How to Feed a Horse

Feeding a horse can be quite a challenging task due to the wide variety of available foods and the fact that not every horse has the same needs. The quantity and type of food depend on factors such as breed, age, weight, health, workload, climate, as well as the types of food available locally. You can read the article below to learn how to feed a horse properly.

Make sure your horse has access to plenty of fresh water. Horses need to drink 20-60 liters of water daily. If possible, you should allow them to drink water frequently. If that's not an option, you should ensure your horse drinks at least twice a day, allowing them to drink for several minutes.

• Check the water trough regularly to make sure it stays clean and doesn't freeze. Always clean the trough and rinse it daily.

Provide your horse with enough structural carbohydrates. Structural carbohydrates found in hay or fresh grass are a crucial part of a horse's diet. Horses consume large amounts of hay or fresh grass, as it serves as their primary food source. In fact, a horse typically eats around 7-9 kg (or 1-2% of its body weight) of hay daily, so you must ensure a sufficient supply of hay for them.

• The hay you feed your horse should be free from mold or dust.

Offer non-structural carbohydrates to your horse in moderation. Non-structural carbohydrates found in oats, corn, and barley are also vital for providing nutrition to horses. You can feed them small amounts of grains daily. Each day, horses require 200 grams of grain for every 45 kg of body weight. You should evenly distribute 2-3 grain portions throughout the day.

• Measure the portions of grain to ensure you're feeding them the correct amount.
• If it's hot, it's best to feed your horse grains during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening.

Include supplements in your horse's diet to provide protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. While horses primarily obtain their nutrition from hay or fresh grass, it's still important to offer them daily supplements to meet their nutritional needs. Protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals play an essential role in a horse's nutrition, though they don't need to be consumed in large quantities.

Use supplements when necessary. If you feel that your horse isn't getting enough vitamins and minerals from their food, you can use a specialized vitamin supplement for horses. Just be cautious not to overfeed them with vitamins, as either a deficiency or excess can cause problems for your horse.

Feed your horse treats in moderation. Providing rewards when you want to praise your horse is an effective way to bond. Just make sure to give treats in moderation to avoid creating a habit of expecting food or rummaging through your clothes for rewards.

• You can offer your horse treats like fresh apples, carrots, peas, watermelon rind, and celery.

Measure the body weight of the horse using a measuring tape or a weight bridge (scale for horses). A weight bridge is typically more accurate and should be preferred over the measuring tape when possible. Weight monitoring is the most effective way to track changes in weight. You can measure the horse's weight bi-weekly and record the changes in a graph.

Calculate the total daily nutritional needs of the horse (including feed and flour). Horses typically consume food equal to 1.5 to 3% of their body weight, with an average of 2.5%. To determine the daily amount of food to provide, use the following formula: Horse's weight/100 x 2.5 = Total daily nutritional need.

Determine the method for weight gain in horses. Do you want them to maintain their current weight (maintenance diet)? Are you aiming for weight loss due to health issues (weight reduction diet)? Or do you want them to gain weight due to previous health conditions or being underweight?

• The best way to plan a horse's diet is to base it on the desired weight rather than the current one. For example, if the horse weighs 300 kg and needs to reach 400 kg, do not provide food equivalent to 2.5% of 300 kg, but instead, base it on 2.5% of 400 kg.
• Use the same method for overweight horses. Feed them according to the target weight, not the current one. This means offering less food based on the current weight to help them lose weight quickly.

Control the energy levels in feed by offering a variety of different types or mixing several types together. Each feed type contains a different amount of DE (digestible energy), depending on the feed type (grass, forage, hay, oat straw) and grass varieties (ryegrass, fescue, goosegrass, or lawn grass). Additionally, the season affects DE levels. Spring grass has high energy content, while winter grass is lower. For stored forage, harvesting time also influences DE. Freshly harvested grass generally has high DE, while older grass loses some of its DE. Oat straw has very low DE content. The best way to determine the nutritional value of feed is through component analysis.

