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Top 5 Concentrate and Grain Feeds for Horses in Canada (2025): Expert Guide to Performance, Low-Starch Options and Gut Health - Which Feed Fits Your Horse?

Published on Thursday, August 21, 2025

Traditional concentrate and grain blends for horses combine oats, corn, barley and textured mixes designed to deliver digestible energy and starch for working and performance animals. In Canada in 2025, buyers are balancing the need for reliable, calorie-dense feeds with a growing interest in low-starch formulas and blends that support glycemic control and hindgut health. Consumers often choose concentrates that match workload, age, and metabolic sensitivity: trainers and competitive riders tend to prioritize consistent energy and nutrient density, while broodmare and pleasure horse owners focus on safety, fiber balance and gut support. Regional factors such as forage quality, winter feeding demands and provincial availability also shape preferences, making textured mixes and balanced pellets popular for their ease of blending with local hay.

Quick Menu

1. Best Trusted Performance Feed

2. Best Canadian Textured Performance

3. Best Value Enhancer Feed

4. Best Versatile Performance Concentrate

5. Best Gut-Health Premium Feed

1
BEST TRUSTED PERFORMANCE FEED

Purina Omolene 200 Performance Horse Feed

Purina Omolene 200 Performance Horse Feed

Purina Omolene 200 is positioned as a reliable, widely available concentrate for performance horses, valued for its consistent energy delivery and palatability. Compared with the more specialised or regionally produced options on this list, Omolene often offers competitive pricing and supply chain advantages, making it a cost-effective baseline performance grain in concentrate and grain feeds for horses.

4.5
★★★★☆
  • High‑fat energy (fuel boost!)

  • Muscle support (lean gains)

  • High‑fat energy (fuel boost!)

  • Muscle support (lean gains)

Review Summary

90%

"Well-regarded for consistent energy, palatability and condition in performance horses; some users note it can be too concentrated for easy-keepers or cause a “hot” response in sensitive horses."

  • Low‑starch mix (steady stride)

  • High-energy formulation designed for horses in moderate to intense work.

  • Low‑starch mix (steady stride)

  • High-energy formulation designed for horses in moderate to intense work.

Recreational Enjoyment

Time-Saving Convenience

Purina Omolene 200 is positioned as a reliable, widely available concentrate for performance horses, valued for its consistent energy delivery and palatability. Compared with the more specialised or regionally produced options on this list, Omolene often offers competitive pricing and supply chain advantages, making it a cost-effective baseline performance grain in concentrate and grain feeds for horses.

  • High‑fat energy (fuel boost!)

  • Muscle support (lean gains)

  • Low‑starch mix (steady stride)

  • High-energy formulation designed for horses in moderate to intense work.

  • Fortified with vitamins, minerals and amino acids to support performance and recovery.

  • High‑fat energy (fuel boost!)

  • Muscle support (lean gains)

  • Low‑starch mix (steady stride)

  • High-energy formulation designed for horses in moderate to intense work.

  • Fortified with vitamins, minerals and amino acids to support performance and recovery.

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$40-60 CAD

2
BEST CANADIAN TEXTURED PERFORMANCE

Masterfeeds Performance 12-8 Textured Horse Feed

Masterfeeds Performance 12-8 Textured Horse Feed
🏠 Local Product

Masterfeeds Performance 12-8 textured feed is a balanced, easy-to-feed concentrate that emphasizes acceptance and steady energy for working horses, and its textured formulation often appeals to picky eaters. As a Canada-based product it can be financially advantageous for regional buyers versus imported brands, offering a robust value proposition though it is less specialised in gut-health features than some competitor formulas on this list.

4.2
★★★★☆
  • Balanced protein (conditioner’s pick)

  • Textured crunch (ponies love it!)

  • Balanced protein (conditioner’s pick)

  • Textured crunch (ponies love it!)

Review Summary

84%

"Generally praised for supporting performance conditioning and easy mixing, with good palatability; a minority of users report it can be too rich for laid-back horses or variable in availability."

  • Warm calories (ride-ready!)

  • 12% protein textured formula aimed at conditioning and sustained energy.

  • Warm calories (ride-ready!)

  • 12% protein textured formula aimed at conditioning and sustained energy.

Recreational Enjoyment

Time-Saving Convenience

Masterfeeds Performance 12-8 textured feed is a balanced, easy-to-feed concentrate that emphasizes acceptance and steady energy for working horses, and its textured formulation often appeals to picky eaters. As a Canada-based product it can be financially advantageous for regional buyers versus imported brands, offering a robust value proposition though it is less specialised in gut-health features than some competitor formulas on this list.

