The amount of grain you feed a horse depends on many things. This includes the horse’s weight, how much it works, its age, and what else it eats. Calculating horse feed correctly is key for good health. This horse feeding guide will help you figure out the right amount.
Why Grain is Used in a Proper Horse Diet
Grain is often added to a proper horse diet for extra energy. Horses naturally eat forage, like grass or hay. This forage should make up the bulk of their food. Grain, which includes oats, corn, barley, or processed mixes, gives concentrated calories. It helps horses meet higher energy needs. These needs might come from hard work, growth, or maintaining weight in cold weather.
Basics of Equine Nutrition
Equine nutrition starts with forage. A horse’s digestive system is designed to process large amounts of fiber continuously.
Horse Roughage Requirements: The Foundation
All horses need a lot of fiber. Fiber keeps the gut healthy and working right.
- Minimum Forage Intake: A horse must eat at least 1% to 2.5% of its body weight in forage every day.
- Example: A 1,000-pound horse needs at least 10 pounds of hay or grass daily. More is usually better.
- Why Forage Matters: Fiber prevents ulcers. It keeps the hindgut bacteria happy. Lack of forage is a big health risk.
When to Introduce Grain
Grain is a supplement to forage, not a replacement. You should only add grain when forage alone cannot meet the horse’s energy demands. If a horse is doing light work or is just resting, it might not need any grain at all.
Deciphering the Horse’s Needs: Factors Affecting Grain Amounts
Daily grain allowance for horses changes based on several factors. You must look at the whole picture before deciding on an amount.
Horse Weight and Size
First, know your horse’s weight. You cannot guess this accurately.
- Use a weight tape for a close estimate.
- Use a livestock scale for the most exact number.
Weight directly affects the total amount of feed needed, both hay and grain.
Work Level: The Biggest Factor
The level of activity drastically changes calorie needs. This is the main driver for increasing grain.
| Work Level | Description | Estimated Daily Energy Needs (compared to maintenance) | Grain Increase? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Work | Casual riding, walking, occasional trail rides (less than 1 hour, 3-5 days a week). | 1.25 to 1.5 times maintenance | Small increase, or none if good forage is available. |
| Moderate Work | Training sessions, regular farm work, some faster paces (1-3 hours, 5 days a week). | 1.5 to 2 times maintenance | Grain addition is usually necessary. |
| Heavy Work | Competition, endurance riding, intense training (more than 3 hours daily). | 2 to 3 times maintenance | Significant grain portion needed. |
| Resting/Easy Keeping | Stall rest, very light walking, seniors. | Maintenance level | Grain often zero, focus on good hay. |
Age and Life Stage
Different ages have different nutrient requirements:
- Growing Horses (Foals and Yearlings): They need high-quality protein and minerals for bone development. They often need supplemental feed, which might be a concentrate (grain mix) designed for growth.
- Lactating Mares: Nursing mares have huge energy demands. They often need significantly more feed than when they were pregnant.
- Older Horses (Seniors): Seniors might struggle to chew or digest tough hay. They often benefit from processed, easily digestible commercial horse feeds rather than straight grain.
Body Condition Scoring Horses (BCS)
You must regularly check your horse’s shape. Body condition scoring horses uses a scale from 1 (very thin) to 9 (very obese). This score tells you if your feeding plan is working.
- Goal BCS: Most healthy horses should score between 5 and 6.
- Adjustments: If a horse scores a 4 or lower, increase total calories (usually forage first, then grain). If the score is 7 or higher, reduce feed.
Types of Horse Feed Available
Knowing the types of horse feed helps you choose the best option for your horse’s specific needs.
Straight Grains
These are single grains fed alone or mixed. They are highly concentrated energy sources.
- Oats: Very common. Highly digestible, good energy source. They have a good natural balance of starch and fiber.
- Corn: Very high in energy (starch). Use sparingly, especially for horses prone to laminitis or excitability. It needs careful chewing.
- Barley: Similar to oats but often needs processing (crushing or rolling) for better digestion.
Caution with Straight Grains: Feeding straight grains can be risky. They often lack necessary vitamins and minerals. They are also easy to overfeed, leading to digestive upset.
