Should you be feeding Coconut Meal to Horses?

Coconut Meal & Horses: Just Because They’ll Eat It… Doesn’t Mean They Evolved for It

If you’ve spent any time reading feed labels lately, you may have noticed an ingredient popping up more often: coconut meal (also called copra meal).

It’s often marketed as a “low-sugar,” “safe energy,” or “great for coat shine” ingredient. And while coconut meal can add calories without starch, there’s more to the story — especially when we look at how horses are actually built to eat.

Let’s break it down.

First Things First: What Is Coconut Meal?

Coconut meal is the by-product left after coconut oil is extractedfrom dried coconut meat.

It contains:

• Fiber

• Some protein

• Residual fat (mostly saturated fat)

It’s not a whole food a horse would ever encounter naturally.

 

A horse could never open a coconut on their own.

No hooves, no teeth, no evolutionary relationship with coconuts whatsoever. That doesn’t automatically make coconut meal “bad” — but it does matter when we think about how well a horse’s body can truly process it.

Coconut Meal: The Advantages — and the Trade-Offs

Coconut meal (also called copra meal) is often promoted as a “healthy fat” for horses. When we look closely, the research shows a more nuanced picture.

✅ Potential Advantages

• Low in starch and sugar

• Adds calories without increasing grain intake

• Can help some horses gain weight

• Often improves coat shine

• Does not cause large blood sugar or insulin spikes

❌ Important Trade-Offs

• Fat is predominantly saturated, which is not how horses evolved to consume fats

• Protein is low in lysine, the most critical amino acid for horses

• Can alter digestion and gut dynamics in some horses

• Not shown in research to provide unique health benefits beyond calories

• A by-product, not a biologically complete or balanced food

What the Research Actually Shows

To date, there are only two published studies on coconut-based feeds in horses, involving a total of seven horses.

• Digestibility Study (1997)
A small German study using three horses found that coconut fat was well absorbed in the upper digestive tract—similar to soybean oil. However, adding fat sped gut transit, slightly reduced early protein digestion, and altered bacterial byproducts in the hindgut. No clear health advantages were identified beyond calorie absorption.

• Blood Sugar & Insulin Study (2016)
An Australian study with four adult horses showed that copra meal caused only small, short-lived rises in blood sugar and insulin—similar to pasture grass and far lower than sweet feeds or pellets. This supports its use as a low-glycemic calorie source, particularly for insulin-sensitive horses.

The Takeaway

Coconut meal can be a useful calorie source and is unlikely to spike blood sugar—but current research does not show broader digestive, metabolic, or inflammatory benefits. Its saturated fat profile and by-product nature are important considerations, especially for long-term feeding.

At Wild Fed, we prioritize whole-food, seed-based fats that align more closely with equine physiology and support digestion, metabolism, and gut health—not just calories.

How Horses Are Designed to Eat Fat

Horses evolved as constant grazers:

• Eating grasses and plants

• Consuming very small amounts of fat

• Almost all of that fat is unsaturated (the softer, plant-based kind)

Most forage-based diets naturally contain about 3–4% fat.

Horses can adapt to higher fat diets — but that adaptation takes time, and the type and amount of fat matter a lot.

What Does the Gallbladder Do — and Why Does It Matter?

In humans (and many animals), the gallbladder stores bile — a digestive fluid that helps break down fat.
When you eat a fatty meal, the gallbladder releases a big burst of bile to help digest it.

Horses don’t have a gallbladder.

Instead:

• Bile drips continuously into the intestine in small amounts

• This works beautifully for low-fat, forage-based diets

• It’s not designed for large or heavy fat loads — especially saturated fats

This is why:

• High-fat diets can stress digestion

• Sudden fat increases can cause loose manure or gut disruption

• Fat digestion in horses is slower and more limited

The “Shiny Coat Trap”

A shinier coat is often used as proof that a feed is “working.”
But a shiny coat doesn’t always mean the body is thriving.

Here’s what can happen with high-fat diets:

• Fat is deposited in the skin → coat reflects more light

• The horse looks healthier on the outside

• Meanwhile, internally:

  • The liver is working harder

  • The gut microbiome may be altered

  • Inflammation pathways may be quietly activated

  • Metabolic stress can increase over time

Shine is not the same as nourishment.

At Wild Fed, we care about what’s happening inside the horse — not just what photographs well.

Why Wild Fed Chooses a Different Path

Instead of:

• Extracted oils

• Industrial by-products

• Saturated-fat-heavy ingredients

Wild Fed uses whole-food, seed-based fats — especially chia seed.

Why chia?

• Naturally unsaturated, omega-3–rich fat
  Supports inflammatory balance, joint comfort, skin and coat health, and metabolic resilience—without the inflammatory load of saturated-fat-heavy ingredients.

• Whole-food fat, not extracted oil
  Chia delivers fat in its natural seed matrix, allowing for slower, gentler digestion and better tolerance for sensitive or metabolic horses.

• Extremely stable & resistant to rancidity
  Unlike processed oils, chia’s fats are naturally protected within the seed, reducing oxidative stress and preserving nutrient integrity.

• No grinding required for absorption
  Chia softens and becomes bioavailable when exposed to moisture, making its nutrients accessible without processing.

• Supports hydration & digestive health
  Forms a soothing gel in the gut that helps retain moisture, support healthy motility, and promote consistent manure—important for gut stability and colic prevention.

• Provides supportive trace minerals
  Naturally contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus to support bone, muscle, and nervous system function.

• Low-glycemic & metabolically friendly
  Adds calories and nourishment without spiking blood sugar, making it appropriate for insulin-sensitive and easy-keeping horses.

• Evolutionarily aligned
  Reflects how horses evolved to encounter fats—from plants and seeds, not industrial oils or by-products.

This approach supports:

• Gut health

• Inflammatory balance

• Metabolic stability

• True coat health that reflects internal nourishment

The Wild Fed Bottom Line

Coconut meal isn’t poison.
Some horses tolerate it just fine.

But tolerance is not the same as biological alignment.

When it comes to fat:

• Less is often more

• Type matters

• Whole foods beat by-products

• And what a horse evolved to eat still matters — a lot

At Wild Fed, we formulate feeds that work with the horse’s physiology, not against it — supporting long-term health, not just short-term shine.

🌿 Real nourishment shows up in sound digestion, steady energy, healthy metabolism, and resilience — not just a glossy coat.

If you ever have questions about ingredients or why we choose what we do, we love those conversations. Education is part of the feed. 💚

—
Wild Fed Horse
Whole food. Thoughtful formulation. Horses as nature designed them.