Horses
By
Katherine Blocksdorf
Katherine Blocksdorf
Kathy Blocksdorf is an equine expert and writer with over three decades ofexperience in training and riding horses.She was raised caring for horses, rehabilitated rescue horses, shows her own horses, and rides long distance.
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Updated on 08/14/24
Reviewed by
Petal Smart
Reviewed byPetal Smart
Petal Smartis a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and has beenan editorin the veterinary and medical sciences since 2015. She has edited more than 700 assignments, including research studies published in various academic journals,continuing medical education materials, and articles on pet health.
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Fact checked by
Nandini Balial
Fact checked byNandini Balial
Nandini Balial is a writer and fact checker specializing in a variety of lifestyle topics, including film/TV, literature, and feminism, with work appearing in Slate, Wired, Pacific Standard, and more prestigious outlets.
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We know horsesneed to eat either grassor hay. When horses eat grass, you need to keep an eye on their condition and ensure they are neithereating too much nor too little.Horses can overeat grass, especially if the pasture is lush, but it is also easy to let a horseget too fat from eating hay. And, sometimes too little hay can mean a horse will lose weight. So, what is the right amount of hay for your horse?
Just how much your horse will need will depend on its weight.According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, a full-grown horse should eat about12 to 15pounds (5.4 to 6.8 kilograms) of hay a day. That is 1.5% to 3% of its body weightif it weighs about 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms). This is a very rough average, and horses may require more or less, depending on their metabolism, workload, what else they may be eating, and the time of year. Ponies will require considerably less, while large draft breeds can eat 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms) a day or more.
How to Feed Hay
Having small amounts of hay available to be fed frequently mimics the natural grazing instincts and is healthiest for your horse's mind and body. So try not to feed your horse a full day’s worth in one meal.It will probably gorge on the best parts of the meal, leaving the least tasty, then trample what's left into the ground. For the healthiest digestive system and the happiest horse, it is best to have hay available at all times. Most horses are self-regulating, but many are not. Some horses will need their hay diet restricted to prevent obesity. Such horses should be fed small, more frequent portions. For many horses, hay is all they need, and they won’t need concentratessuch as oats or sweet feed, or particularly rich hay that contains legumes like clover and alfalfa.
Small Square Bales
The next question, however, is: How much of a small square bale is that? What you will have to do is weigh an average bale of hay. It should weigh approximately 60 pounds or 23 kilograms. The exact weight will depend on how dry the hay is, how long the bales are, and how tightly packed the hay has been baled. Next, count how many flakes are in the bale. The flakes are the easily divided sections that are formed when a square bale is picked up by the baler. There are usually about 12. Now divide the weight of the bale by the number of flakes in it. You'll now be able to calculate the approximate number of flakes you should feed your horse daily. So if a flake weighs about four pounds, you’ll need to feed your 1,000-pound horse five flakes every day. Remember to feed in as many small portions as possible.
Ponies and Draft Breeds
Because ponieshave a slower metabolism than horses, they’ll need a lower percentage of their body weight of hay, unless they are working very hard, which few ponies do anymore. Small ponies may only need a couple of flakes every day to keep them in good condition. But, conversely, some drafthorses, especially ones that work hard, will need rather more than the normal ratio of hay. This is why it is so important to regularly monitor your horse’s condition, and make adjustments depending on the season, how hotor cold it is, how hard they are working, their age, the richness of the hay,and the horse’soverall health.
The Spruce Pets uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Forage Substitutes For Horses. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Feeding Ponies. Kentucky Equine Research.