Instructions
Calculate how much your horse needs to be fed. Start by understanding exactly how much your horse needs to be fed. It may be that you are overfeeding your horse, and can make immediate savings by cutting back. Use an online horse feed calculator, such as the one on the Baileys Horse Feed website, to determine how much food your horse needs.
Put your horse out to pasture. Forage (grasses, plant leaves and stems) should make up approximately 50 percent of a horse's feed. Healthy horses thrive outside and only require shelter in excessive heat or cold, putting your horse out to pasture can save money on both feed and housing.
Weigh feed to avoid overfeeding and waste. A horse needs, approximately, 1-2 percent of its body weight in hay per day. A horse weighing 1,000 pounds will require about 10 to 22 pounds per day.
Purchase bulk supplies of feed at wholesale prices. Get together with other local horse owners to bulk buy larger supplies of horse feed at discounted rates. Remember that most horses do not need expensive grain unless they are engaged in hard physical activity. It is also a myth that grain keeps horses warmer in winter.
Feed your horse good quality hay, since this will save money in the long term. Cheaper hay is generally more mature and provides the horse with less nutrients. It is also less digestible and more hay is required to maintain the horse's body condition.
How to Feed a Horse on a Budget
Owning a horse is a significant responsibility, requiring both effort and money. Tough economic times and the rising cost of feed mean that horse owners need to find ways to minimize expenses. A horse's nutrient requirements are dependent upon its age, weight, metabolism, growth, exercise, reproduction and lactation. Many owners, however, overfeed their horses, leading to wasted money and unhealthy animals.