Written by Loryn Lamport, our Equestrian Manager.

The “you are what you eat” statement has been around for many years and it still holds true today. To be healthy and fit, you need to eat good foods. And, it’s no different for horses. Horses have feeding requirements just like us, but their diet consists of mainly hay and grain. There are MANY different types of hay and grain products. Therefore, what to feed and how much to feed your horse should be determined by the individual horse.

Let’s First Start with Hay

Most horses require about 15 to 20 lbs of hay per day. Obviously, larger or more active horses will need to eat more hay because they burn off more, where smaller or less active horses will need less. The main types of hay you hear about are Timothy and Alfalfa. However, there are also different types of grassier hays like Orchard and Costal. Each of these types of hay have a different weight per bale and a different level of protein.

Now, Let’s Talk about Grain

For grain, most horses will need anywhere from a cup full of a condensed feed to 4 quarts of another type of oat and pellet mixed grain. Just like the amounts of hay, grain requirements and the portions given are determined by the individual needs of each horse in order to optimize their own nutritional balance.

If you want to know more about how to best feed your horse, many local feed stores have seminars to help horse owners in their quest to meet these needs. And as always, feel free to ask us any questions you have or let us know the specific nutritional requirements for your horse! We love taking care of your horses at the Equestrian Center!