How Much to Feed Haflinger Horses
The proper amount of food to feed your Haflinger horse depends on a number of conditions. Ideally, you will need to know its body weight, age and the level of work it performs every day in order to calculate the amount of feed it should be getting in order to stay healthy. Other factors matter too. For example, a lactating mare will have different nutritional requirements than a geriatric pasture bond retiree. Here are some general guidelines for figuring the proper amount of feed for your Haflinger horse.
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Instructions
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Weigh your horse. Get an accurate weight by using a weight tape or weighing the horse at the veterinarian's office. The average Haflinger weighs between 1,000 and 1,200 lbs. To use a weight tape to estimate your horse's weight, use the following equation:
W = (HG2 x BL) / 330
In this equation, W=weight, HG=heart girth in inches and BL=body length in inches. Start by getting the heart girth number by measuring around the Haflinger starting at the highest point of its withers. For body length, measure from the point of its withers to the point of its rump.
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Determine the horse's level of fat cover. If you can feel your Haflinger's ribs, but can't see them, the horse is at an appropriate weight. However, if you can see the points of its hips and its ribs, it is underweight and needs to have its feed increased. If you can't feel its ribs, the horse is overweight and needs to have its feed reduced. You can also use the body condition calculator at equisearch.com (see Resources).
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Determine the corresponding feed as a percentage of body weight. Taking into account your Haflinger's body weight and body condition you are now ready to determine how much the horse should be eating. According to the chart provided by Kathy Anderson, Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, mature horses weighing approximately 1,200 lbs. that are simply trying to maintain their current body weight should be fed 18 to 24 lbs. of hay and up to 6 lbs. of concentrate daily. Ideally this horse should receive between 18 and 24 lbs. of food per day, so if concentrate is offered, forage should be reduced. You can find more feed ranges by viewing Dr. Anderson's chart at equisearch.com/horses_care/nutrition/feeds/how_much_feed_032709.
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Tips & Warnings
Overweight horses should be exercised as well as fed a little less in order to promote safe and healthy weight loss over a period of time.
