Forage first
Horses evolved to graze for most of the day, and their digestive system works best on a steady supply of fiber. A good ration starts with forage, hay or pasture, and adds grain or concentrate only when energy needs are higher than forage can supply. Feeding is measured in dry matter (DM), the weight once water is removed, because hay is about 85 to 90% dry matter and fresh grass only 20 to 25%.
How much feed
| Workload | Total dry matter (% of body weight) | Minimum forage |
|---|---|---|
| Easy keeper, weight loss | 1.5% | all forage |
| Maintenance | 2% | all forage |
| Light work, 1 to 3 h a week | 2.25% | 1.75% |
| Moderate work, 3 to 5 h a week | 2.5% | 1.75% |
| Heavy work, racing, competition | 2.75% | 1.5% |
Never drop forage below about 1% of body weight in dry matter, or 1.5% for most horses, because too little fiber raises the risk of colic, ulcers and stereotypies such as cribbing.
Example
An 1,100 lb horse at maintenance:
- Dry matter: 1,100 × 2% = 22 lb a day
- Hay at 88% DM: 22 ÷ 0.88 = 25 lb of hay a day, as fed
- Concentrate: none needed
- Water: at least 6.6 gallons, often 10 or more
- Salt: about 1 oz a day, more if the horse sweats
Concentrates
When energy needs exceed what hay provides, add concentrate gradually:
- Feed no more than about 0.5% of body weight per meal, around 5 lb for a 1,100 lb horse.
- Split the daily amount into two or three meals.
- Change feeds over 7 to 10 days to let the gut bacteria adapt.
- For horses on forage alone, a ration balancer supplies vitamins, minerals and protein without extra calories.
Weighing feed
Feed by weight, not by volume: a flake of hay can weigh 3 to 6 lb, and a scoop of pellets weighs more than a scoop of oats. A hanging scale for hay nets and a kitchen scale for concentrate make rations accurate.
Monitoring
Use a weight tape or the horse weight calculator every few weeks, and score body condition on the 1 to 9 Henneke scale, aiming for about 5. Have hay analyzed if possible, since its energy and protein vary widely. Ask an equine veterinarian or nutritionist for horses with metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s disease or a history of laminitis.