Commercial Horse Feeds (Concentrates)
These are specifically mixed feeds designed to provide a balanced diet when paired with forage. They are often the safest choice for consistent feeding.
- Pelleted Feeds: Grains and supplements are mixed and pressed into small pellets. They are uniform and prevent picky eating.
- Texturized/Sweet Feeds: Contain whole or rolled grains mixed with molasses or oil for palatability. Molasses adds calories but also sugar.
- Low Starch/High Fiber Feeds: Designed for easy keepers, seniors, or horses with metabolic issues. They rely on ingredients like beet pulp or soy hulls for energy instead of high levels of corn or oats.
These commercial horse feeds are usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, making them better than feeding only straight grains.
Calculating Horse Feed: Practical Steps
This section focuses on calculating horse feed accurately to determine the daily grain allowance for horses. We base these calculations on the horse’s total nutrient requirement, which is often expressed as Dry Matter Intake (DMI).
Step 1: Determine Total Daily Feed Needs (DMI)
A healthy horse needs 1.5% to 3% of its body weight in total feed daily (forage + grain).
- Example Horse: 1,100-pound Quarter Horse in light work.
- Target DMI: Let’s aim for 2% of body weight.
- Total Feed Needed: 1,100 lbs × 0.02 = 22 pounds of total feed per day.
Step 2: Satisfy Roughage Requirements First
Always prioritize hay or pasture. A horse must have forage to maintain gut health.
- Minimum Forage: Aim for at least 1.5% of body weight in forage.
- Forage Amount: 1,100 lbs × 0.015 = 16.5 pounds of hay/pasture per day.
Step 3: Calculate the Remaining Need (Where Grain Fits In)
Subtract the forage amount from the total feed needed. The remainder is what needs to come from grain or supplemental feed.
- Total Feed: 22 pounds
- Hay Provided: 16.5 pounds
- Grain/Concentrate Needed: 22 – 16.5 = 5.5 pounds of concentrate per day.
This 5.5 pounds is the initial daily grain allowance for horses for this specific example horse.
Step 4: Adjust Based on Feed Type (Weight vs. Volume)
Feeds have different densities. You must weigh the feed, not just measure it by volume (like scoops).
| Feed Type (Example Densities) | Weight per Dry Cup (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Rolled Oats | 8 ounces (0.5 lbs) |
| Pelleted Feed | 10-12 ounces (0.625 to 0.75 lbs) |
| Sweet Feed | 9-10 ounces (0.56 to 0.625 lbs) |
If your calculated need is 5.5 pounds of a pelleted feed that weighs 0.7 pounds per cup:
- $5.5 \text{ lbs needed} / 0.7 \text{ lbs per cup} \approx 7.85 \text{ cups per day}$
This shows why using a scale is essential for accurate feeding guidelines for horses.
Feeding Guidelines for Horses: Safety and Frequency
Giving too much grain at once can cause serious health problems like colic or laminitis. The way you feed is just as important as how much you feed.
The Golden Rule: Small, Frequent Meals
A horse’s stomach is small. It cannot handle a large meal all at once, especially one high in starch (grain).
- Maximum Grain per Meal: Never feed more than 4 to 5 pounds of grain or concentrate in a single feeding for an average 1,000 lb horse.
- Frequency: Divide the total daily allowance into two, three, or even four small meals.
- Example Adjustment: If the horse needs 5.5 pounds daily, feed it in two meals: 2.75 pounds in the morning and 2.75 pounds in the evening. If the work is heavy and the need is higher (say, 8 pounds), you must split it into three or four feedings.
Slow Introduction of New Feeds
Whenever you change the amount or type of grain, do it slowly. This allows the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut time to adjust.
- Change the feed over 7 to 14 days.
- Increase or decrease the new feed by about 10% to 20% every few days.
Interpreting Feed Labels for Better Decisions
When buying commercial horse feeds, the label offers vital information for equine nutrition.
Reading the Guaranteed Analysis
The label shows key nutrient percentages. Look closely at:
- Crude Protein: Tells you the protein level. Growing horses and hard-working horses need more.
- Crude Fat: Indicates the energy density.
- Crude Fiber: Shows how much roughage material is present. Higher fiber often means lower starch.
- Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC): This is the sum of sugars and starch. This number is crucial for horses with insulin resistance or a history of laminitis. Keep NSC low (ideally below 14-16%).
Understanding Energy Levels (Calories)
Feeds often state their energy content in Mcal/kg (Megacalories per kilogram). This tells you how much energy is packed into the feed. A high-energy feed means you need to feed less volume to meet the horse’s calorie goal.
Feeding Special Groups
Different life stages require specialized approaches to grain feeding.
Feeding the Hard Keeper vs. Easy Keeper
- Easy Keepers (Horses that gain weight easily): These horses often need very little or no grain. Meet their horse roughage requirements with high-quality hay. If concentrates are needed for vitamins/minerals, use a low-calorie “ration balancer” instead of a traditional grain mix.
- Hard Keepers (Horses that struggle to maintain weight): These horses need calorie density. You can increase the grain portion, but watch their behavior. If they get spooky on high starch, switch to a high-fat, high-fiber feed to provide energy without excess NSC.
Feeding Seniors
Older horses benefit from concentrates that are highly digestible.
- Pellets or soaked beet pulp mixes are excellent.
- They often cannot chew long-stem hay well. Soaking hay or using high-quality alfalfa pellets can help ensure they get enough calories and fiber.
The Role of Supplements vs. Grain
Sometimes a horse doesn’t need more calories from grain but needs more specific nutrients. This is where supplements come in.
If your hay analysis shows low selenium or copper, adding a mineral supplement might be better than increasing the daily grain allowance for horses. A ration balancer is a small-volume feed designed to fill these micronutrient gaps without overloading the horse with unnecessary calories or starch. Always consult a nutritionist when making major supplement changes.
Common Mistakes in Grain Feeding
Avoiding these common pitfalls is essential for maintaining a healthy equine companion.
Overfeeding Calories Leading to Weight Gain
Too much grain leads to obesity. This strains joints and increases the risk of metabolic disease. Regularly body condition scoring horses helps catch this early. If BCS is high, reduce the grain first, then the hay if necessary.
Feeding Too Much Starch at Once
This is perhaps the biggest digestive danger. High starch loads overwhelm the small intestine’s ability to digest it. Undigested starch reaches the hindgut, causing a rapid drop in pH. This kills beneficial bacteria and leads to gas, colic, or even laminitis. Always stick to the rule of not exceeding 5 pounds of grain per meal.
Not Weighing the Feed
Using scoops instead of a scale is inaccurate. Variations in how dense the feed is, how packed the scoop is, and the size of the scoop lead to significant over- or underfeeding over time. Use a dedicated feed scale for precise calculating horse feed.
Ignoring Hay Quality
If the hay is poor quality (old, dusty, low in nutrients), simply adding more grain will not fix the underlying issue. Poor hay requires better quality forage or a complete, fortified feed. Always aim for high-quality forage as the base of your proper horse diet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much grain should a 1,200-pound horse eat per day?
A 1,200-pound horse needs about 18 to 24 pounds of total feed daily (1.5% to 2% body weight). If they are in light work, you might feed 16 pounds of hay and 2 to 8 pounds of grain or concentrate, split into at least two feedings. Always base this on their work level and BCS.
Can I feed my horse grass hay instead of grain for energy?
Yes, if the grass hay is high quality and the horse is not working very hard. If the horse needs more energy, switch to a higher-energy forage like high-quality grass/legume mix, or a soaked, high-calorie beet pulp product, before automatically reaching for straight grain.
What is the safest type of grain to feed a nervous horse?
Avoid high-starch grains like straight corn or large amounts of oats. Look for commercial horse feeds that are low in NSC (sugar and starch) and high in fat and fiber. These provide slow-release energy, which usually results in a calmer demeanor.
What are the signs that my horse is getting too much grain?
Signs include weight gain, lethargy or excessive excitement (acting “hot”), manure that looks soft or has undigested particles, and signs of metabolic distress like greasy neck crests or lameness (indicating potential laminitis). Regularly checking body condition scoring horses helps spot weight gain early.
Do horses need grain every day?
No. Many horses, especially those in very light work or those kept on lush pasture, do not need any grain daily. Their horse roughage requirements might be fully met by excellent forage. Grain is a tool used when forage cannot provide enough calories or specific nutrients.