What Does a Horse Eat?

China has the world's largest horse population, with about 8 million of them. They demand a lot of salt, as horses drink plenty of water. The salt isn't normally incorporated in their food; instead, owners often feed them a salt lick -- or they set out a pile of salt for them to munch.

  1. Grass

    • Horses can take care of their own diet most of the time. They roam around in open spaces, the larger the better, munching on fresh blades of grass. But depending on where you live, green pastures aren't available year-round. And in some cases, just because a pasture is green, doesn't mean it contains enough long grass necessary for a horse's diet. Many horse owners divide the pasture into sections and rotate the horses through, allowing sections to build up before the horses are released.

    Legumes

    • The most common legumes that a horse will eat are peas, beans, peanuts, alfalfa, lentils and carob. These ingredients are often incorporated in grass to make hay, which is especially important during the winter when -- in many parts of the world -- grass dies and horses turn to their owner to meet their dietary requirements. When buying hay, it is important to open the bag and inspect it. Put your hand inside to see if it's warm. This could indicate rotting.

    Vegetables, Oats and Fruit

    • Corn and oats are often served to horses. Carrots are served to horses as a treat.

      Horses love eating apples. They will pick them right out of your hand and eat them whole. Hay needs to be the bulk of the horse's diet, but concentrated food such as oats are also essential. Beet pellets are another common food for horses. These are soaked, before they are handed over for consumption. An average horse requires about 20 to 25 pounds of food per day.

    Consistent Eaters

    • Horses are designed to eat almost all the time. They have a small stomach that is built to digest food on a continual basis. Instead of feeding horses at a designated meal time, many horse owners put a few hours or a day's worth of food for the horse to munch on. Confining the horse to your schedule could be potentially dangerous to the animal's health. Pregnant horses will especially need a constant supply of food.