Sustainable Equine Nutrition

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability stands as one of the defining priorities for present and future generations, shaping how we produce food, manage resources, and safeguard our environment. Within this global subject, animal feed production systems occupy a central and complex position. Livestock and other animal species contribute significantly to food security, rural livelihoods, and economic stability, yet they are also closely linked to pressing challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, nutrient losses, and biodiversity decline. 

Feed production, formulation strategies, nutrient efficiency, and waste management are deeply interconnected with environmental, economic, and social sustainability outcomes. However, these dimensions are often addressed in isolation rather than through a unified, systems-based perspective. The equine industry, specifically equine nutrition, provides possibly the greatest relative opportunity for positive change, as traditionally within this sector there has been a lack of holistic consideration of sustainability within and across the feed supply chain.

With this Special Issue, we aim to bring equine nutrition and sustainability together, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and evidence-based innovation. By integrating nutritional science with environmental assessment, policy considerations, and practical applications, we seek to highlight pathways that enhance productivity while reducing ecological impact. We invite contributions that will advance holistic, resilient, and responsible sustainable approaches to feeding horses in a rapidly changing world.

Sustainable equine nutrition is an increasingly important global focus, particularly considering the large number of horses worldwide, the land required to support them, and the broad impacts across the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and prosperity. Equine diets often rely on ingredients that are also used in feeds for other livestock species and sometimes compete with resources used in human food systems. At the same time, the unique physiology of the horse requires carefully balanced feeding strategies to maintain health and welfare. Therefore, improving the sustainability of equine nutrition is essential not only for the equine sector but also for responsible resource use within the wider agricultural system. Addressing these complex challenges requires integrated, multidisciplinary research, placing growing expectations on scientists to produce rigorous, solution-oriented knowledge.

The goal of this Special Issue is to gather high-quality research and critical reviews that advance sustainable equine nutrition. It aims to showcase evidence-based nutritional approaches that will enhance equine health and welfare while lowering environmental impact.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Sustainable and alternative feed resources;
• Circular economy approaches and the use of by products in equine diets;
• Nutritional strategies to reduce environmental impact;
• Precision feeding and resource efficient nutrition systems;
• Interactions between nutrition, equine health, welfare, and longevity;
• Life cycle assessment and sustainability metrics in equine production.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions. 

Dr. Gulsah Kaya Karasu
Dr. Peter Huntington
Prof. Dr. Chris W. Rogers
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• equine nutrition
• sustainable feed
• sustainable equine nutrition
• sustainable forage
• sustainable sources