A horse should eat about 2% to 2.5% of its body weight in dry matter (feed) every day. This amount changes based on the horse’s size, age, workload, and health. This guide will help you figure out the right amount for your horse.
The Basics of Equine Daily Intake
Knowing how much to feed your horse is vital for its health. Horses are grazers by nature. They like to eat small amounts often throughout the day. This natural pattern helps keep their stomachs and guts working right. Calculating your horse daily feed intake starts with knowing your horse’s weight.
Finding Your Horse’s Weight
You cannot guess a horse’s weight accurately. You must measure it. Use a livestock scale if you have access to one. If not, use a weight tape. These tapes wrap around the horse’s girth (behind the front legs). They give a good estimate.
A common large horse weighs around 1,000 pounds. A pony might weigh 500 pounds. Always base your feed calculations on actual weight, not guesswork.
Total Daily Feed Calculation
Most experts agree on a baseline amount. This baseline is the total amount of food your horse needs daily. This is measured in dry matter. Dry matter means all the food minus its water content.
For a general maintenance horse (light work, not pregnant), aim for 2% of its body weight.
Example Calculation:
- Horse Weight: 1,000 pounds
- Feed Rate: 2% (0.02)
- Total Daily Intake: $1,000 \text{ lbs} \times 0.02 = 20 \text{ lbs}$ of dry matter per day.
If your horse is working hard or gaining weight, you might feed up to 2.5% or even 3% of its body weight. Always follow sound equine feeding guidelines.
The Major Components of a Horse’s Diet
A horse’s diet has three main parts. These parts must be balanced for good health. We need to know what to feed a horse per day to meet its needs.
Forage First: Hay and Pasture
Forage is the most important part of a horse’s diet. It should make up the majority of what they eat. This includes hay and grass from pasture. Horses need long-stem fiber to keep their gut moving.
Average Hay Consumption for Horses
Hay is the main source of feed for many horse owners, especially in winter. Average hay consumption for horses is usually between 1% and 1.5% of their body weight daily, just for the hay portion alone.
If your horse needs 20 lbs of dry matter total, at least 10 to 15 lbs of that should be good quality hay.
Table 1: Estimated Daily Dry Feed Needs (Based on Weight)
| Horse Weight (lbs) | Maintenance (2% Body Weight) (lbs) | Hay Minimum (1.5% Body Weight) (lbs) | Grain/Concentrate Max (0.5% Body Weight) (lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 (Pony) | 10 | 7.5 | 2.5 |
| 1,000 (Average) | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 1,200 (Larger Horse) | 24 | 18 | 6 |
| 1,500 (Draft Type) | 30 | 22.5 | 7.5 |
Note: These are estimates. Always adjust based on your horse’s condition.
Horse Pasture Intake Per Day
If your horse lives outside on good grass, they will eat a lot of it. Horse pasture intake per day can vary hugely. On rich, lush pasture, a horse might graze for 12–16 hours a day. They can consume up to 2.5% of their body weight just from grass if the grass quality is high.
Be careful with rich spring grass. It can lead to weight gain or laminitis (a serious hoof condition). If grass is plentiful, you may need to feed less hay. If the grass is sparse or dry, you must increase hay feeding.
Concentrates (Grains and Feeds)
Concentrates provide extra calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These are needed for growing horses, working horses, pregnant mares, or thin horses. Most horses in light work do not need a large amount of grain.
How Much Grain for a Horse Daily
This is a common question. For a horse at maintenance, grain should be small—often less than 5 lbs per day. If you feed too much grain, it can cause digestive upset, like colic or ulcers.
Key Rule: Never feed more than 0.5% of the horse’s body weight in grain per day. For a 1,000 lb horse, that is a maximum of 5 lbs of grain daily.
If you must feed more than this amount (for very hard work), you must divide the grain into several small meals. This protects the horse’s stomach.
