Dodson & Horrell Just Grass: What It Is and How to Feed It

Dried-grass feeds often attract extra attention when grazing is poor or forage supplies are under pressure. Their usefulness is not limited to a shortage, though. A simple grass chaff can add fibre to a bucket feed, encourage chewing and provide a familiar grass-based ingredient throughout the year.

Dodson & Horrell Just Grass is a molasses-free, precision-chopped dried grass feed. This guide explains what is in it, how its current nutritional figures compare and how Dodson & Horrell recommends feeding it.

What is Dodson & Horrell Just Grass?

Dodson & Horrell lists one ingredient for Just Grass: dried grass. There is no added molasses, and the product is supplied as a fibrous chop rather than a cube, mix or mash.

The manufacturer explains that the length and fibrous texture encourage chewing and saliva production. This makes it a useful way to add structure to a bucket feed. However, it should not automatically be treated as a complete feed or vitamin and mineral balancer simply because it is made from grass. The whole ration still needs to meet the horse's nutritional requirements.

For more background on why forage and fibrous feeds matter, read our guide to the role of fibre in a horse's diet.

Current nutritional analysis

Dodson & Horrell currently publishes the following typical analysis for Just Grass. Recipes and analyses can change, so always check the latest bag label before feeding.

Molasses-free does not mean sugar-free. The grass itself contains naturally occurring sugar, so the published sugar figure and the needs of the individual horse matter more than the absence of added molasses.

When might a dried grass chaff be useful?

Just Grass may be considered when you want to:

• add a high-fibre chop to a bucket feed;
• encourage more chewing than a meal made up only of cubes or mix;
• use a simple grass-based product with no added molasses;
• provide slow-release energy from fibre; or
• add variety when grazing quality or availability has fallen.

Its suitability still depends on the horse's body condition, workload, forage, grazing and the rest of the ration. A good doer needing tight calorie control has different requirements from a horse in work that struggles to maintain condition.

Can Just Grass replace hay or haylage?

The supplier email that prompted this guide referred to increased demand during a difficult forage season. That was a stock update, not an instruction to replace the horse's forage.

Dodson & Horrell's current feeding directions say Just Grass should be fed with free access to forage. The manufacturer also specifies a minimum daily forage intake of 1.5kg per 100kg of bodyweight. Unless your vet or an equine nutritionist has designed a different ration for a horse with a particular problem, do not assume a dried grass chaff can simply replace all long-stem hay or haylage.

How much Dodson & Horrell Just Grass should you feed?

The current manufacturer guideline is 50–600g per 100kg of bodyweight per day, fed alongside free access to forage. Divide the daily amount between at least two or three meals.

One level Stubbs scoop holds approximately 0.2kg of Just Grass, but weighing the portion is more accurate. The broad feeding range allows for very different horses and uses, so the appropriate amount should be chosen in the context of the complete diet rather than by bodyweight alone.

Is Just Grass suitable for a horse with laminitis?

Do not choose a feed for a laminitis-prone horse solely because it is molasses-free. Just Grass has a current typical sugar level of 6%, and an individual horse may need a carefully controlled intake of sugar, starch and calories.

If your horse has laminitis, insulin dysregulation, Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or another condition requiring dietary control, ask your vet or a suitably qualified equine nutritionist before feeding it. Our guide to laminitis risk and changing grass explains why grazing and the whole ration need to be considered together.

Introduce it gradually and monitor the horse

Introduce any new feed gradually, normally over at least 7–14 days unless your vet or nutritionist advises otherwise. Keep fresh drinking water available, store the bag in a cool, dry place and monitor body condition, droppings and appetite as the ration changes.

Just Grass is sold in a 12.5kg bag. You can buy Dodson & Horrell Just Grass from Chestnut Mill, browse more Dodson & Horrell horse feeds or compare our full range of horse chaff and fibre feeds.

Always follow the latest instructions on the bag. For a horse with a health condition, unexplained weight change or difficulty chewing forage, obtain veterinary and professional nutrition advice before making significant dietary changes.