How much should I feed my horse per day? A good rule of thumb is to feed your horse at least 1.5% to 2.5% of its body weight in dry matter feed daily.
Feeding your horse correctly is vital for its health and happiness. Getting the daily feed ration for horses right is not a one-size-fits-all answer. It changes based on many things. This guide will help you figure out the right amounts. We will look at what your horse needs and how to meet those needs simply.
Why Proper Feeding Amounts Matter
Feeding your horse correctly keeps it healthy. Too little feed causes weight loss and poor coat condition. Too much feed leads to obesity, which causes serious health issues like laminitis. Knowing the right amount is the first step toward good horse care.
Deciphering Horse Nutritional Needs
Every horse is different. Determining horse’s feed requirements starts with knowing your specific animal. We need to look at its weight, age, and work level.
Body Weight Estimation
You must know how much your horse weighs. Scales at feed stores are best. If you cannot weigh your horse, you can use a weight tape. Measure around the heart girth (just behind the elbows) and the length (from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock).
| Body Weight Estimation Method | Accuracy Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weigh Scale | Highest | Most accurate way. |
| Weight Tape | Good | Best done when the horse is in good body condition. |
| Formula Calculation | Fair | Requires accurate measurements. |
Basic Maintenance Needs
Most horses need feed just to stay alive and healthy. This is called maintenance. Calculating maintenance energy for horses is key here. For a light working horse, the energy needed is less than for a horse that runs races.
Key Factors Affecting Horse Feed Amounts
Many things change how much feed your horse needs. Thinking about these factors affecting horse feed amounts helps you adjust the ration month to month.
Age and Life Stage
- Foals and Growing Horses: They need more protein and minerals for bone growth. They eat more relative to their body size.
- Lactating Mares: Mares nursing foals need a lot of extra feed. Their energy needs soar.
- Senior Horses: Older horses may have trouble chewing or digesting tough feed. They might need soaked feed or higher quality forage.
Workload Intensity
A horse standing in a field has very different needs than a horse training for competition.
- Light Work: Mostly walking or very slow trotting. Needs are close to maintenance.
- Moderate Work: Regular riding, some cantering. Needs go up for energy.
- Heavy/Intense Work: Racing or high-level eventing. These horses need much more energy and nutrients.
Environmental Conditions
The weather plays a role. Cold weather makes horses burn more calories just to stay warm. Hot, humid weather might decrease their appetite.
Forage First: The Cornerstone of Horse Diets
Forage, like hay and grass, should make up the largest part of your horse’s diet. This is based on solid horse feeding guidelines. Horses are designed to eat forage almost all the time.
How Much Hay for Horse Per Day?
A horse should eat a minimum of 1.5% of its body weight in dry matter forage daily. This is crucial for gut health.
- Example: A 1,000-pound horse needs at least 15 pounds of dry hay per day (1,000 lbs x 0.015 = 15 lbs).
If your horse is only grazing on pasture, you need to assess the quality and quantity of that grass. In winter or dry spells, you must replace the missing grass with hay.
Forage Quality Matters
The quality of hay impacts how much you need to feed.
- High-Quality Hay (Good Protein/Calories): You might feed closer to the 1.5% body weight.
- Low-Quality Hay (Stemmy, Mature): You might need to feed up to 2.5% or add supplements because the nutrients are low.
Concentrates vs. Forage for Horses
Concentrates are feeds like grains (oats, corn) or commercial pellets. They pack more calories and nutrients into a smaller volume. Concentrates vs forage for horses is a balance act.
Most horses on light work or maintenance do not need concentrates if their forage is good quality.
When to Feed Concentrates
You should add concentrates when forage alone cannot meet the horse’s energy needs. This usually happens for:
- Hard-working horses.
- Pregnant or nursing mares.
- Growing horses needing extra nutrients.
- Horses that are too thin despite eating plenty of good hay.
Calculating the Daily Feed Ration for Horses
Now we put the pieces together to create a daily feed ration for horses. We start with forage and add concentrates only as needed.
Step 1: Determine Total Dry Matter Intake
Aim for 2% of body weight daily as a starting point for an average horse.
- 1,100 lb horse x 0.02 = 22 pounds of total dry feed needed per day.
Step 2: Set the Forage Base
Always feed the minimum forage amount first.
- 1,100 lb horse x 0.015 (minimum forage) = 16.5 pounds of hay.
Step 3: Calculate Remaining Needs
Subtract the forage amount from the total needed.
- 22 lbs (Total needed) – 16.5 lbs (Hay fed) = 5.5 pounds of concentrate needed (if any).
If 5.5 pounds of concentrate is required, you must then look at the label on that specific feed. Pellets vary greatly in calorie density.
Using a Horse Nutritional Needs Calculator
Many owners find relief using a horse nutritional needs calculator. These online tools take age, weight, workload, and desired condition score. They give you a target number for digestible energy (DE) and crude protein (CP). This takes the guesswork out of the math.
Types of Horse Feed Amounts and Formulations
The type of feed dictates how much you give. We see three main types of horse feed amounts or styles:
1. All-Forage Diets
Best for easy keepers, seniors, and horses in light work, provided the hay quality is excellent. They eat 2% to 3% of their body weight in hay or pasture.
2. Forage Plus Supplement Diets
This is common. The horse gets its minimum forage needs met, plus a small amount of a concentrated balancer pellet. Balancers provide necessary vitamins and minerals without adding too many extra calories.
