Florida Horse Hay Sales and Delivery
Ok, for an average horse, lets say around 1,100 pounds (around 500 kg) exercising around 4 times a week for 30-60 minutes, grazing at daytime and stabled at night. How much grass hay should it be fed every day?
Now that I think of it. How much grain and supplements as well?
A horse should eat 2 to 2.5% of its body weight every day. So your 500kg horse should eat 10 to 12.5 kg per day to maintain its weight. This is the total of grass + hay + grain feed.
It is difficult to estimate how much grass your horse eats without knowing the quality of the grazing, the length of the grass, the number of hours (s)he is in the field etc. I would estimate using 0.6 kg/hour on average pasture, up to 2 kg/hour on better grazing. This time of year (in the northern hemisphere) there isn't so much goodness in the grass, so let's assume a lesser rate.
The horse you describe is in light work, so I'd feed a ratio of 70:30 hay to bucket feed. For the bucket feed I'd choose Alfalfa (Lucerne) plus unmolassed sugar beet (or another fibre based feed) rather than a grain as it is better for the horse's gut. Alfalfa provides a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Adding a feed balancer (I use TopSpec Comprehensive) will make sure your horse is getting the nutrients (s)he needs.
So – you need to feed 10 to 12.5 kg per day. Assume your horse is getting 0.5 kg per hour grazing in winter. So if the horse grazes 5 hours per day, you need to provide 7.5 to 10kg extra at night. Ideally that is 6.5kg to 7kg of hay per day, PLUS 1kg to 3kg of bucket feed. I'd feed the greatest proportion of hay at night so your horse has time to eat it, and it will occupy itself during the night.
From this point monitor weight gain/loss. To add extra calories feed the same weight of a higher energy feed, to give fewer calories feed a lower energy bucket feed or soak your hay before feeding it.
If you are really keen, there is also a useful website you can use to check you are feeding the correct nutrients: http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/
Good luck!
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8 Responses to How much hay should an average horse be fed every day?
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Florida Horse Hay
Most people say two flakes in the morning and two at night. That is not very correct.
I suggest three to four flakes in the morning and the same at night.
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I feed two flakes in morning/ 2 at night during the summer. During the winter i feed 2-4 flakes in morning, 4-5 at night.
For grain i feed a pound. Anymore than that is not good for the horse.
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I feed alfalfa, so less than what you would feed your horses on grass.
But a good starter would be the 12-14lb range of hay twice a day. I would monitor their weight and see if I needed to adjust it.
As far as grain and supplements. Grain is very much overrated with horses these days. Rarely do horses get worked to the point that they need it. Quality hay is fine and pretty much all what todays typical horses need. If you find the need for grain, weight loss etc, then COB (corn, oats, barley) is a good mix for horses. I don't do the molasses, just the clean feed. For supplements, a salt block and a mineral block does the trick very well.
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our mare is 1200 lbs and she gets 2 and half cups beet pulp in morning and 2 and half at night (soaked before hand) and a scoop of feed at night when they go in and round bale in field to free feed off all day since no grass and 2 flakes bermuda or fescue and 1 of alfalfa mixed with the bermuda for total of three flakes at night the alfalfa keeps them warm when its not so cold they just get the bermuda or fescue which ever is opened
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as in scoop i mean the horse scoop you buy at a feed store
A horse should eat 2 to 2.5% of its body weight every day. So your 500kg horse should eat 10 to 12.5 kg per day to maintain its weight. This is the total of grass + hay + grain feed.
It is difficult to estimate how much grass your horse eats without knowing the quality of the grazing, the length of the grass, the number of hours (s)he is in the field etc. I would estimate using 0.6 kg/hour on average pasture, up to 2 kg/hour on better grazing. This time of year (in the northern hemisphere) there isn't so much goodness in the grass, so let's assume a lesser rate.
The horse you describe is in light work, so I'd feed a ratio of 70:30 hay to bucket feed. For the bucket feed I'd choose Alfalfa (Lucerne) plus unmolassed sugar beet (or another fibre based feed) rather than a grain as it is better for the horse's gut. Alfalfa provides a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Adding a feed balancer (I use TopSpec Comprehensive) will make sure your horse is getting the nutrients (s)he needs.
So – you need to feed 10 to 12.5 kg per day. Assume your horse is getting 0.5 kg per hour grazing in winter. So if the horse grazes 5 hours per day, you need to provide 7.5 to 10kg extra at night. Ideally that is 6.5kg to 7kg of hay per day, PLUS 1kg to 3kg of bucket feed. I'd feed the greatest proportion of hay at night so your horse has time to eat it, and it will occupy itself during the night.
From this point monitor weight gain/loss. To add extra calories feed the same weight of a higher energy feed, to give fewer calories feed a lower energy bucket feed or soak your hay before feeding it.
If you are really keen, there is also a useful website you can use to check you are feeding the correct nutrients: http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/
Good luck!
References :
I would stay away from alfalfa. It has to much protein for a horse that isnt worked an extreme amount. unless your horse is lazy and then alfalfa is fine. I know that lucerne and unmolassed sugar beet are easier for the horses to digest, however if that is a problem you can always soak your grain. And if vitamins and minerals are a problem supplements can help with that. However I would talk to your vet about using those because mineral/vitamin overloads can cause a TON of serious problems.
About the grain, i would feed the horse a pellet, no sweet feed because it has to much protein for a horse that gets about three days off. Also it depends on the height if the horse is 15h to about 16.2, and the horses metabolism if the horse has problem keeping weight on then you will need to feed more but if the horse is fine with keeping weight on then i would feed the horse about 1lb.(1/4 scoop) to about 2/3s of a scoop. If the horse has problem keeping weight on then i would say 1/2-1 scoop.
The hay stuff depends on the quality of the pasture. Since its winter i'm guessing the grass doesn't look to good. So i would go with 3-4 flakes in the morning, or if you or someone else is at the barn during the day spread the hay out, maybe two flakes in the morning 1 more flake around noon and then 1 more flake about two hours before the horse comes in. At night i would stick with 2-3 flakes or less, because the horse isn't using that much energy at night you dont need to feed them quite as much.
The supplement stuff just depends on the horses problem if they have any. Its always a good idea to do half an ounce of electrolytes in the morning. this guarantees that the horse is drinking his/her water. If the horse has joint problems then i suggest cortaflex. other than that if your horse has other problems i would talk to a vet.
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most barns give 2 flakes 2 times a day. however because they are grazing animals they should be able to graze all day thats what i love about pasture and the big round bales that sit out.
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During the day, I usually give our horses 1 or 2 flakes in the morning, 2 or 3 throughout the rest of the day, and then 2 more at night feed.
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