How Much Hay to Feed a Horse a Day?

Hay is an important nutrient for horses and should be fed on a daily basis. Not only does hay provide nutritional value, but horses need the chewing action and food in their stomachs to prevent colic. Horses have evolved to eat constantly; thus they need to have available food at all times to keep stomach acids at a minimum. Grain must be fed sparingly because of the richness of its content, while hay and grass should be fed more freely.

  1. Daily Hay Requirements

    • The amount of hay to feed your horse every day will vary slightly depending on his size and activity level. A working horse, a horse who is exercised for more than 4 hours a day, will require much more hay and feed, up to a whole bale of hay a day, but an average horse should eat at least half a bale of hay a day. This is in addition to sparingly fed grains and free grazing in pastures. It is important to allow your horse to graze all day long to avoid the buildup of stomach acid in his sensitive stomach, and to avoid the onset of colic, a painful stomach disease for horses.

    Types of Hay

    • The types of hay also will have an effect on how much hay your horse should have. For instance, alfalfa is high in nutrients and should be fed in moderation. Timothy hay, a grass, is less rich in nutrients and can be fed to your horse more often and in higher quantities. Clover and mixed-grass hay have moderate nutritional value. The cutting of the hay is also a factor to consider. First-cutting hay, generally cut early in the summer months, has more stems and is a little more difficult to chew and digest, while second-cutting hay is more digestible.

    General Feed Requirements

    • In general, your horse should be fed 2 pounds of food for every 100 pounds of body weight. So your 800-pound horse should be fed an average of 16 pounds of food a day, the majority of that in hay. Keep an eye on your horse's weight as well. Some horses have a tendency to overeat. If this happens, feed only hay and grass, no grains, and consider putting him in a dirt pasture to cut back on grazing. It is still important to feed small bits of hay often, however, because even an overweight horse is susceptible to colic.