Nearly everyone is aware that horses eat hay, but what else do you know about horses and their need to eat hay?

How much is the right amount of hay? And how is it properly fed to your horse to keep it healthy and happy?

Determining How Much to Feed

Determining how much hay to feed your horse depends on its weight. Most experts agree that a full grown horse should eat between 12 to 15 pounds of hay each day, which amounts to about 1.5 to 3 percent of its body weight if the horse weighs around 1000 pounds. Of course, this is a very rough average and your horse may require more or less than this amount depending on its workload, the time of the year, its health, its metabolism and whatever else it may be eating. 

How to Feed Hay to Your Horse

To feed hay to your horse, you should offer small amounts frequently throughout the day. In this way, the feeding will more closely match the natural grazing habits of your horse. In doing so, you will be offering the healthiest option for your horse’s body as well as for its mental health. Furthermore, if you try to feed your horse the full day’s allotment all at one time, it will likely eat only the best parts and will leave behind the parts that it finds to be the least tasty, which will be a waste of valuable hay. If your horse is able to self-regulate, however, it may be possible to simply leave the hay out all day for your horse to graze upon it whenever it desires. 

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