Horses are herd animals by nature that once lived on the Eurasian Steppes. They are creatures of habit and must always have the opportunity to flee. Horses are also herbivores that are accustomed to movement through grazing. Originally, they would graze practically day and night, spending as much as 16 hours a day nibbling on grasses and herbs that were low in nutrients. This gave them a constant intake of high-fiber food in small amounts. Their grass was high in fiber but low in sugar and protein. The range of herbs and grasses available to them was so diverse that they had access to many different vitamins and minerals. The natural diet of horses was therefore high in fiber and contained plenty of vitamins and minerals, but little sugar and protein and even less starch.