3. Forage Plus Concentrate Diets
Used for performance horses or horses struggling to maintain weight. The concentrate amount is higher, carefully balanced against the forage intake.
Table: Example Daily Feed Allocation (1,100 lb Horse)
| Activity Level | Forage (Hay) Amount (lbs) | Concentrate/Pellet Amount (lbs) | Total Feed (Dry Matter) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Keeper/Maintenance | 18 – 20 lbs | 0 – 1 lb (Balancer only) | 18 – 21 lbs |
| Light Work | 16 – 18 lbs | 2 – 4 lbs | 18 – 22 lbs |
| Moderate Work | 14 – 16 lbs | 4 – 7 lbs | 18 – 23 lbs |
| Hard Work | 12 – 14 lbs | 7 – 12 lbs | 19 – 26 lbs |
Note: These are starting points. Adjust based on the horse’s body condition score (BCS).
Developing the Best Diet Plan for Horses
The best diet plan for horses is one that keeps them at a target body condition score (BCS) of 5 out of 9. It must also support their physical activity.
Monitoring Body Condition Score (BCS)
Regularly check your horse’s fat coverage. This is more important than just weighing them.
- Too thin (BCS 1-3): Needs more calories, likely more concentrate or higher quality hay.
- Ideal (BCS 4-6): Maintain current feeding amounts.
- Too fat (BCS 7-9): Needs reduced calories, often by cutting back concentrates and limiting rich pasture access.
Frequency of Feeding
Horses thrive on frequent, small meals. Their stomachs are small and constantly produce acid.
- Feed hay at least two to three times a day. Free-choice hay is often best if the horse is not prone to obesity.
- Divide grain or concentrate meals into small portions (no more than 5 pounds per meal for a 1,000 lb horse) given two to three times daily. Large grain meals stress the digestive system and can cause colic or laminitis.
Adjusting Rations Based on Feed Analysis
To truly perfect your feeding program, consider testing your hay. Hay analysis tells you exactly what nutrients and calories are in the forage.
When you know the actual nutrient content, you can precisely tailor the concentrate. For example, if your hay is very high in protein, you might select a low-protein concentrate, or feed less of a standard one. This targeted approach maximizes nutrition while controlling costs.
Specific Considerations for Concentrates
When you add commercial feeds, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines closely. These guidelines are based on the analysis of their product.
Reading the Feed Bag
Look for these key numbers on the bag:
- Calories (DE): How much energy the feed provides per pound.
- Protein Percentage: The amount of crude protein.
- Fiber Percentage: Important for gut health, usually aiming for 10-15% in concentrates.
If the bag says to feed 10 pounds for a working horse, but your calculation shows you only need 5 pounds to meet the remaining energy gap, only feed 5 pounds. Do not feed based solely on the bag recommendation if it pushes your horse over its calculated need.
Pasture Management and Feeding
Pasture is a dynamic feed source. Its nutritional value changes daily with weather and season.
- Spring Lush Grass: Often very high in sugar (fructans). Horses prone to laminitis need their intake restricted, sometimes requiring hay to be fed before turning out on lush grass to “fill them up.”
- Summer Dormant Grass: Low in protein and calories. This grass often requires more hay supplementation even during the growing season.
Fathoming the Role of Water
Water intake is inseparable from feeding. A dehydrated horse cannot properly digest its food, especially high-fiber hay. Ensure constant access to fresh, clean water. A resting horse drinks 5 to 10 gallons daily. A working horse needs much more.
Summary of Best Practices
To feed your horse safely and effectively, follow these core steps:
- Estimate the horse’s current body weight accurately.
- Establish a maintenance requirement (aim for 1.5% to 2.5% of body weight in dry matter).
- Maximize high-quality forage intake first.
- Calculate remaining needs based on workload.
- Supplement with concentrates or vitamins only to fill the gaps.
- Monitor the horse’s body condition regularly and adjust amounts slowly.
- Always consult a veterinarian or equine nutritionist for personalized advice, especially if the horse has health issues.
By focusing on forage quality and carefully calculating added nutrients, you set your horse up for a long, healthy life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much should I feed my 1,200-pound horse if it’s not working?
For a 1,200-pound horse in light or no work (maintenance), start by feeding about 24 pounds of dry matter feed daily (2% of body weight). Aim for at least 18 pounds of that to be hay or pasture (1.5% minimum). You may not need any grain or pellets if the hay is good quality.
What is the minimum amount of hay a horse needs per day?
The minimum amount of hay (forage) a horse should consume is 1.5% of its body weight daily. For a 1,000-pound horse, this means at least 15 pounds of dry hay per day to keep the digestive system working correctly and prevent ulcers.
Can I feed my horse just grain and no hay?
No. You should never feed a horse only grain or concentrates and skip hay. Horses are grazing animals. Their digestive tracts require the long-strand fiber found in forage to move food through correctly and maintain the right gut pH. Skipping hay can quickly lead to colic or ulcers.
How often should I feed my horse concentrates?
Concentrates, or grain meals, should be split into small portions and fed at least twice a day, ideally three times a day, if the horse is eating more than 5 pounds of concentrate total. Large meals of grain should always be avoided to prevent digestive upset.
How do I know if my horse is getting enough calories?
You judge calorie intake by the horse’s Body Condition Score (BCS). If the horse is maintaining a BCS of 5 (ideal) and has good energy for its workload, it is getting enough calories. If it is losing weight, increase the feed slightly. If it is gaining weight, decrease it.