How much hay to feed a horse?

Question

How much hay per day does an average horse need? Particularly how many flakes (sections of a bale) a horse needs if it isn't getting other types of feed, and isn't getting unlimited hay feed. I'm living near a stable and may be helping out a bit their and want a general idea. Easy keepers and hard keepers are both at the stable.

Answer 1

Since horses are a grazing animal I like to give them as much as they want.  They wont gobble it down they like to graze.

http://www.saferhorseracing.com/gpage14....

Answer 2

0ne or 2 flakes sould be good we have our horse graze. and we give them hay as well but ask u stables trainer or manger how amny falkes is good

Answer 3

okay, i ususally dont agree with most people.

but horses should have the option to eat hay whenever they want. . . usually, when i was at boarding barns they'd give a horse 2-3 flakes each feeding if the horse was going to be in the stall all day. horse eat, eat eat. . . hence being called a grazing animal.  

so i'd never not feed enough hay. with my next horse (i'm getting a draft so that's something to keep in mind size of the horse). i'll be giving it a half to full bale a day, will it eat a full bale everyday? maybe, maybe not, but it's there as a choice for the horse.

now i wouldnt consider feeding a lighter breed horse or pony a whole bale/half a bale a day, i'd go a half a bale at most per day.

but feeding all depends on each horse.  and i'm assuming your talking about a squar bale of hay instead of round.

Answer 4

an average horse that does not have a weight problem will typically need 1 to 1.5% of their body weight in forage.

If you are helping a large facility the owners or trainers will most likely have a feed card up to tell what their horse should be feed.  Large facilities will usually just feed one or two flakes per feeding depending on how many meals the feed.  

Ideally, 1-1.5% for a healthy horse and more or less depending on activity of the horse.  When you feed concentrates then you may adjust your feeding.  

As stated before horses are made to graze not have 2 or 3 meals.  Their stomachs are not designed for that.  Large stables tend to not offer constant feedings other wise nothing would get don't.

Now if you're going to go around to every horse with a weight tape and "weigh" them and figure out what the recommended amount should be and then adjust for each horse that's awesome service on your part.  But you would need to know so much more about feeding and how feeds interact with horse who have special needs and what feeds work with differnt types and what they do.  If you do want more indepth information I would be happy to share.  [e-mail]

But if its a facility, you most likely will just follow a feed card.  Such a shame, I have yet to come across a facility that actually weighs their feed to determine what each horse should get and tracks that.

Answer 5

for one i highly reccomend feeding grain, especially if the horse is active

however if your not up for that, then it should be unlimited, horses are grazing animals and need all the hay they can get, in the wild they eat 23 hours a day!!!!!

Answer 6

I like to keep hay in front of my horses 24/7...not talking alfalfa here, but good quality grass hay.  They need to munch.  If they are out on pasture, and on good grass with salt/mineral block, I wouldn't give them any hay.  "Let 'em eat grass" or is that cake?

Answer 7

Every horse absolutely needs at LEAST 1% of his body weight every day in forage (hay and/or pasture).  Ideally he should have 1.5%, or at least 2% if he is a harder keeper.  For all but the easiest keepers free-choice (as much as he will eat) is ideal.

You should never feed by flakes...feed by weight instead.  Hay weight varies considerably from flake to flake and bale to bale.

Also, don't just guess...actually weigh your hay.  This can be done with a cheap fish scale from Wal-Mart or from holding your hay and standing on a bathroom scale, then subtracting your weight from the combined weight.  Most people who guess the weight of their hay are off 40% or more!!

I really suggest you check out the site I referenced...it provides a lot of good information about this and other nutrition topics.

Answer 8

To be specific, a healthy horse needs to consume about 2% of its desired bodyweight per day.  Increased to 2.5 - 3 % in winter if it is cold or if the horse is in hard work or needing to increase its weight.

So, if a 14.2hh pony of average build should weigh about 800lbs; at the 2% bdywght/day it would need to consume 16lbs of hay/feed per day.  Less, of course, if the horse is out eating grass and only stalled for part of the time. Sections of hay vary between batches of hay and even between bales within the same cutting. But on average a section of hay weighs about 5lbs.  So your 14.2hh pony would need 3 or 4  sections throughout the day if kept in and fed no hard feed. Tip: Your yard should buy a spring balance hook weigher.  Cheap to buy and easy to fill a haynet and hang the haynet string on the weigh hook to check the weight of the contents.

A bigger horse, weighing 1200lbs would need to be eating 24lb of hay/feed per day.  Maybe 6 lbs of sweet feed/course mix with 18lbs of hay split into a couple of feeds throughout the day.

The easiest way to estimate a horse's weight is to use a special equine weigh-tape which you can buy from saddlers. It measures around the horse's body behind the front legs and gives a weight measurement dependent upon the circumference.

And Wendy R, I DO weigh all my haynets and indivual hard feeds!!! Honestly! I always have since a little girl. Must admit, I am the only person I've ever known to do it! And the odd looks I get from other horse owners is incredible. Even the conscientious ones who think they are God's gift to the Equine World.  :-)