Nutrient and energy digestibility of feeds were determined in four experiments on saddle horses by both the conventional and lignin methods. The following feeds were analysed: meadow hay plus oats; meadow hay; meadow hay plus triticale and pasture forage. Similar digestibility coefficients of nutrients in the meadow hay-oats ration were obtained by both methods. The differences in these coefficients in the hay-triticale and meadow hay rations were greater and fat digestibility in these feeds was negative. The greatest differences were found for the forage ration. Lignin recovery from faeces ranged from 98 to 101% for grain - hay and hay rations, and only 87% when forage was fed.