How To Feed A Herd Successfully

Feeding a group of horses on pasture or in a shared paddock can be both rewarding and challenging. If you’re wondering “how do I feed a herd of horses and make sure they get the nutrition they need?” You are in the right spot.

The Foundations: Forage First

Forage is the foundation of every horse’s diet—especially when feeding a group. Horses are natural foragers, designed to graze for 16 to 18 hours per day. Constant access to fiber not only mirrors their natural behavior, but also supports digestive health, stabilizes blood sugar, and reduces the risk of gastric ulcers, colic, and behavioral issues like weaving or cribbing.

That said, how you offer forage to a group can make a big difference in terms of waste, safety, and whether every horse gets their fair share.

🐴 Forage Types & How Much to Feed

The most common forage options include:

• Pasture grass – Ideal for free-choice grazing, especially in spring and summer. Rich in nutrients and moisture. Horses may not need additional hay if pasture is abundant and of good quality.
• Grass hay (timothy, orchard, brome, etc.) – Safe for most horses and suitable for feeding free-choice, especially easy keepers.
• Legume hay (alfalfa, clover) – Higher in calories, calcium, and protein. Great for hard keepers, broodmares, and young horses, but should be limited in easy keepers.
• Beet pulp, hay cubes, forage pellets – Useful for senior horses or horses with poor teeth. These should be soaked and fed in controlled amounts. (cannot be the only forage option)

Not all forage can be offered in unlimited amounts. While mature grass hay or pasture can often be fed free-choice, richer forages like alfalfa or lush spring pasture should be managed carefully to avoid weight gain or metabolic problems.

📍 Where the Herd Lives Affects How You Feed

How and where your horses are turned out will determine the best forage strategy:

• In pasture with good grass: Horses may not need hay during the growing season. Instead, focus on balancing their vitamin and mineral intake and monitoring pasture quality. Still, it’s wise to offer hay during droughts or seasonal transitions.
• In a dry lot or paddock: Grass is unavailable, so hay becomes the primary forage. This is where slow feeders and hay nets can shine, extending eating time and reducing waste.
• In a Paddock Paradise® or track system: A fantastic setup for encouraging natural movement, especially when hay is spaced at multiple stations around the track. Learn more about a Paddock Paradise® here ➜

🧺 Forage Feeding Systems That Work

There are many ways to feed forage to a group, and each has its pros and cons. The goal is to keep hay clean, accessible, and spread out to reduce competition:

💡 Want to know which hay feeder system is best for your horses? Check out the Different Feeding Systems: hay nets, slow feeders, and more

When using any system in a group setting, provide more feeding stations than horses (e.g., 5 feeders for 4 horses) and space them 15–20 feet apart to prevent guarding or bullying. This encourages movement and makes sure submissive horses have access to forage.

Why Forage Alone Isn’t Enough

Even the best quality pasture or hay will likely fall short when it comes to providing your horse with all the essential nutrients. Forage is often deficient in important trace minerals like selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese. Vitamins such as E and A may also be lacking, especially during winter months when pasture isn’t available and hay has lost much of its nutrient content. Essential amino acids, especially lysine, are also commonly limited.

What about trace mineral blocks in the pasture?

While they’re convenient, these are mostly salt and not designed to meet a horse’s full mineral needs. Most horses can’t lick enough to meet even their sodium requirements, let alone more complex trace elements.

Learn more about a what owners typically do and what is actually recommended, when ➜ Feeding Minerals to Horses (Click here)

Balancing the Forage-Only Diet

Start by analyzing your forage or ask your hay supplier if they have one. A hay or pasture analysis can tell you what your horses are getting in terms of calcium, phosphorus, protein, and energy, helping you make better decisions about supplementation.

Always offer loose salt—either free-choice or mixed into the daily ration. Plain white salt is typically best, and 1 to 2 tablespoons per day is adequate for most horses.

To fill the nutrient gaps, here are your main supplement options:

• Ration balancers like Purina’s Equilizer and Optimal. Equilizer is best for inactive adult, pony or miniature horses, and performance horses, while Optimal suits broodmares and growing horses.
• Vitamin and mineral mixes such as EZ Balance (pelleted, low NSC) or Equi-EEZ (meal form, good for top-dressing grains). Mad Barn’s Omneity is another all-in-one solution, including B vitamins, amino acids, digestive enzymes, yeast and organic trace minerals.

These supplements help prevent deficiencies without adding excess calories, making them ideal for easy keepers.

Strategies for Feeding in Group Settings

Feeding a herd of horses is more than just dropping grain or hay—it’s a daily exercise in social management, safety, and precision. Whether your group includes retirees, hard keepers, youngsters, or a mix of all three, the feeding strategy you choose must address both nutritional balance and herd dynamics.

