Horse Feed Calculator
How much hay and feed a horse needs per day — the standard percentage of body weight, split into forage and concentrate.
How it works
Total feed = body weight × daily intake % · forage = total × forage share · concentrate = total − forage
Horses are grazers built to eat forage steadily, and the rule of thumb is that a horse consumes 1.5–3% of its body weight in dry feed each day, about 2% for easy-keeping maintenance. Most of that should be forage — hay or pasture — with grain or concentrate making up the balance only when work or condition demands it. Keeping the forage share high protects digestive health, since long fibre keeps the hindgut working the way it evolved to.
Worked example
A 1,000 lb horse at 2% of body weight eats 1,000 × 0.02 = 20 lb of feed a day. With an 80% forage share that is 16 lb of hay and 4 lb of concentrate daily — about 480 lb of hay a month.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a horse eat per day?
Roughly 1.5–3% of its body weight in dry feed, with about 2% typical for maintenance. A 1,000 lb horse at 2% eats about 20 lb a day, most of it forage.
How much of the diet should be hay?
As much as practical — often 80% or more. Forage keeps the digestive system healthy; grain should be added only to meet extra energy needs from work, growth or hard keeping.
Should I weigh the hay or eyeball it?
Weigh it. Flakes of hay vary a lot in weight, so using a scale or a hanging fish scale to weigh a few flakes is the only reliable way to hit the target pounds per day.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.