut motility, but good levels of sodium in the diet will keep the thirst mechanism working for healthy gut motility.

If straw chaff is used, it should be fed in moderation, ideally moistened, and always alongside plenty of hay or haylage. Additional sodium might need to be fed in the form of plain salt if high amounts of straw are fed. Forageplus does not recommend any straw in the diet, just due to the fact that it is extremely hard to obtain clean straw, and it is nutritionally poor.

For horses with a history of colic or compromised digestion, soaked fibre feeds such as beet pulp or grass and hay pellets are often a safer and far superior alternative.

Chaff and Colic: What You Need to Know

Chaff may seem like a harmless addition to the feed bucket, but in some cases, particularly when fed in excess or used improperly, it can contribute to colic, especially impaction-type colic. The risk is higher with coarse, dry, straw-based chaffs, which are harder to digest and can accumulate in the gut if not adequately broken down or accompanied by sufficient water intake. Horses with dental issues are particularly vulnerable, as they may not chew chaff efficiently enough to process it safely.

Feeding too much chaff without balancing it with long-stem forage also reduces gut motility. Long-stem fibre encourages full jaw movement and supports the natural contractions of the digestive tract. Chaff, on its own, lacks this structural benefit.

To reduce the risk of colic when feeding chaff:

• Always feed with ample access to clean water.
• Moisten or soak dry chaffs, especially for older horses or those prone to dehydration.
• Use only in small amounts to slow feeding or carry supplements, never as a forage replacement.
• Avoid straw-based chaffs unless the straw is clean, untreated, and the horse has no history of digestive sensitivity.
• Provide plenty of long-stem hay or haylage to maintain gut function and chewing time.

For horses with a history of colic or compromised digestion, consider replacing chaff entirely with soaked grass pellets, beet pulp, or a complete fibre mash. These are more digestible, hydrating, and better suited to supporting healthy gut function.