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    January 13, 2026 3 min read

    Frustrated with your hay? This might be your answer: Why a lot of horses on hay look “full” but still don’t thrive.

    Most horse owners think all hay and fiber is the same. It isn’t. A lot of hay today is high in fiber that horses can’t fully digest. That fiber fills the gut, but it doesn’t do much else. The result?
    • Big manure piles
    • “Hay bellies”
    • Horses that eat plenty but still crave more food, struggle with weight, topline, or energy
    • They’re full — but under-nourished!

    What Makes Cowboy Complete Different

    Cowboy Complete was designed to replace hay, not eliminate fiber. The difference is the type of fiber. Instead of relying on stemmy hay fiber that mostly passes through the horse, Cowboy Complete uses highly digestible plant fibers from almond hulls that horses can use.

    That means:
    • The gut still stays full and healthy
    • But more nutrients are absorbed
    • And less waste (manure) comes out the back end

    What You’ll See in Your Horse

    When horses switch from average hay to Cowboy Complete, owners often notice:
    • Less manure (might be a little softer)
    • Less “hay belly”
    • Better topline and muscle tone
    • Easier weight maintenance
    • Calmer energy from fiber instead of sugar or starch
    Many horses simply look lighter, tighter, and healthier — without eating more.

    Hay fills the gut. Cowboy Complete feeds the horse!

    Cowboy Complete provides the fiber horses need — just in a form their bodies can digest and benefit from. Here is the in-depth scientific explanation for this:

    Digestible Fiber & Hay Belly ComparisonHay vs. Cowboy Complete (Hay Replacer

    Parameter Typical Grass Hay
    (Second Cut / Reduced Starch)    		 Cowboy Complete Hay Replacer
    (Low Starch)
    ADF 35–45% High indigestible fiber ~23–25% Reduced waste, reduced “dead gut weight” (indigestible fiber). 30-35% less waste or gut weight.
    NDF 60–70% Bulky, limits intake 31-37% Moderate & health-promoting. Maintains gut fill without overload.
    TDN 50–55% Low usable nutrition 62–68% Higher digestible nutrition
    Result in the horse and impact on the environment
    • Relative high risk of impaction colic
    • Large amount of manure, more work to remove it, high negative environmental impact
    • Heavy gut. 'Hay belly'
    • Less nutrition, less topline
    • More feed needed
    • Low risk of impaction colic
    • Less manure output, less work to remove it, less negative environmental impact
    • Lighter gut load
    • Better topline
    • Less feed needed

    Definitions to understand the table:

    ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber)
    The higher this number, the more undigestible the hay is for the horse. ADF refers to the portion of fiber in forage that is indigestible to horses. High ADF levels contribute to increased gut fill, commonly known as “hay belly,” and add non-nutritive weight. This can elevate the risk of impaction colic, reduce athletic performance, and slow the horse’s movement. ADF is composed of cellulose, lignin, and silica—components that are difficult or impossible for equine hindgut microbes to break down, with lignin being essentially indigestible.

    NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber)
    NDF represents total plant cell wall fiber, including Hemicellulose (more digestible), Cellulose and Lignin (indigestible). NDF is not inherently bad. It tells you how much fiber there is, not how digestible it is. To estimate digestible fiber, nutritionists look at lower ADF within a moderate NDF range OR use derived values like TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients). For horses, fiber is essential, but lower ADF within an appropriate NDF range means more usable fiber. 

    TDN (Total Digestible Nutrients):
    The higher this number, the more nutritious is the hay to the horse.

    There are many more benefits in feeding Cowboy Complete. One is the reduction of dust, your horse can breathe cleaner air, and you as well. Another one is the health-promoting feature from natural antioxidants, Vitamin K, Vitamin E and CoQ10.