Supplements and Treats
Supplements add specific nutrients missing from the hay or pasture. This might be salt, minerals, or specialized joint support. Treats should be very limited. They do not count toward the necessary nutritional requirements for horses. Keep treats under 10% of the total diet by volume.
Tailoring the Diet to the Horse
The single number (2% of body weight) is just a starting point. We need to adjust based on the horse’s life stage and work level. This helps create the best diet for horses.
Workload Adjustments
A horse’s energy needs change a lot based on what it does.
- Maintenance: Light activity, like walking in a paddock. Needs about 1.5% to 2% of body weight in feed.
- Light Work: Riding a few times a week at a walk/trot. Needs 2% to 2.25%.
- Moderate Work: Regular schooling, trail riding. Needs 2.25% to 2.5%.
- Heavy Work: Competition, race training. Needs 2.5% to 3% or more. This requires careful monitoring of feed ratios.
Life Stage Needs
Different life stages have special needs:
Growing Horses (Foals and Yearlings)
Young horses need protein and minerals for bone growth. They need a diet rich in quality forage and balanced supplements. They often need more than 2% of their body weight in feed to support rapid growth. Consult your vet or nutritionist for exact ratios.
Pregnant and Nursing Mares
Mares need extra calories and protein when nursing their foal. The peak milk production happens in the first few months after birth. They may need 2.5% to 3% of their body weight in feed during this time.
Senior Horses (Ages 20+)
Older horses often have trouble chewing tough hay or absorbing nutrients. They may need soft feed, soaked hay pellets, or specially formulated senior feeds. Their calorie needs might drop, but they still need plenty of fiber.
Fathoming Feeding Frequency and Timing
How often you feed is almost as important as how much you feed. Horses are built to eat almost constantly.
Feeding Frequency for Horses
The goal is to mimic natural grazing behavior. This means feeding small meals often.
- Hay: If possible, offer hay sources free-choice (24/7 access), using slow-feed nets to make it last longer. If you must limit hay, divide it into at least three feedings per day.
- Concentrates: Grain meals should be small. Never feed more than 5 lbs of grain in one sitting. Divide daily grain ration into two or three small meals.
Feeding only once a day is very hard on a horse’s digestive system. It causes the stomach to be empty for long periods, raising the risk of ulcers and colic. Always prioritize frequent feeding.
Water Access
Water is not technically “feed,” but it is crucial. A 1,000 lb horse needs 5 to 10 gallons of clean, fresh water daily. This need goes up significantly with exercise or heat. Always ensure fresh water is available.
Creating Your Horse Feeding Chart
To make this practical, you need a clear plan. This plan acts as your horse feeding chart. It links your horse’s weight and activity to the feed required.
Step 1: Determine Body Weight (e.g., 1,100 lbs).
Step 2: Decide on the Feed Percentage (e.g., Moderate Work = 2.3%).
Step 3: Calculate Total Dry Matter Needed.
$1,100 \text{ lbs} \times 0.023 = 25.3 \text{ lbs}$ total dry feed per day.
Step 4: Allocate Forage (Hay/Pasture).
Aim for at least 1.5% of body weight in hay: $1,100 \text{ lbs} \times 0.015 = 16.5 \text{ lbs}$ of hay.
Step 5: Allocate Concentrates (Grain/Pellets).
The rest of the calories come from concentrates. $25.3 \text{ lbs} (\text{Total}) – 16.5 \text{ lbs} (\text{Hay}) = 8.8 \text{ lbs}$ of concentrates.
Step 6: Check Limits.
Is the concentrate amount safe? $8.8 \text{ lbs}$ is $0.8\%$ of the horse’s weight. This is too high for a single meal, and it exceeds the recommended 0.5% limit for daily grain intake unless the horse is in very heavy work.
Adjustment Based on Step 6: If the horse is only in moderate work, the current hay amount might be too low, or the concentrate is too high. We must increase forage to meet the 2% baseline. Let’s try 1.8% hay: $1,100 \text{ lbs} \times 0.018 = 19.8 \text{ lbs}$ of hay.
