By: Dr Rosie Alcorn BVSc PG Cert VPS Cert AVP MRCVS
The answer takes us back around 55 million years, to the earliest known ancestor of the modern horse. This small creature - about the size of a fox - had multiple toes and teeth more like those of a pig, adapted for eating soft leaves and berries. It is known as the Dawn Horse, or Eohippus.
Over millions of years, through natural selection and environmental changes, this animal gradually evolved into the modern horse we know today - strong, fast, and adapted for life on the open plains. Understanding this journey helps us make informed choices about feeding horses naturally in the present day.
In their early days, horse ancestors lived in dense forests, browsing on soft vegetation and fruit. Their teeth were not built for heavy grinding, and their digestive systems were suited to a low-fibre diet.
As the Earth’s climate shifted, forests gave way to open grasslands. Grass is tougher and more fibrous than leaves, so horses developed:
Larger, stronger grinding teeth
Longer faces
A specialised digestive tract for extracting energy from fibrous forage
These adaptations were crucial in shaping the horse’s anatomy and dietary needs.
As prey animals, horses also evolved behavioural and physical traits to survive predators. One key adaptation is their small stomach, which allows them to eat continuously while staying agile enough to flee danger at any time.
This explains why modern horses thrive when they are:
Fed little and often
Allowed to graze throughout the day
Given space to move freely
Over time, horses also:
Grew larger and faster for better escape
Lost their multiple toes, evolving into single-hoofed animals for speed on hard terrain
Developed wide-set eyes for a nearly 360-degree field of vision, helping them detect predators - a trait that still influences horse behaviour today
Despite millions of years of evolution, the core dietary needs of horses remain largely unchanged.
Designed to eat forage as their main source of nutrition
Built to graze frequently, not consume large, infrequent meals
Naturally alert and prone to stress, due to their prey animal instincts
Provide constant access to forage whenever possible
Offer small, frequent meals
Allow for natural grazing and movement
Remain patient and calm during stressful or unfamiliar situations
Understanding horse evolution helps us make better decisions today. Feeding only two large meals per day, keeping horses stabled for extended periods, or limiting forage access can lead to stress, behavioural issues, and digestive problems.
One Scoop is a perfect option for ensuring your horse is getting all of the essential vitamins and minerals, whilst being cost effective. It is a high fibre, low sugar and starch option suitable a wide variety of horses and ponies.
So, where did horses come from, and why does it matter? Their evolutionary path, from forest-dwelling browsers to grassland grazers, holds the key to understanding how we should care for them today. While horses may look different now, their instincts and digestive systems are still deeply rooted in a life spent grazing, moving, and surviving in the open.
Honouring this natural design is essential for keeping horses happy, healthy, and thriving in the modern world.
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