One of the most common questions horse owners ask is: How much should I feed my horse? The answer depends on several factors, including your horse’s weight, age, workload, metabolism, body condition, forage quality, and overall health.
Feeding too little can lead to weight loss, ulcers, and nutrient deficiencies. Feeding too much can contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, and laminitis. Finding the right balance is one of the most important parts of horse care.
This guide explains how to calculate your horse’s feeding needs using science-based recommendations, including NRC (2007) equine nutrition guidelines commonly used by veterinarians and equine nutritionists.
Start With Forage First
Forage should always form the foundation of your horse’s diet. Hay and pasture provide the fiber horses need to support healthy digestion, gut function, and natural grazing behavior.
The National Research Council recommends horses consume a minimum of 1% of their body weight in forage daily, though most horses do best at 1.5–2% of body weight per day.
For a 1,100 lb horse, that equals approximately:
|
Feeding Level |
Amount of Forage Per Day |
|
Minimum forage intake |
11 lbs/day |
|
Recommended forage intake |
16.5–22 lbs/day |
Feeding below 1% of body weight in forage is generally not recommended, even for overweight horses. Horses are designed to eat small amounts continuously throughout the day, and severe forage restriction can increase the risk of:
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Gastric ulcers
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Colic
-
Hindgut imbalance
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Cribbing and other stress behaviors
-
Metabolic dysfunction
Instead of drastically cutting hay, focus on improving forage quality, controlling calorie intake, and balancing nutrients appropriately.
How Much Hay Should a Horse Eat Per Day?
Most horses consume roughly 1.5–2% of their body weight in hay or forage daily.
That means:
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A 900 lb horse may eat 13.5–18 lbs of hay daily
-
A 1,100 lb horse may eat 16.5–22 lbs daily
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A 1,300 lb horse may eat 19.5–26 lbs daily
However, hay intake should always be adjusted based on:
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Activity level
-
Body condition score
-
Metabolism
-
Pasture access
-
Hay quality
-
Health conditions
Easy keeper horses may require lower-calorie hay or slower feeding methods, while hard keepers often need additional calories from fat or concentrates.
Feeding Horses Based on Activity Level
Your horse’s workload has a major impact on calorie requirements.
Horses in heavy work burn significantly more energy and often require additional calories beyond forage alone. Meanwhile, horses in light work or at maintenance may thrive on forage-only diets.
Here are general forage-to-concentrate feeding ratios commonly recommended for different workloads:
|
Activity Level |
Forage % |
Concentrate % |
Example |
|
Maintenance |
100% |
0% |
Pasture pet, retired horse |
|
Light Work |
85% |
15% |
1-3 hrs/week trail riding |
|
Moderate Work |
70% |
30% |
Regular training, local shows |
|
Heavy Work |
60% |
40% |
5+ hrs/week competition |
|
Very Heavy |
50% |
50% |
Racing, endurance, upper-level eventing |
Concentrates may include grain, performance feeds, beet pulp, rice bran, or ration balancers depending on the horse’s needs.
Whenever possible, calories should be increased gradually to reduce digestive upset.
Use Body Condition Score to Adjust Feeding
Body weight alone does not always tell the full story. Body Condition Score (BCS) is one of the best ways to evaluate whether your horse is at a healthy weight.
The Henneke Body Condition Scoring System uses a scale from 1–9:
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1 = Extremely thin
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5–6 = Ideal for most horses
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9 = Obese
Feeding Easy Keeper Horses
Horses with a BCS of 7 or higher are often considered easy keepers and may need:
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Lower-calorie forage
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Low-NSC hay
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Reduced pasture access
-
Ration balancers instead of grain
Many easy-keeper horses are also more prone to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and laminitis, making careful sugar and starch management especially important.
Learn More about Feeding Easy-Keeper Horses
Feeding Hard Keeper Horses
Horses with a BCS of 3–4 may require additional calories to maintain healthy weight.
Common strategies include:
-
Increasing forage availability
-
Adding fat sources like stabilized rice bran
-
Feeding highly digestible fiber sources
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Using calorie-dense concentrates
-
Evaluating for ulcers, dental issues, or parasites
Before significantly increasing grain intake, rule out underlying health issues that may contribute to weight loss.
Why You Should Weigh Your Horse’s Hay
One of the biggest feeding mistakes horse owners make is estimating hay by “flakes.”
Hay flakes can vary dramatically depending on:
-
Bale size
-
Hay type
-
Moisture content
-
Bale density
One flake may weigh 3 lbs while another weighs 8 lbs or more. That means feeding “two flakes twice daily” could provide either 12 lbs or over 30 lbs of hay per day.
Using a simple hanging hay scale is one of the easiest ways to improve feeding accuracy.
Weigh several flakes from each new hay shipment so you understand how much your horse is actually consuming.
Don’t Forget Water and Salt
Proper hydration is just as important as calories.
Most horses require approximately:
-
5–10 gallons of water daily
-
Up to 15 gallons or more during hot weather or heavy exercise
Horses should also have access to:
-
Free-choice salt
-
Clean water at all times
-
Electrolytes during heavy work or sweating
Many horse owners provide both a salt block and loose salt added to feed to encourage adequate sodium intake.
Performance horses, seniors, and horses in intense work may also benefit from additional joint support or electrolyte supplementation as part of their feeding plan.
When Should You Recalculate Your Horse’s Feeding Plan?
Horse feeding needs change throughout the year.
Review your feeding program whenever:
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Seasons change
-
Temperatures drop significantly
-
Workload increases or decreases
-
Hay sources change
-
Body condition changes
-
Your horse ages
-
Pregnancy or lactation stages change
-
New health conditions develop
Most horses benefit from a feeding plan review every 3–4 months.
Build a Personalized Feeding Plan for Your Horse
Every horse has unique calorie and nutrient requirements based on weight, workload, metabolism, forage quality, and body condition.
Our Horse Feeding Calculator helps you estimate:
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Daily forage needs
-
Hay intake
-
Grain recommendations
-
Feeding adjustments by workload
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Supplement considerations
Get a customized feeding estimate for your horse in just a few minutes.
Calculate Your Horse’s Feeding Needs →
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