Hay is the backbone of your horse’s diet. Understanding how much to feed is key to maintaining optimal weight, digestive health, and behavior. Let’s break down the science and best practices of hay feeding into 10 clear, actionable points.
1. Feed at least 1.5%–2.5% of Body Weight in Forage
Feed at least 1.5% to 2.5% of your horse’s body weight in forage daily.
Forage—like hay, pasture, or haylage—is the foundation of a horse’s diet. It keeps the gut healthy, mimics natural grazing behavior, and prevents boredom. The exact amount depends on your horse’s body condition, workload, and metabolism.
✅ General Rule:
Most horses should eat 1.5%–2.5% of their body weight in forage every 24 hours.
| Horse Type | Forage % of Body Weight | Example (1,100 lb / 500 kg horse) |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Keeper (easy to keep weight on) | 1.5% | 16.5 lb (7.5 kg) |
| Average Maintenance Horse | 2.0% | 22 lb (10 kg) |
| Hard Keeper / Performance Horse | 2.5% | 27.5 lb (12.5 kg) |
Horses should never be fed less than 1.5% of their body weight in forage unless under strict veterinary supervision.
🧮 Simple Hay Calculator
Use this formula to estimate your horse’s daily hay needs:
Horse Weight (lbs) × 0.015 to 0.025 = Daily Hay in PoundsHorse Weight (kg) × 0.015 to 0.025 = Daily Hay in Kilograms
Example:
A 1,000 lb (455 kg) horse:
- Minimum: 1,000 × 0.015 = 15 lb (6.8 kg)
- Maximum: 1,000 × 0.025 = 25 lb (11.3 kg)
🐴 Hay Calculator
2. Hay Should Be the Foundation of the Diet
Hay (or pasture) should make up at least 70–100% of most horses’ daily intake unless there’s a medical or high-performance need for concentrates.
Benefits:
- Keeps the gut moving
- Supports hindgut fermentation
- Reduces risk of ulcers
- Meets psychological need to chew and forage
3. Weigh Hay — Don’t Feed by “Flake”
Hay flakes vary hugely in weight depending on bale type and density.
- One flake could be 2 lbs or 8 lbs — a huge difference!
- Use a luggage or feed scale to know exactly how much you’re offering.
📏 Precision prevents both underfeeding and overfeeding.
4. Divide Hay into Multiple Feedings
Horses are designed to graze continuously, not eat two large meals like dogs or humans. To support their digestive health and natural behavior, hay should be divided into several small feedings across the day—or better yet, offered nearly continuously through safe feeding systems.
🔁 Best Practices for Hay Scheduling
- Feed at least 3–4 times per day if not using a slow feeder or pasture.
- Use slow feeders or hay nets to extend eating time safely over several hours.
- Never allow more than 4–6 hours without forage, especially for stalled or high-risk horses.
- If horses finish their hay too quickly, consider:
- Using smaller-hole hay nets (1–1.5″)
- Splitting feedings across more times
- Feeding some hay loose and some in slow feeders for enrichment
- Horses on pasture naturally self-regulate their intake and usually don’t require scheduled hay feedings unless grass is limited.
🕒 Long fasting times increase risk of colic, ulcers, and behavioral problems.
5. Adjust Based on Condition and Metabolism
Every horse is an individual. While feeding 1.5%–2.5% of body weight in forage is a good general rule, it’s not one-size-fits-all. Some horses gain weight easily, while others struggle to keep it on—even with plenty of hay.
Your job as a horse owner is to observe, assess, and adjust.
| Horse Type | Typical % of Body Weight in Forage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Keepers (ponies, stock types) | 1.5%–1.8% | Use lower-calorie grass hay; monitor weight closely. |
| Average Maintenance Horse | 2.0% | Most adult horses in light work fall here. |
| Hard Keepers (Thoroughbreds, seniors) | 2.25%–2.5% | May benefit from richer hay (alfalfa mix) or extra meals. |
| Performance Horses | Up to 2.5% | Also need balanced concentrates or added fat for energy. |
⚖️ Monitor your horse’s Body Condition Score (BCS) monthly and adjust hay accordingly.
6. Type of Hay Matters
Not all hay is created equal. The type of hay you feed greatly impacts your horse’s calorie intake, nutrient balance, and overall health. Choosing the right hay—and knowing what’s in it—is one of the most important feeding decisions you’ll make.
The kind of hay you feed affects both nutrient content and feeding rate.
| Hay Type | Calories | Protein | Calcium | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-Season Grasses (timothy, orchardgrass, tall fescue, brome) | 🌿 Moderate | ✅ Moderate | ➖ Lower | Most adult horses; easy and average keepers |
| Warm-Season Grasses (bermudagrass, teff, coastal hay) | 🌿 Lower–Moderate | ✅ Lower–Moderate | ➖ Lower | Easy keepers or horses in warm climates |
| Legume Hays (e.g. alfalfa, clover) | 🔥 Higher | 🔼 High | 🔼 High | Hard keepers, growing horses, lactating mares, seniors |
| Mixed Hays (grass + alfalfa) | ⚖️ Variable | ⚖️ Variable | ⚖️ Variable | Balanced option for performance horses and young stock |
🧪 A hay analysis helps match your hay to your horse’s needs. 🧪
Legume hays can provide twice as much protein and energy as grass hay and up to 5x more calcium—which is beneficial for certain horses but excessive for others.
🧪 Why a Hay Analysis Is Important
Visual inspection alone can’t tell you how much:
- Digestible energy (DE)
- Protein
- Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC)
- Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium
your hay contains.
Doing a forage analysis helps you:
- Prevent over- or under-supplementing.
- Choose the right ration balancer or mineral mix.
- Adjust feeding rates based on calories per pound (not just weight).
💡 For metabolic horses or those prone to laminitis, test for NSC (non-structural carbohydrates). Ideally, keep NSC under 10–12%.
📦 Practical Tips for Choosing Hay
- Grass hay (timothy, orchard, bermuda) is ideal for easy keepers, ponies, and horses in light work.
- Alfalfa can help horses needing more calories, protein, or calcium—but don’t feed free-choice to easy keepers or metabolic horses.
- Mixed hays offer a nice balance of nutrients and are great for maintaining muscle without overfeeding calories.
- Avoid dusty or moldy hay—even if it looks green. Horses are sensitive to poor air quality and fungal spores.
- Store hay off the ground, in a well-ventilated space, protected from moisture.
🌾 Cool-Season Grasses (C3 Hays)
Cool-season grasses thrive in spring and fall, and are commonly grown in temperate zones.
Examples:
- Timothy – Soft, palatable, moderate protein; good for sensitive horses.
- Orchardgrass – Leafy, slightly higher in protein than timothy.
- Tall Fescue – Nutritious, but avoid endophyte-infected varieties in pregnant mares.
- Bromegrass – Fine-stemmed and highly digestible.
✅ Best for: Horses in light to moderate work, easy to moderate keepers, and general maintenance.
🔥 Warm-Season Grasses (C4 Hays)
Warm-season grasses thrive in hot weather and are more drought-tolerant. They typically contain more fiber, less protein, and lower digestible energy, making them a good fit for easy keepers or horses prone to obesity.
Examples:
- Bermudagrass (Coastal Hay) – Popular in the southern U.S.; varies in quality depending on cut.
- Teff Hay – Soft, fine-stemmed, and low NSC—great for metabolic horses.
- Bahia Grass – Coarse and stemmy; lower feeding value and less palatable.
✅ Best for: Easy keepers, metabolic horses, and regions with hot climates or limited water.
7. Pasture Intake Counts Too
If your horse has access to pasture, they’re already getting forage—but how much? Unlike hay, pasture intake is harder to measure, and can vary based on grass quality, turnout time, and your horse’s appetite.
On good pasture, horses may consume 1.5% to 3% of their body weight per day in dry matter (not fresh weight).
What Does That Mean in Practice?
| Horse Weight | 2% of Body Weight (Dry Matter) | Approx. Fresh Grass (at ~20% dry matter) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 lb | 20 lb dry matter | ~100 lb fresh grass |
| 500 kg | 10 kg dry matter | ~50 kg fresh grass |
🔍 Why the difference? Grass is about 80% water—so horses eat much more by weight to get the same dry matter as hay.
Factors That Affect Pasture Intake
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pasture quality | Lush spring pasture is higher in calories, sugars, and protein. |
| Turnout duration | Full-time turnout = more intake. Limited access = less impact. |
| Horse type & appetite | Easy keepers may overeat; others may self-regulate. |
| Grazing muzzles | Reduce intake by 30–80%, useful for managing weight or NSC intake. |
Adjust Hay Accordingly
If your horse is on lush pasture, you can typically reduce hay or even eliminate it during peak grass months, especially if:
- They’re on 24/7 turnout
- The pasture is well-managed (dense, leafy, not overgrazed)
- They maintain good body condition
However, pasture is highly variable—monitoring is essential.
⚖️ Still Monitor Weight & Body Condition
Some horses, especially easy keepers and ponies, do not self-regulate their pasture intake. Unchecked access can lead to:
- Obesity
- Insulin dysregulation
- Laminitis
Use:
- Body Condition Scoring (BCS) monthly
- Grazing muzzles for at-risk horses
- Dry lots or restricted turnout if needed
Even during lush turnout, many horses benefit from hay in slow feeders overnight to mimic their natural grazing rhythm and avoid long fasting periods.
8. Cold Weather = More Hay Needed
Horses use extra calories to stay warm in winter. Unlike grain, hay fermentation produces heat in the hindgut.
🔥 Increase hay by 10–15% during very cold temperatures (below 20°F/-7°C)
- It’s the safest and most natural way to boost warmth and energy
9. Reduce Hay Waste
Loose hay on the ground often goes uneaten.
- Use slow feeders, nets, or covered hay tubs to keep hay clean and reduce trampling
- If your horse leaves hay behind, inspect for mold, dust, or coarse stems
📉 Less waste = more consistent nutrition and lower cost
10. Track Intake, Weight, and Manure
Hay intake should align with healthy weight and normal manure production.
- Keep a log of how much hay your horse eats
- Note body weight changes and BCS monthly
- A drop in manure output could signal not enough fiber intake
📝 Adjust as needed with seasonal changes, workload, and age
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References
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- National Research Council. (2007). Nutrient Requirements of Horses (6th ed.). Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
- Williams, C. A. (2010). Feeding the Performance Horse. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, FS358.
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- Martinson, K., et al. (2012). The importance of feeding management on equine digestive health. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu
- Husted, L., et al. (2008). Effects of feed deprivation on gastric pH and ulceration in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 40(4), 349–352.
- Martinson, K., et al. (2012). Estimating Pasture Intake in Horses. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu
- Longland, A. C., & Byrd, B. M. (2006). Pasture non-structural carbohydrates and equine laminitis. Journal of Nutrition, 136(7), 2107S–2109S.
- Williams, C. A. (2018). Grazing Management and Horse Health. Rutgers Equine Science Center. https://esc.rutgers.edu
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