How Much Hay Do You Feed A Horse

Introduction

You’ve just bought a horse, and you want to make sure she’s healthy, happy and gets the nutrition she needs. A huge part of that is feeding her hay. There are so many things to consider when thinking about how much hay to feed your horse, so let’s walk through them.

The Basics

As with many other aspects of horse care, it’s important to know how much hay you should feed your horse.

The amount of hay a horse eats depends on its size and age. You can easily calculate how much your horse should be eating every day by multiplying the weight of your animal (in pounds) by 11/2. So, for example, if you have an average-sized adult weighing 1,200 pounds (544 kilograms), then he or she will need to eat about 2200 pounds (998 kilograms) of hay per year.

If you’re wondering whether more or less food is better for your horse’s health and happiness, the answer is: neither! While it’s true that horses need plenty of fiber in order to keep their digestive systems healthy and functioning properly—as well as having plenty of other sources forage besides just grass—they also need plenty of calories in order to make sure they’re getting enough energy each day; this means that feeding too much hay can actually end up causing problems with obesity down the line (just like it does when humans eat too much junk food). The key here is moderation: remember not only how much space one bale takes up but also how many times each week(s) per month(s) you’ll have access

How Much Hay To Feed A Horse

The amount of hay you feed your horse depends on how much weight it needs to gain or lose, the quality of the hay, and whether or not the horse is pregnant. Horses are typically fed 1-2% of their body weight in hay each day. If a horse is gaining weight, it should be fed more than 2% of its body weight in dry forage (hay). However, if a horse is losing weight due to illness or stress then less than 1% should be fed.

For example:

A 1000 lb (454 kg) overweight mare would need about 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of good quality alfalfa per day

What Kind Of Hay Should I Feed My Horse

To make sure your horse is getting all the nutrition he needs, you should feed him a wide variety of hay. Hay should be the main part of your horse’s diet, and it should be the first thing you feed to your horse in the morning and the last thing you feed him at night. You might need more than one bale per day depending on how much your horse eats and how many calories he requires (just remember that there are approximately 10 pounds per bale). The best way to know how much to give is by weight—a 1200-pound horse would need around 12 pounds worth of hay each day.

Hay is Good for Horses & Here’s Why

Most of us understand that hay is good for horses.

I mean, we’ve seen the movie where the horse eats a ton of hay and then poops out a giant apple. But why is it so important to give your horse plenty of hay?

Well, not only does it keep their digestive tract healthy (which helps them stay comfortable), but it also keeps their teeth from getting any worse than they already are—and if you don’t know how bad your horse’s teeth are right now, just wait until he gets old enough to eat grass! Hay is also great for keeping joints strong; horses who don’t get enough fiber can end up with stiff joints later in life. Finally, feeding your horse in general will help keep his coat shiny and healthy looking—if you want him to look like a model at horse shows like I do!

The most important thing you can do is be patient and keep everything consistent. Your horse will thank you!

If your horse is used to eating a certain amount of hay every day, don’t change the amount in one day. This may make him sick or even cause colic. Instead, gradually increase the amount over a period of one or two weeks until he’s back up to his normal amount of intake (or even more if he’s working hard).

Patience is key here; don’t rush things too much as that could lead to problems later on down the line when it comes time for introducing a new feeder system or routine changes like switching from winter bedding material back into straw bedding during warmer weather months.”

Conclusion

So, now you know how much hay to feed your horse. And if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask!