How Much Hay Does My Horse Need Per Day?

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. I would like to note that it is my opinion that it is better to feed a horse more of a lesser quality hay, than less of a better quality hay.

Horses should never be fed less than 1.5% of their body weight in forage.

Horse Weight (lbs) × 0.015 to 0.025 = Daily Hay in Pounds
Horse Weight (kg) × 0.015 to 0.025 = Daily Hay in Kilograms

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. So not only are we talking about quantity, but quality as well.

Your job as a horse owner is to observe, assess, and adjust.

2. Hay Should Be the Foundation of the Diet

Hay (or pasture) should make up at least 70–100% of most horses’ daily intake. Old-school feeding advice often pushed grain and concentrates to “fuel performance,” but horses are designed to get their energy from fiber, not starch. If your horse needs more fuel—add more forage (I know it feels weird at first because it goes against what we knew), or use high-quality hay pellets or cubes to safely boost calories

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. Check the most recommended scales by horse owners.

4. Feed Hay Free Choice

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. 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.

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%.

More resources:

6. 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.

It is a rule of thumb that horses on pasture eat about 1-2lb (0.45-0.9kg) of pasture dry matter per hour.

• A horse that is on pasture 24/7 will generally graze around 16 hrs = consuming 16-32lb of pasture dry matter (equivalent to 1.6-3.2% of body weight of an average 1,000lb horse)
• A horse that is on pasture half a day = grazing around 10lb of pasture dry matter (equivalent to 1% body weight for a 1,000lb horse) is going to need around 10lb more of supplemental hay.

On good pasture, horses may consume 1.5% to 3% of their body weight per day in dry matter (not fresh weight), which is perfect for their dry matter requirements of the day. Assuming there is a limitless supply of pasture available, which is not always the case.

What Does That Mean in Practice?

🔍 Why the difference? Grass is about 80% water—so horses eat much more by weight to get the same dry matter as hay.

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, if your horse goes in during the night he may benefit from hay in slow feeders to mimic their natural grazing rhythm and avoid long fasting periods.

7. 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). You can even increase more.

Feeding hay is the safest and most natural way to boost warmth and energy

8. Reduce Hay Waste

Throwing loose hay on the ground might feel “natural,” but it often turns into a trampled, peed-on mess your horse won’t touch — and that’s money (and nutrition) going to waste.

To cut down on waste:

• Use slow feeders, hay nets, or tubs to keep hay off the ground and clean.
• If your horse consistently leaves hay behind, inspect it — it could be moldy, dusty, overly mature, or full of tough stems.

Less waste = more consistent nutrition and lower cost

9. 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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