Things You'll Need:
- Hay scale
- Good quality hay of various kinds
- Ground level hay feeder
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Step 1
Buy high quality hay for your horse. This means no mold, poisonous plants, insects, weeds, dirt, stickers or other foreign material. Buy horse-quality hay, not cattle hay.
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Step 2
Use grass hay as much as possible with a small amount of legume hay, like alfalfa and clover, or grain based hay, such as oat or rye hay, to balance the ration.
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Step 3
Have your hay tested for nutritional content so you will know if you need to supplement your horse's diet. Most legume hays are very high in protein and care should be taken not to feed too much. It is too rich for their systems and can have too much calcium in proportion to phosphorus.
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Step 4
Feed grass hay with a little less caution then legumes, but ensure it has enough protein content. A mature horse needs 10 to 12 percent crude protein in their diet, younger horses need a little more.
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Step 5
Weigh your hay so you can be assured your horse is getting the right amount. Your horse needs to consume at least two percent of it's body weight a day in feed, more if it is working hard.
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Step 6
Schedule regular feedings, either twice or three times a day. If you are boarding your horse near other people's horses, it's a good idea to feed about the same time as your neighbors, or your horse may get anxious.
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Step 7
If you have an older horse or one who has trouble keeping weight on, legume hay such as alfalfa may help. You may also need to supplement with concentrates such as grain or pelleted feed.
