How to Know How Much Hay to Feed to Your Horse

Horses have sensitive stomachs and a digestive system that is in constant need of roughage to pass through. Hay, grass, beet pulp and hay cubes are all good sources of roughage that we, as owners, can provide to our horses. General horse feed does not count because it lacks the raw type of fiber that will move through the horse's gut.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Determine the weight of your horse with the help of a veterinarian or experienced horseman.
2. Multiply this estimated weight by .03 and it will tell you how many pounds of roughage your horse should be consuming a day. This means that your horse should eat three percent of their body weight in forage a day. At minimum, a horse should eat two percent of their body weight a day.
3. Estimate how long your horse is turned out and how much grass is in the paddock. If there is no grass in the paddock, then you should substitute with hay. For instance, if your horse is 1,000 pounds then it should consume 30 pounds of hay a day, which means about half of a 50-pound bale. If your horse is turned out in a paddock with minimal hay for twelve hours, then throw them a quarter of a bale of hay out into the field.