Horses have the most active lifestyle and often need high-energy food to meet their daily energy needs. Fenugreek powder is a perfect food to supplement this energy with horse food. Packed with ample dietary fibres, fenugreek powder can provide enough energy and nutrition to your equine while keeping it safe from various ailments.

Fenugreek is a superfood for horses. It contains palatable flavour and medicinal properties that fight off various health issues. Research suggests fenugreek is one of the top preferred flavouring agents in food that has shown various positive effects on horse health.

In this article, you will read about those health benefits and how to feed your horse a fenugreek powder.

Increase the palatability of feed with fenugreek powder

Horses are like fussy kids whose palates are hard to please. They have a keen sense of taste, so they won't eat anything that they don't like. Fenugreek is a common flavouring mixed in horse feed to make it palatable.

Since high-fibre diets are crucial for horses and usually such food does not have a pleasing taste, horses become fussy and do not eat properly. This hampers their health and performance, so keepers usually mix fenugreek powder to increase the palatability of their feed.

According to a study done by researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, horses prefer fenugreek more over many other flavours. The study was conducted on eight adult horses. They were fed ten distinct flavours, including carrots, apple, fenugreek, garlic, mint, cinnamon, banana, cherry, citrus, and vanilla.

The horses were fed two buckets of feed, one with flavours and one unflavoured. At the end of the study, researchers found that fenugreek, banana, cherry, mint, apple, carrot, and garlic are the most preferred flavours of horses.

Among these, fenugreek tops the chart as being the most favourite for equines. Adding fenugreek powder not only makes your horse feed palatable but also increases its nutritional value and offers various health-benefiting properties.

Health benefits of fenugreek powder

Soothes digestive tract

Fenugreek powder can help cure ulcers and soothe the digestive tract with its mucilage properties. Fenugreek powder, when soaked in water, produces mucilage. It is a slimy substance that lines up on stomach walls and makes a barrier between ulcers and digestive juices. This way, it reduces pain and promotes the healing process.

Lowers blood sugar level

Fenugreek is a well-known remedy against diabetes. Its sugar-reducing properties help lower blood sugar levels and stimulate insulin secretion. Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar into energy and stores it in the mitochondria of the cells. However, since fenugreek reduces the sugar level, it should be consumed in moderation to keep the regulated sugar level.

Keeps heart healthy

Fenugreek contains 58% of dietary fibre, which makes sugar and fats hard to digest. As a result, your body does not consume much fat, which reduces the chances of blockage in arteries. It also regulates blood pressure and lower cholesterol, and blood pressure ensures heart health.

Fights inflammation

Horses who are suffering from cold arthritis can benefit from fenugreek powder. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, fenugreek can help reduce inflammatory diseases like arthritis, relieving pain. Since colder weather increases the pain associated with cold arthritis, it is a good idea to add fenugreek to a horse's diet during winter.

Cures skin problems

Fenugreek has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. If your horse has skin problems like eczema, flea energy, or abscess, a topical application of fenugreek powder will help you get relief. You can use it as a poultice over wounds, boils, or inflamed skin. It aids in fighting bacterial infection and promotes healing processes.

How to add the fenugreek powder to your horse diet

Whole fenugreek seeds are hard to chew and might not be as flavourful as their ground counterpart. So opt for fenugreek powder to feed your horse. You can mix them as they are or add 300 ml boiling water and let them cool down before mixing them with the horse feed.

This will help increase the moisture in horse feed, making it easily consumable. Moreover, consider the correct quantity for horses. If your equine is a healthy adult with around 500 kg weight, feed 20-30 grams. Equines smaller than that should be fed 10-20 grams. You can divide this portion into three meals or offer them all at once.

Conclusion

Fenugreek makes a perfect flavouring agent for horses with its bitter-sweet taste and nutty notes. It also offers a myriad of health benefits that fights off various ailments. This makes it a perfect food supplement for the equine diet.

Consider stocking up on bulk fenugreek powder for your daily needs. You can find many online wholesale spices supplying companies which you can purchase bulk fenugreek powder from.

You don't have to waste time and energy visiting wholesalers with online suppliers. You can easily place your order and get delivered to your doorstep without hassle.