07/23/2025
I don’t usually make long posts like this, but I’ve always been deeply passionate about how and what I feed my horses. Growing up, I thought I was doing the right thing—feeding the highest quality grain from the feed store. Then I got a little more educated and realized how damaging grain can actually be. I switched to a grain-free pelleted supplement, feeding Triple Crown Balancer Gold mixed with grass pellets. I was close… but little did I know, the answer was even simpler.
While working with Isidro Espinoza Horsemanship, the most valuable piece of horse management knowledge I’ve gained is this: gut health is everything.
An unhealthy gut leads to a domino effect of issues—spookiness, anxiety, aggression, resistance in training, weight loss, poor coat, weakened immune system, and chronic inflammation. And the root of it all often comes down to what we feed.
So what do we do about it?
IEH is extremely passionate about a full forage diet—absolutely no grain, sugar, starch, soy, or by-products. Why? Because horses are designed to graze and digest fibrous plants throughout the day. Forage keeps the gut moving, supports healthy bacteria, and drastically lowers the risk of ulcers and colic.
I’ve fully adopted this into my program, and the transformation in both body and mind speaks for itself.
Here’s what we use:
➡️ #1 Excel ProElite Oil – A cold-pressed camelina oil that supports joints, gut health, recovery, and coat shine, while adding clean, grain-free calories.
➡️ #2 Crushed Redmond Daily Red Loose Mineral Salt – Provides essential electrolytes and trace minerals to support hydration, muscle and nerve function, and digestion.
➡️ #3 Aloe Vera Juice – We use Lily of the Desert. Aloe soothes and protects the digestive tract, helps reduce inflammation, and supports gut healing—especially for horses under stress or in hard work.
➡️ #4 Our Custom Herbal Blend – Handcrafted and researched by us: marshmallow root, licorice root, fenugreek, slippery elm, chamomile, fennel seed, and dandelion root. Each one supports digestion, inflammation, and overall gut health.
These four supplements, fed over alfalfa pellets, have made a dramatic difference—not just in how the horses look, but in how they feel and act.
I can’t express how thankful I am to have been educated in this way. This isn’t talked about enough. Most people go straight to feed store grain because it’s convenient or well-marketed. But I’m here to tell you—do your research.
IEH has spent years studying this and created a feeding program that truly works—and I’m grateful they’ve shared their knowledge with me, so I can now share it with you.
