Lower end (~1.5%) for easy keepers or overweight horses; higher end (~2.5-3%) for hard keepers, pregnant/lactating mares, or horses in heavy work.
Bales needed for the period
—
Total cost: —
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Daily hay per horse (lb) | — |
| Total daily hay for all horses (lb) | — |
| Total hay needed for the period (lb) | — |
| Bales needed | — |
| Total cost | — |
Como o cálculo funciona
1.5-3% of body weight per day in forage is the standard range cited by equine nutritionists. Most healthy horses at maintenance do fine around 2%.
Easy keepers and overweight horses may need to stay near the 1.5% end — but even when restricting calories, avoid under-feeding forage itself, since horses need near-constant access to forage for gut health (long gaps increase the risk of ulcers and colic).
Hard keepers, growing horses, and pregnant or lactating mares often need closer to 2.5-3%. Note this covers hay/forage only — not grain or concentrate, which many working horses also receive on top of their hay ration.