Home › Blog › How Much to Feed Your Horse
By Schneider Saddlery • May 26, 2026 • 8 min read
One of the most common questions horse owners ask is: How much should I feed my horse? The answer depends on several factors, including your horse's weight, age, workload, metabolism, body condition, forage quality, and overall health.
Feeding too little can lead to weight loss, ulcers, and nutrient deficiencies. Feeding too much can contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, and laminitis. Finding the right balance is one of the most important parts of horse care.
This guide explains how to calculate your horse's feeding needs using science-based recommendations, including NRC (2007) equine nutrition guidelines commonly used by veterinarians and equine nutritionists.
Forage should always form the foundation of your horse's diet. Hay and pasture provide the fiber horses need to support healthy digestion, gut function, and natural grazing behavior.
The National Research Council recommends horses consume a minimum of 1% of their body weight in forage daily, though most horses do best at 1.5-2% of body weight per day.
For a 1,100 lb horse, that equals approximately:
Feeding below 1% of body weight in forage is generally not recommended, even for overweight horses. Horses are designed to eat small amounts continuously throughout the day, and severe forage restriction can increase the risk of:
Instead of drastically cutting hay, focus on improving forage quality, controlling calorie intake, and balancing nutrients appropriately.
Most horses consume roughly 1.5-2% of their body weight in hay or forage daily.
That means:
However, hay intake should always be adjusted based on:
Easy keeper horses may require lower-calorie hay or slower feeding methods, while hard keepers often need additional calories from fat or concentrates.
Your horse's workload has a major impact on calorie requirements.
Horses in heavy work burn significantly more energy and often require additional calories beyond forage alone. Meanwhile, horses in light work or at maintenance may thrive on forage-only diets.
Here are general forage-to-concentrate feeding ratios commonly recommended for different workloads:
Concentrates may include grain, performance feeds, beet pulp, rice bran, or ration balancers depending on the horse's needs.
Whenever possible, calories should be increased gradually to reduce digestive upset.
Body weight alone does not always tell the full story. Body Condition Score (BCS) is one of the best ways to evaluate whether your horse is at a healthy weight.
The Henneke Body Condition Scoring System uses a scale from 1-9:
Horses with a BCS of 7 or higher are often considered easy keepers and may need
Many easy-keeper horses are also more prone to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and laminitis, making careful sugar and starch management especially important.
Learn more in our guide: Feeding Easy Keeper Horses.
Horses with a BCS of 3-4 may require additional calories to maintain healthy weight.
Common strategies include:
Before significantly increasing grain intake, rule out underlying health issues that may contribute to weight loss.
One of the biggest feeding mistakes horse owners make is estimating hay by "flakes." Hay flakes can vary dramatically depending on:
One flake may weigh 3 lbs while another weighs 8 lbs or more. That means feeding "two flakes twice daily" could provide either 12 lbs or over 30 lbs of hay per day.
Using a simple hanging hay scale is one of the easiest ways to improve feeding accuracy.
Weigh several flakes from each new hay shipment so you understand how much your horse is actually consuming.
Proper hydration is just as important as calories. Most horses require approximately:
Horses should also have access to:
Many horse owners provide both a salt block and loose salt added to feed to encourage adequate sodium intake.
Performance horses, seniors, and horses in intense work may also benefit from additional joint support or electrolyte supplementation as part of their feeding plan.
Horse feeding needs change throughout the year.
Review your feeding program whenever:
Most horses benefit from a feeding plan review every 3-4 months.
Every horse has unique calorie and nutrient requirements. Our free Horse Feed Calculator estimates daily forage needs, hay intake, grain recommendations, feeding adjustments by workload, and supplement considerations — in just a few minutes.
