April 2008

How Much Should Your Horse Eat?

It’s a tough question for many and a bone of contention between stable owners and boarders.

Many people are confused about how to figure out how much they should feed. Horses are designed to eat grass. Period. Their digestive tract is designed to handle this type of diet.

The rule of thumb is to feed hay at a rate of 1.5% to 2% of the bodyweight per day, adding grain only if needed to hold weight. This 1.5 to 2% is "dry matter," the solid portion of the food after all water is removed. Properly cured hay is less than 10% water anyway so the percentage as a rule of thumb works fine. This simple rule explains why the vast majority of horses with weight problems…