Determine the type of energy for horses. Some horses can be quite excitable (they get stimulated quickly and are easily frightened). In such cases, you should provide them with a source of slow-release energy (fiber and oil), as this is the safest type of energy and causes the least health issues. On the other hand, some horses are lazy and inactive, so they should be fed a source of fast-release energy (starch from grains such as oats and barley). However, starch can cause health problems and should be provided in moderation for certain horses.

Consult an expert if you are unsure about the horse's food intake. If you're uncertain about how much to feed the horse, you can consult a veterinarian who specializes in horses. Additionally, some feed manufacturers provide helpful advice on feeding horses.

Adjust the horse's food intake if necessary. The nutritional needs of a horse depend on the amount of fresh grass it has consumed while grazing in the field and its activity level. You need to assess the horse's daily requirements to decide whether to reduce or increase its usual food portions.

• If the horse is grazing in the field all day and has consumed plenty of fresh grass, it doesn't need much dry hay.
• If the horse is active all day and moving a lot, you should provide extra food to compensate for the calories burned.

Feed the horse one hour before or after riding. You should avoid feeding them immediately before or after intense activity, as blood flow will be redirected away from the internal organs, hindering digestion. Plan the feeding schedule according to the horse's activity.

• If the horse is engaged in heavy work, you should feed them about three hours prior.

Gradually change the horse's diet. If a dietary change is necessary, avoid switching to the new food right away. Begin by replacing 25% of the old food with the new one. After two days, replace 50% of the old food with the new one. After another two days, replace 75% of the old food with the new one. After two more days, you can fully transition to the new food.

• In addition to gradually changing the diet, ensure that the horse is fed at the same fixed time each day. Horses will perform better if they have consistent meal times.
• Sudden changes in food or feeding schedules can lead to colic and laminitis. Colic is a severe abdominal pain that may require surgery. Laminitis is a condition that causes poor circulation and may lead to the separation of the hoof from the foot. Laminitis can be fatal in horses.

• Avoid feeding horses grains right after exercise as it can cause stomach discomfort. Ensure the horse rests adequately before eating to prevent this issue. You can tell when the horse has recovered when its nostrils stop flaring and its breathing becomes steady.
• Don't over-supplement a horse's diet. Both vitamin and mineral excess or deficiency can cause problems. Supplements should only be used when necessary, not as a precautionary measure.
• Never let a horse push you out of the way while feeding them (this applies at all times, especially during feeding).
• Establish a consistent feeding schedule for your horse. Do not alter the feeding time (e.g., feeding at 7 AM today and at 8 AM the next day). Stick to the same feeding time every day.
• Like humans, horses can have food allergies. They are often allergic to barley and alfalfa hay, with symptoms such as rashes. If this occurs, consult a veterinarian for accurate diagnosis.
• Prepare certain foods before feeding. You must soak beets and cook flax seeds, as they are hazardous for horses if not prepared properly. Grains should be rolled or crushed for easier digestion, although unprocessed grains are not immediately harmful.
• Some horse owners try to complicate their horse’s diet by introducing too many types of food, which can upset the nutritional balance. A varied diet is beneficial, but should be offered in moderation. Avoid overfeeding one type of food. Gradually introduce new foods, as mentioned earlier.
• Improper feeding can lead to health and behavioral issues such as:
  • Bad habits (e.g., stealing food, cribbing), eating wood or manure, stomach ulcers. Regular feeding intervals help prevent these issues.
  • Laminitis and hyperactivity. Reduce starch intake in the diet to avoid these conditions.
  • Azoturia (excess protein in urine). Feed based on the horse’s workload, and reduce energy intake on rest days to prevent this condition.
  • Colic. Offer small, frequent meals with high fiber content and high-quality food to avoid this issue. Refer to earlier tips for gradual diet changes.
  • Obesity and exhaustion. Regularly assess your horse’s condition, record information, and monitor energy levels to prevent these problems.