New Concentrate Amount: $25.3 \text{ lbs} (\text{Total}) – 19.8 \text{ lbs} (\text{Hay}) = 5.5 \text{ lbs}$ of concentrates.
This revised plan (19.8 lbs hay and 5.5 lbs grain) is much safer and closer to ideal equine feeding guidelines. The grain is now $5.5/1,100 = 0.5\%$ of body weight, which is the safe maximum.
Deciphering Nutritional Needs Beyond Calories
Calories (energy) are only part of the picture. Horses need specific nutrients for health, coat shine, hoof strength, and muscle tone.
Protein Content
Protein provides the amino acids needed for muscle repair and growth. Forages usually supply adequate protein for maintenance horses. Working or growing horses need higher quality or added protein sources. Look at the protein percentage on feed tags.
Vitamins and Minerals
Salt is essential and often overlooked. Horses should have free-choice access to salt (plain white or salt/trace mineral mix). Vitamins A, D, and E are often important, especially if a horse eats limited fresh grass. Deficiencies lead to poor health over time.
Fiber and Gut Health
The hindgut is where fermentation happens. This process extracts energy from fiber. If the horse doesn’t get enough long-stem fiber, the hindgut environment changes. This can lead to digestive upset, loose stools, or even weight loss despite eating enough calories. This is why hay is the foundation.
Adjusting for Condition Score
Body condition scoring (BCS) helps you see if your feeding plan is working. It uses a scale, typically 1 (very thin) to 9 (very obese).
- BCS 4–5 (Ideal): Maintain current feeding levels.
- BCS Below 4 (Too Thin): Slowly increase the total daily intake by about 0.25% of body weight per week until the desired score is reached. Increase both forage and concentrates if needed.
- BCS Above 6 (Overweight): Slowly decrease total intake by 0.25% per week. Focus on reducing rich hay or concentrates first. Increase turnout time if possible.
Always make changes gradually—over 10 to 14 days—to prevent digestive surprises.
Common Mistakes in Horse Feeding
Many owners make simple mistakes that impact their horse’s well-being. Knowing these pitfalls helps you avoid them.
- Sudden Feed Changes: Never switch hay types or grain brands overnight. This almost always causes gas, diarrhea, or colic.
- Over-reliance on Grain: Assuming a horse needs grain just because it is being ridden. Many horses thrive on good quality hay and a vitamin/mineral supplement.
- Ignoring Water Quality: Dirty or icy water discourages drinking, leading to dehydration and impaction colic.
- Not Weighing Feed: Scoops are unreliable. A scoop of dense grain weighs much more than a scoop of fluffy hay. Always weigh rations to ensure accuracy in your horse feeding chart.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Can I feed my horse grass clippings?
A: No. Never feed grass clippings. Clippings tend to clump and ferment quickly in the stomach. This fermentation produces gas and can cause severe, life-threatening colic.
Q: How much should I feed a 15.2 hand horse?
A: A 15.2 hand horse often weighs between 1,100 and 1,300 lbs. If it is at maintenance, aim for 22 to 26 lbs of total dry feed per day, mostly hay. Always weigh the feed to be sure.
Q: Is alfalfa hay better than grass hay?
A: Alfalfa is higher in protein and calories than most grass hays (like Timothy or orchard grass). It is great for growing horses, hard keepers, or nursing mares. For average horses, grass hay is usually preferred to prevent excessive weight gain and high protein intake.
Q: What is a complex word for forage?
A: Roughage is a common word for forage. It means fibrous, bulky food like hay or grass.
Q: Can I feed my horse just hay 24/7?
A: Yes, if the horse is not overweight and does not have very high energy demands. Many horses thrive on free-choice quality hay, often managed with a slow-feeder net to prevent them from eating too fast. This mimics natural eating patterns best.