How to Feed Your Horse

How to Feed Your Horse. Feeding your horse is one of the most important things you will do as his caretaker. Overfeeding a horse can bring on big problems, as some horses will continue to eat longer after their hunger has been satiated and this leads to obesity. A scale has been developed for horses called the "body conditioning score." Use this score to determine your horse's dietary needs. If your horse eats too much, he won't be within his optimum weight for his size.

Things Needed

• Weight tape (optional)

Step 01

Determine the weight and work level of your horse. To find out how much your horse weighs, purchase a weight tape (a special tape measure that goes around your horse's girth). Weight tapes are available at most tack and feed stores. While weight tapes are not totally accurate, they are good enough for this application. You will also need to determine how often your horse is worked, and for how long. A common scale is: Never worked = maintenance, 1-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes = light work, over three times a week or for more than 60 minutes a day = moderate to high work. Additionally, horses that are growing, pregnant, lactating or used for breeding will have higher nutritional needs, as will horses that live outside in cold weather or senior horses.

Step 11

Calculate your horse's dietary needs. Horses that are rarely ridden or only used lightly will need to eat about 1.5 to 2 percent of their body weight each day. EXAMPLE - for an average 1000 pound horse ridden two days a week will mean feeding 15 to 20 pounds of food a day. Usually a horse that is not worked hard will only need hay, but occasionally these horses will need a pound or two of grain in addition to the hay. Horses that are worked moderately will usually need 2.0 to 2.5 percent of their body weight - for a 1000 pound horse that will be 20 to 25 pounds of food, and 1-4 pounds of that food might be grain. A horse that is used heavily or for breeding might require as much as 20 to 30 pounds of food a day, including 5 to 8 pounds of grain. No matter how much you feed your horse per day, you should always break it up into two to three smaller meals per day, as horses are grazers and they are used to eating small, frequent meals.

Step 21

Ask your local feed store for suggestions for your particular horse. The various types of hay and grain are too numerous to cover here, but your local feed store will be happy to show you what they carry and give you suggestions. As you start your horse on a new feeding plan, always switch foods gradually, adding a little more of the new food each day and a little less of the old food. This will prevent your horse from colicking or going off his food. Usually it will take four to six weeks to see results in your horse. If you are feeding your horse an adequate amount of food and he still isn't gaining weight (or is loosing weight) you will need to check for other issues such as health, dental, and social issues.

Warnings

• Always make sure your horse has plenty of fresh and clean water, and avoid feeding your horse in the dirt or sand.

Warnings

• If your horse is not eating, or you think he may be overweight, check with your equine vet for dietary supplements.

References

• Acreage Equine: Feeding Horses
• Cowboy Way: How To Estimate Weight on a Horse