  • Balanced protein (conditioner’s pick)

  • Textured crunch (ponies love it!)

  • Warm calories (ride-ready!)

  • 12% protein textured formula aimed at conditioning and sustained energy.

  • Balanced vitamin and mineral package to support athletic horses.

  • Balanced protein (conditioner’s pick)

  • Textured crunch (ponies love it!)

  • Warm calories (ride-ready!)

  • 12% protein textured formula aimed at conditioning and sustained energy.

  • Balanced vitamin and mineral package to support athletic horses.

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$35-55 CAD

3
BEST VALUE ENHANCER FEED

Brooks Enhancer Textured Feed

Brooks Enhancer Textured Feed

Brooks Enhancer is a textured conditioning concentrate designed to support weight gain and topline development, making it a strong choice when extra calories and palatability are priorities. Compared with leaner performance feeds like Purina Omolene 200 and Martin Mills Advantage, Brooks trades off some universal versatility for higher caloric density, which can be more cost-efficient for owners needing rapid conditioning rather than day-to-day performance maintenance.

4.1
★★★★☆
  • Rapid condition (plump up!)

  • Easy‑chew texture (snackable)

  • Rapid condition (plump up!)

  • Easy‑chew texture (snackable)

Review Summary

82%

"Liked for helping weight gain, topline and appetite in picky horses, with many owners reporting durable results over time; criticisms focus on price and occasional bag-to-bag inconsistency."

  • Palatable mix (fussy eaters!)

  • Energy-dense textured feed formulated to improve condition and topline.

  • Palatable mix (fussy eaters!)

  • Energy-dense textured feed formulated to improve condition and topline.

Recreational Enjoyment

Time-Saving Convenience

Brooks Enhancer is a textured conditioning concentrate designed to support weight gain and topline development, making it a strong choice when extra calories and palatability are priorities. Compared with leaner performance feeds like Purina Omolene 200 and Martin Mills Advantage, Brooks trades off some universal versatility for higher caloric density, which can be more cost-efficient for owners needing rapid conditioning rather than day-to-day performance maintenance.

  • Rapid condition (plump up!)

  • Easy‑chew texture (snackable)

  • Palatable mix (fussy eaters!)

  • Energy-dense textured feed formulated to improve condition and topline.

  • Includes fat and digestible fiber sources for steady energy release.

  • Rapid condition (plump up!)

  • Easy‑chew texture (snackable)

  • Palatable mix (fussy eaters!)

  • Energy-dense textured feed formulated to improve condition and topline.

  • Includes fat and digestible fiber sources for steady energy release.

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$30-50 CAD

4
BEST VERSATILE PERFORMANCE CONCENTRATE

Martin Mills Advantage Performance Horse Feed

Martin Mills Advantage Performance Horse Feed

Martin Mills Advantage is a UK-milled performance concentrate known for consistent milling standards and formulations tailored to local equine competition and leisure demands. Its local production often translates to lower distribution costs and dependable availability across the region, positioning it as a practical, competitively priced alternative to imported feeds while still delivering a performance-oriented nutrient profile.

4.3
★★★★☆
  • Sport formulation (track tested)

  • Steady energy (no spikes)

  • Sport formulation (track tested)

  • Steady energy (no spikes)

Review Summary

86%

"Seen as a reliable, well-balanced performance feed that produces good condition and energy for active horses, though some find it too caloric for easy keepers or require careful rationing."

  • Local milling (british pride!)

  • Balanced concentrate formulated for performance, recovery and everyday work.

  • Local milling (british pride!)

  • Balanced concentrate formulated for performance, recovery and everyday work.

Recreational Enjoyment

Time-Saving Convenience

Martin Mills Advantage is a UK-milled performance concentrate known for consistent milling standards and formulations tailored to local equine competition and leisure demands. Its local production often translates to lower distribution costs and dependable availability across the region, positioning it as a practical, competitively priced alternative to imported feeds while still delivering a performance-oriented nutrient profile.

  • Sport formulation (track tested)

  • Steady energy (no spikes)

  • Local milling (british pride!)

  • Balanced concentrate formulated for performance, recovery and everyday work.

  • Focuses on digestible fibers and controlled starch to reduce digestive upset.

  • Sport formulation (track tested)

  • Steady energy (no spikes)

  • Local milling (british pride!)

  • Balanced concentrate formulated for performance, recovery and everyday work.