🧩 Group Horses with Similar Needs

Whenever possible, divide horses by dietary needs:

• Easy keepers (prone to weight gain) should be grouped separately from hard keepers who need more calories.
• Horses with special requirements—like seniors on soaked feed or foals needing growth support—should have dedicated feeding plans.
• Grouping by temperament also matters. Avoid mixing aggressive feeders with timid or submissive horses.

This simplifies feeding routines and minimizes stress, food guarding, and injury.

💡 Even two horses in the same body condition may have very different metabolisms or medical histories. Monitoring and adjusting groupings over time is key.

🍽️ Feeding Grain, Supplements & Concentrates in a Group

Grain or ration balancers are best fed individually, but many horse owners need group strategies that are realistic for daily life. Here are options that work in different scenarios:

✅ Ground Tubs or Buckets

• Place buckets 12–20 feet apart to reduce guarding.
• Always offer one more bucket than horses to prevent conflict and give lower-ranking horses a chance to eat in peace.
• Use wide, flat-bottomed pans to prevent tipping and spilling.
• Feed at the same time and in the same order daily, which builds routine and reduces anxiety.

⚠️ Avoid feeding near gates, corners, or sheds—submissive horses can become trapped and injured.

🎒 Feed Bags (Nose Bags)

Feed bags are excellent for:

• Ensuring precise feed delivery
• Preventing dominant horses from stealing
• Reducing feed waste

To use feed bags successfully:

• Introduce them gradually with small meals and positive reinforcement.
• Monitor the group closely during the first few uses.
• Choose bags that fit snugly and allow the horse to breathe and chew easily.
• Always supervise horses wearing feed bags, especially in group turnout.

Need a practical solution for a mixed herd? Feed bags can help you maintain individual feeding without stalls or paddock separation.

🪵 Additional Feeding Options for Group Settings

Depending on your layout and resources, consider these systems:

🐴 Catch Pens or Portable Panels

• Small feeding pens within the turnout paddock
• Great for separating aggressive or slow eaters
• Can be built with panels or tape fencing for temporary setups

🐎 Partial Tie Stations

• Tie horses during feeding using breakaway twine
• Only practical with very calm, halter-broke horses
• Allows control without permanent infrastructure

📦 Timed Feeders or Smart Feed Boxes

• Electronic feed bins programmed to open only for specific horses with RFID tags
• Useful for high-value or complex supplement plans
• Minimizes human labor but requires a significant investment

🚸 Monitor Herd Behavior During Feeding

• Watch who eats first, last, or gets pushed away.
• Note who bolts their food or shows signs of stress—these horses may benefit from isolation or slow-feed devices.
• Adjust feeding spots as needed to accommodate changes in hierarchy or new additions to the group.

🧪 Tip: Take a few minutes each day to observe feeding time. It’s often the first moment you’ll notice early signs of lameness, illness, or bullying.

Feeding Different Types of Horses in the Same Herd

Here’s how to support different nutritional needs within a group:

• Easy keepers: Use slow feeders or hay nets to limit intake. Supplement with a vitamin/mineral mix without adding unnecessary calories.
• Hard keepers: Offer higher-calorie forages (like alfalfa), beet pulp, or fat sources like flax oil. Feed separately if needed to prevent bullying.
• Senior horses: Soaked pellets or cubes are easier to chew. Add a mash-style balancer to meet nutrient needs.
• Broodmares and young horses: Require additional protein and minerals. Use products like Purina Optimal to meet their higher demands.
• Performance horses: Provide extra calories, ideally in small meals timed after exercise when glycogen uptake is optimal.

Monitoring & Management

Regular monitoring is essential. Check each horse’s body condition score (BCS) monthly and adjust the diet as needed. Weight tapes and livestock scales are useful tools.

Observe each horse’s eating behavior. If a horse consistently finishes early or eats too fast, they may be feeling stressed. Slower eaters might need to be fed separately to ensure they receive their full ration.

Risks of Group Feeding Without Planning

Without structure, group feeding can lead to:

• Dominant horses overeating
• Submissive horses missing meals
• Choke or ulcers from stress-induced bolting
• Injuries from herd dynamics during feed times

Proper spacing, planning, and routine are essential to avoid these issues.

Final Tips for Success

Group horses wisely. Monitor weight and behavior. Adjust rations with seasonal changes and life stages.

Above all, remember: even in a group setting, nutrition should be individualized. With thoughtful management, you can create a system that supports both the physical health and social harmony of your herd.

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