This text revised some papers in literature about characteristics and use of conserved forages for horse feeding, considering animal behavior and outstanding the need of programs that could integrate the current knowledge of use, physiology, management and animal nutrition. A basic and critical nutritional condition for equine management is the availability of high quality forage for use as pasture or conserved as hay or silage. Most professional horse production systems adopt hay for animal feeding and this is why most available scientific papers regarding horse nutrition uses hay as roughage. Silages are adopted in some systems, but a smaller number of studies are available in technical literature evaluating his use in horse nutrition. Due to their anatomic and physiological characteristics, horses should be given high quality pastures and stocking rates must allow selectivity in forage capture and easy ingestion. For any forage, the nutritional profile is different if offered to animals used as pasture or conserved, due selectivity, plants part and variation among horses. Besides the analytical results of feeds and conservation processes adopted, special attention should be given to the environmental conditions of animal kept in stables or with restricted movements. A physical activity plan for horses and adherence to appropriate routines help preventing problems that affect animals without access to pasture. The hays, silages and haylages used as substitutes when pasture is not available, share with concentrates the highest position as causes of health problems. Colic, acidosis, laminitis, straw and wood consumption are associated to nutritional deficiencies, without considering human mistakes and inappropriate environmental conditions. Technical information for better understanding of animal consumption in quality, quantity or the way food is offered, has been responsible for the positive performance and good management in systems that deprive their access to pastures or physical activities.
conserved forages; hay; horse; management; nutrition; silage