  • Focuses on digestible fibers and controlled starch to reduce digestive upset.

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$35-60 CAD

5
BEST GUT-HEALTH PREMIUM FEED

Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 Gut Health Horse Feed

Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 Gut Health Horse Feed

Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 focuses on digestive resilience with a formulation aimed at supporting hindgut health and reducing starch-related digestive upset, offering a technical advantage for horses with sensitive tummies. Although typically higher-priced than generic performance concentrates, EQ8's specialised gut-health features can lower overall veterinary and management costs for at-risk horses, differentiating it from the more general-purpose feeds on this list.

4.4
★★★★☆
  • Gut‑targeted prebiotics (tummy hugs!)

  • Reduced colic risk (calmer bellies)

  • Gut‑targeted prebiotics (tummy hugs!)

  • Reduced colic risk (calmer bellies)

Review Summary

88%

"Highly rated for improving gut comfort, digestion and overall condition in horses with sensitive systems; users appreciate the formulation but note it is pricier than basic concentrates."

  • Starch control (steady digestion)

  • Specifically formulated to support hindgut health with targeted pre- and probiotics.

  • Starch control (steady digestion)

  • Specifically formulated to support hindgut health with targeted pre- and probiotics.

Increased Safety & Security

Recreational Enjoyment

Time-Saving Convenience

Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 focuses on digestive resilience with a formulation aimed at supporting hindgut health and reducing starch-related digestive upset, offering a technical advantage for horses with sensitive tummies. Although typically higher-priced than generic performance concentrates, EQ8's specialised gut-health features can lower overall veterinary and management costs for at-risk horses, differentiating it from the more general-purpose feeds on this list.

  • Gut‑targeted prebiotics (tummy hugs!)

  • Reduced colic risk (calmer bellies)

  • Starch control (steady digestion)

  • Specifically formulated to support hindgut health with targeted pre- and probiotics.

  • Low-starch, controlled-sugar concentrate to reduce digestive disturbances.

  • Gut‑targeted prebiotics (tummy hugs!)

  • Reduced colic risk (calmer bellies)

  • Starch control (steady digestion)

  • Specifically formulated to support hindgut health with targeted pre- and probiotics.

  • Low-starch, controlled-sugar concentrate to reduce digestive disturbances.

Order Now

$60-90 CAD

What research and trials say about concentrates, starch and horse health

Scientific work from university trials and peer-reviewed studies has clarified how starch and concentrates affect digestion, metabolic response and gut stability in horses. Key findings help explain why low-starch options and balanced concentrates are gaining traction: starch digestibility in the small intestine varies by grain type and intake rate, undigested starch reaching the hindgut can ferment rapidly and alter hindgut pH, and steady-release carbohydrate sources plus added fiber and targeted supplements can reduce spikes in blood glucose and support microbial balance. Research also highlights that individual horse factors (age, training load, metabolic status) determine response to a concentrate, so evidence-based feeding plans are most effective when tailored.

Starch digestion capacity is finite: studies show rapid intake of high-starch feeds can overwhelm small intestinal digestion, increasing starch flow to the hindgut and the risk of negative microbial shifts.

Low-starch and blended concentrates reduce glycemic and insulinemic spikes compared with high-starch grain-only rations, which is important for horses with metabolic concerns.

Inclusion of soluble and fermentable fiber in concentrate formulations supports a stable hindgut microbiome and can mitigate digestive upset when horses transition between feeds or intensities of work.

Targeted gut-health supplements (prebiotics, yeast-based probiotics and specific fiber fractions) have been linked in trials to improved stool consistency and markers of hindgut stability, though results vary by individual and product.

Performance outcomes such as sustained energy in moderate-intensity work are improved more by feeds that combine digestible starch with sufficient fat and fiber than by starch alone, according to controlled feeding trials.

In the Canadian context, concentrate and grain feeds remain essential for riders who need predictable, digestible energy from oats, corn, barley and textured blends. The five options profiled here — Purina Omolene 200 Performance Horse Feed, Masterfeeds Performance 12-8 Textured Horse Feed, Brooks Enhancer Textured Feed, Martin Mills Advantage Performance Horse Feed, and Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 Gut Health Horse Feed — each target slightly different priorities from traditional performance calories to gut-focused formulations. For Canadian horse owners prioritizing glycemic control and digestive resilience, Buckeye Nutrition EQ8 Gut Health Horse Feed stands out as the choice to consider first. We hope you found what you were looking for; use the site search to refine by workload, starch content, or provincial availability, or expand your search to compare ingredient panels and feeding programs.

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