Myth-Buster #2 “Protein Makes Horses Hot”

One of the most persistent beliefs in the horse world is this:

“If a horse is too forward, spooky, or high-strung, the feed must have too much protein.”

It is repeated so often that it has become accepted as fact.

But biologically, it is not accurate.

Protein does not make horses hot.

The myth usually begins with coincidence.

A horse is fed a richer ration, perhaps alfalfa or a higher quality performance feed, and the horse seems to have more energy.

Protein gets blamed because it is the most obvious nutrient people recognize on a label.

But what is being observed is rarely “protein behavior.”

It is usually something else entirely.

Protein is primarily a structural nutrient.

It is used for:

Protein is not a stimulant.

It does not create a sudden surge of energy in the way starch and sugar can.

In most cases, heightened reactivity comes from one or more of these factors:

Starch-driven diets can create swings in blood glucose and gut fermentation patterns that absolutely affect temperament.

Protein does not behave that way metabolically.

When people remove “protein” and the horse calms down, what often happened is that they removed:

Protein was not the culprit, the overall feeding pattern was.

If you have a reactive horse, the right question is not:

“How low can I get the protein?”

The right question is:

A horse with inadequate protein does not become calm, it becomes weaker, poorer in topline, and more vulnerable over time.

At Thrive Feed, we focus on feeding for biological stability, not myths.

Protein supports the body.

Starch spikes and digestive disruption are far more often responsible for unwanted excess energy and tension.

Truth matters, because horses pay the price when nutrition is misunderstood.

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