Is it ok for a horse to eat once a day even if it has no access to grazing/grass?

Question

now she's fed twice a day, is it healthy for her to eat once a day this winter?

what are some health concerns with eating only once a day?

she will have no access to grass, so her feed is her only food source for the winter.

i'm not going to do this, but my friend might keep her horse at a boarding barn where they do this, so no rude comments!

the boarding barn owner will only feed once a day and my friend can't go out there every day because it's a 25 minute drive and gas prices are so high!

Answer 1

The 2 major health concerns are colic and ulcers.  Once a day feeding is very unhealthy.  If it is a case of she is only grained once a day, but has free choice hay or round bales that might be okay depending on the amount of grain this horse gets.  Horses should only eat small amounts of grain at a time.  So if this horse is on a fair amount of grain then getting all in one sitting will cause problems even if there is hay available all the time.  One other thing to consider is that this will be during the winter.  If you have cold winters then the horse would need to have hay at least twice a day, preferably three times on really cold days.  This is how they stay warm.  It would not be a very good situation.  What she might save on board, gas and anyother expenses may come back tenfold in vet bill and the possibility of losing her horse.  I hope this helps.

Answer 2

If a horse is feed twice a day now, if you start to only feed the horse only once a day the horse is likely to lose condition and may ldrop weight. If I were that person, I wouldn't do that. Most horses around my area do actually lose weight quite quickly and it is hard for them to pick it up again. They also lose condition in their coat and their health. The hors emay turn a dull colour instead of the colour of whatever it is now.

Answer 3

No - horses are trickle feeders.  Their stomach is small for the size of their bodies; about the size of a rugby ball, and unlike human stomachs, it can't stretch to accomodate more food.  It's pretty rigid in its size.

Horses are designed to eat for around 18 hours a day.  They have a physical and psychological need to eat and chew, and if food is not available not only will colic be very likely, but the horse will also start a lot of undesireable behaviours in order to relieve his boredom and do something with his mouth.  

For a hard feed, once a day is fine, so long as it's not a large feed - if it's big, it should be split into two or three smaller meals.  But bulk fibre (grazing or hay) must be available 24/7.

Answer 4

it all depends on the horse. some can go with just 1 feeding of grain and hay in morning and evening  then there are some horses that need fed twice a day (some at higher graein volumes or special grains) they call these horses in the winter good keepers or bad keepers, meaning winter keepers. it all depends on the horse. if she notices her horse losing weight, her best bet is to insist on a differant feeding and if that doesnt work, get it out of there, horses that lose alot of weight in the winter sometimes are hard to get the weight back on especially if its still winter time. if her horse is in good shape everytime shes out, its fine to feed once a day.

Answer 5

It depends on what is being fed, and the circumstances.  For example, if adequate hay is fed, and there is not a problem with dominant horses hoarding it, the horse will graze on the hay throughout the day, which is fine.

If the horse is being fed pelleted feed or grain once a day, with nothing else fed, that is not okay.  Horses need food in the gut on a continual basis.  This maintains the normal function of the intestines and the fermentation of the hay in the gut produces heat needed for warmth in winter.

So, if it is hay being fed, then the concern would be with the amount of hay, and how many and what temperament of horses will be kept in the same paddock.  It would help if her horse is a more dominant type as well.

Often,  when this is the arrangement, the boarders take turns feeding each other's horses an evening meal if they desire that.  If enough people cooperate, it works out well.

Answer 6

I'm not really sure, but I think the horse will get used to it, I don't think it will harm the horse, as long as it is getting as much food as it needs for the day.

Answer 7

I kept my horses at a barn once where they only fed once a day. I had them toss enough hay in their racks to keep them amused for most of the day so it wasn't a problem.

Answer 8

NO...horses are grazers and eat all day. in winter, they should be fed hay several times a day and grain at least twice.  the danger is colic, malnourishment.

Answer 9

well if ur feeding him/her the same amount u would wen u fed her twice a day..... i wouldnt she will get very thin

i would feed her alot more if only once a day she needs to be FAT as for the winter if she is stabled

well fat enough she doesnt founder

if it is  just hay in generous amounts i would say

and if ur riding her as well  even a bit more

Answer 10

NOPE ... you need to feed a horse several times a day ... horses guts HAVE to keep moving or you will get a nasty thing called colic .....

If your friend can't get down there pay someone else to feed their horse or trade labor ..... but gas is cheaper than vet bills .... catch 22 ... pay now or pay later ... their choice and IF they are not at the barn yet I would maybe find a different barn

Answer 11

Horses have small stomachs. they need to eat little but often. My friends horses are fed 4 times a day, and they eat like pigs out at pasture.

i think it depends on the horses' weight the number of times a day it needs to be fed. Is she a big horse?

