How much hay to feed a horse depends on a few things. First, you need to know which type of hay to feed your horse. Once you know this then you can figure out how much hay to feed a horse.
Oat, grass, and alfalfa hay all have certain pros and cons. You need to learn your horse and the pros and cons of the different types of hay to know what is best for your horse.
Upkeep on a horse is quite expensive but you need to buy the absolute best quality of hay that you can afford regardless of which type of hay you decide on. Just doing that alone, can extend the life and health of your horse.
How much hay to feed a horse?
How much hay to feed a horse depends on a few things such as the horse’s age, his workload, his size, and his weight. An adult horse can eat up to three percent of its body weight on a daily basis.
For a thousand-pound horse that would be a total of thirty pounds of food a day, that’s counting hay and grain. This is just a rough estimate judging by weight alone.
Another way to judge how much hay to feed a horse is that if your horse is eating all of the hay you put down within an hours’ time then you probably aren’t feeding him enough.
Yet, if it takes the horse more than two hours then you are probably feeding him too much and some of it will go to waste.
A horse doesn’t eat one big meal a day. Their stomachs are not made for that. Your horse needs to eat at least, three times a day. For the best outcome, if your horse weighs about one thousand pounds, feed him at least three times a day, an estimate of about ten pounds each time.
If the horse seems to be losing weight, have the vet check to make sure that it is not due to dental problems or to parasite problems. If it’s not, then add more food to his diet, grain rations included.
If you see that your horse is gaining too much weight then cut back on the food some.
Different hay types to choose from
There are three main different hay types for horses to choose from.
Grass hay which includes:
- Brome
- Timothy
- Blue Grass
- Orchard
Legume hay which includes:
- Clover
- Alfalfa
Cereal grain hay which includes:
- Barley
- Rye
- Wheat
- Oat
Legume hay
Legume has more protein, calcium, nutrition, energy, and vitamin content. Since a horse that is lactating or pregnant and, young foals need more nutrition, this leafy hay is perfect for them.
If your horse has allergies this can be a problem. Too much protein can be bad for a horse with allergies. Also, having too much protein adds to sweating in hot areas and can cause heat exhaustion.
Cereal grain hay
Cereal grain hay is just grain that is unharvested. The nutritional value is around the same as the grass hay. Before buying and feeding this to your horse, make sure to check it. If, when harvested, it loses seed heads then the quality of it is poor and the only thing it is really good for is bedding.
Cereal grain hay is NOT good for a horse who has laminitis. Laminitis is an inflamed area of the tissue inside the hoof, and it can cause lameness.
Grass hay
Grass hay does not have as much nutritional value as the legumes do but they are actually considered safer for your horse. The reason being that it makes it harder for the horse to overeat.
Another benefit to grass hay is it is a lot easier on the horse’s kidneys since it has a lower content of protein.
Horses need quality hay
Hay quality can depend on many things like when it’s cut, how it is harvested, soil quality, and where it is grown. So, how do you tell if the hay is of high quality?
Things that you need to look for when choosing hay for your horse are:
- Pliable, soft hay
- Harvested before it reaches its maturity
- Bright green color
- Fine stems
You can tell if the hay has been stored for too long a time. It turns a yellow/brown color, feels dry, and loses the nutrition needed for your horse.
Hay to avoid
- Hay with a musty or moldy smell (this hay can cause heaving, coughing, and even emphysema in your horse)
- Hay that is dirty
- Hay that is dusty (either of these can happen when the hay has been cut low to the ground)
Feeding your horse
Do not feed your horse straight from the ground. Even if you have to place a piece of carpet down to put the horse’s food on, do it.
This helps to eliminate sand/dirt ingestion. I would suggest a piece of carpet or even a rubber mat that is about eight feet by eight feet. Horses like to throw the hay around trying to find the “good pieces” so give him plenty of room to do so.
Depending on the season, the quality of hay will probably change, buy the best quality of it that you can get.
Changing a horse’s feed drastically and quickly can cause laminitis or colic. If you need to buy different hay, slowly introduce it into your horse’s diet over the period of two weeks.
Grazing horses and grass
Your horse can overeat on grass. Give a horse a lush, green pasture and some horses act like they’re starving and will overeat. Make sure to keep an eye on your horse when he is grazing.
The best way to feed a horse
As stated above, don’t try to feed your horse his daily intake all a one time. Horses are famous for eating all of the good parts then wasting the rest.
Put out a small amount multiple times a day. It will be like grazing your horse. Most horses will regulate their own self when it comes to eating but some will gorge. Find out which your horse does.
Most horses do not need anything other than hay. You can feed them sweet feed or oats in limited moderation.
The safest bet for your horse’s health is always to feed him in small amounts several times daily.
Conclusion
The most important thing to do is to monitor your horse. Make whatever adjustments are needed. These adjustments are based on how hard the horse works, how old the horse is, the temperature outside, how rich the hay is, and the health of the horse.
Below is a calculator that can aid you in deciding how much hay to feed a horse.
https://www.purinamills.com/horse-feed/tools/horse-feed-calculator