The Best and Safest Ways to Feed a Horse

Understanding the basic dietary needs of your equine friend is an essential part of ownership. Horses are foragers, meaning they graze. Meeting this natural characteristic is imperative.

• Hay: Hay is commonly the preferred source of forage. A safe calculation is 1 pound of hay to every 100 pounds of a horse’s body weight. Allowing a horse to have access to hay all day helps promote a healthy digestive process.
• Best Practice for Feeding: The amount of feed given on a daily basis should be determined by the horse’s size and work load. A normal leisure walking horse might have a common feed intake of 5 to 10 pounds of horse feed throughout the day. Choosing your feed supplier is extremely important. Be sure you search for a reliable feed supplier in your area. Only a proven supplier of quality horse feed should be considered! Consistent routine along with proper dietary nutrition served in a clean environment is essential to the overall health and proper feeding of your horse.
• Overfeeding: A horse has a small stomach. Even though they feed frequently, their intake is generally proportionate to the physical makeup of the digestive track. Overfeeding is unsafe and can cause severe damage to a horse’s intestines.
• Food Intake: A horse is not able to throw up, so whatever is consumed must go through the digestive track. Carefully managing feed intake is the safest approach. Feeding a horse grain three times a day along with hay is adequate.
• Hydration: Have clean drinking water available at all times. A healthy horse can consume anywhere from 5 to 15 gallons of water per day.

Consistent routine, proper dietary nutrition served in a clean environment, along with a fresh water supply are all essential to the overall health of your horse.