Answer 12

if you feed her hay once a day. Let her graze on grass. Well depending on her metabolism, but most horses are fed twice a day. A horse is supposed to eat more than a few flakes of foliage a day. The horse most likely would drop ALOT of weight, its not the best idea, unless they are turned out on grass. Horses are supposed to eat all day. She will need to figure out another way to get her horse fed more than that. My horse is fed 3 times a day in the winter when the pastures are bad, and twice in the summer because he has access to grass. Maybe have your friend ask the owner of the facility if she can pay the owner to feed her horse another time during the day. How often will your friend go out to ride/see her horse. If she goes everyday, there shouldnt be an excuse for gas prices. If she goes out there everyday, she should feed him in the evening. A 25 minute drive isnt too bad, only if its stop and go traffic. But the horse should definitly be fed more than once, unless the horse takes a whole day to digest one feeding.

Answer 13

If the boarding barn owner will only feed once a day then your friend needs to find another boarding barn. I know of no reputable boarding stable operators who will not feed at least 2 or 3 times daily and adjust the boarding fee accordingly per the request of the boarder. If this barn owner is too busy to feed more than once a day then your friend needs to find one that is more committed to the boarding business. As for your friend, caring for a horse is a big expense and a serious commitment that must not be altered by the price of gas. If your friend cannot afford gas then your friend cannot afford a horse and should sell it to someone who can.

Answer 14

umm noo!!!!

at least 3 times a day tell your friend to go somewere else her horse will starve

Answer 15

no horses are natrual grazers, so they will spend the average of 15 hours a day eating if there are aloud.

Answer 16

she needs to have constant access to some sort of forage. If there's no grass then she needs to have hay or haylage available. If she only gets a feed or two a day her digestive system will shut down and she may well colic. Also horses are designed to be trickle feeders, ie they eat a alarge quantity of 'poor' food. If they only have food a couple of times a day they will develop ulcers because their stomach constantly produces acid and this is countered by the salavia produced when they chew, so no forage = no salavia = ulcer, ie bad . If she has free access to hay or haylage then that would be ok because then she has access to forage of some sort.

Answer 17

If a horse is fed once a day, then they better be feeding at least 2% of the horse's body weight.

Meaning:

average 1,100 pound horse, should be feeding about 22 pounds of food a day.  In two feedings: 11 pounds per feeding.

What can increase or decrease that all depends on the horse's individual health examin and upkept by a vet.  

I feed alfalfa.    

What type of feed will also depending on how it will affect the horse's health too.

My mare (1,100 pounds) has to have an average of 30 pounds of feed per day to keep weight on her.  Her metablisim is high.

My gelding (1,300 pounds) has an average of 25 pounds a day because he gains weight faster; however, we also supplement with other feeds like senior, beat pulp, mare n foal, sweat feed in winter, etc for all horses too.

If not, the horse will loose weight, not be nutritioned and health with begin to decrease.

At the same time, most horses will eat it all at once or within a few hours and then won't have any more to graze on.

If her horse is not used to a 1 day feeding (which I am greatly appauled someone would run a barn that way as horses are natural grazing animals to begin with, however us humans manager their feeding schedules by our own schedules, not theirs), then I suggest to discuss this with a vet before making any final decisions.

Gas prices are very high. I understand. I have diesel paying almost $6.00.  With boarding was at $800 a month, half board (meaning I clean my own stalls/turn out).

However, that doesn't mean to lack in the health department.  25 mins is a short distance actually. FYI.

I recommend finding a closer barn with feeding option of 2 times a day.

All vets I know and been with for over 10+ years would never agree to a 1 time a day feeding.

Answer 18

Depends - do you mean grain once a day, and free choice hay for the rest of the day? Or at least round bales when outside & hay when inside? That would be ok. But if you mean grain and hay 1 time a day only, thats just asking for a colic.  How much hay would the horse be getting per day? Unless the answer is at least "30 pounds" or "8 flakes" or something similar  theres no way I would board there.

Answer 19

that's ridiculous, horses are herbivores and eat a whole lots constantly throughout the day, their metabolism is very quick so they burn energy fast, one feed is not sufficient and their stomachs are small so they can only eat a small amount any one time.

Answer 20

I  only feed once a day when I know I am going to be gone until really late...when I do this, I throw a whole bale of hay in for my guys so that they are kept busy all day, late into the night...personally though...I preferr to feed twice a day...that way I can check my horses and monitor the amounts they are eating....helps if something turns out to be wrong. So personally, no...feeding a horse once a day for a regular feeding schedule doesn't sound good to me.

Unless of course it's a huge round bale that the horse can eat off of whenever it likes...and is checked on at least twice a day.

Answer 21

They can survive that way but it is not the best.  They were built to eat all day.  Physically they were designed for it - they don't have gall bladders, so they secrete a constant flow of bile through their system that helps break down food.  So to take advantage of that system and get the most out of it, they need to keep eating all day.

But you have to do what you can do, and as long as they are giving an adequate amount, the horse can live off one feeding a day.