Posted 2011-12-26 7:00 AM (#139662) Subject: How Much To Feed?
Regular
Posts: 88
How much hay do you feed per horse per day? Its winter now pasture grasses here in the northeast are depleted. My horses average around 1200 lbs. We use the square bales. They seem to be doing fine the way we have been doing it, but my wifes friends think we are not giving them enough. They are getting 3 bales a day(5 horses split into 2 feedings) plus their normal ration of grain. They are not under weight by any means. Wife is being told they should be getting a bale a day per horse at a minimum.
Posted 2011-12-26 8:31 AM (#139663 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 430 Location: TN
2% of body weight per horse, so that would be 24 lbs of forage per 1200 lb. horse per day.
I give our horses as much as they will eat free choice and clean up until they start pooping or peeing in it. I am a firm believer that you should base your feeding program around forage first. Horses were designed to be foraging animals and they do better with LOTS of quality, longstem roughage.
Posted 2011-12-26 10:11 AM (#139666 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I agree. 2% is plenty.
That means each 1200lb horse should get 24 lbs. I don't know what your hay bales weigh. But mine are about 65 lbs, So I give 1.5 bales a day for 4 horses. And since I'm only riding once a week on saturdays, I don't grain at all.
Now if we get a really cold stretch of weather. Temps down below 0° for few days at a time, I'll throw out a a couple extra flakes of alfalfa or even give them some soaked beet pulp. My horses never get a blanket, but do have a run in shed to get out of the wind or wet weather if they want it.
Posted 2011-12-26 10:24 AM (#139668 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Regular
Posts: 88
My bales are smaller around 45 to 50 lbs. Still sounds like they are getting plenty. 135 to 150 lbs per day. By calcs only need 120 lbs per day. Along with the one horse is 1 1/2 year old around 800 to 900 lbs.
Posted 2011-12-27 6:28 PM (#139691 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
I feed two flakes of hay each horse per feeding. (twice a day- I feed Rye hay.)Mine are 1200lb. Standardbreds. Any more than this and they waste it. If there is any hay left laying around, than you are feeding too much hay. I also feed a 2 pound scoop of Senior "dry". (meaning senior without the molasses)per horse. I use this to add warm water to, with loose salt (since my horses refuse their salt blocks)If your horses are acting like crazed maniacs at feed time, they are hungry then. Up your feed if they are not leaving any behind from previous feedings. My two do have a run-in shed and I do blanket at night with Medium weight blankets.
Posted 2011-12-28 8:28 AM (#139698 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
I agree your horses seems to be getting enough. Run your hands over their hips and ribs. If you can barely feel any bone then the horses are fine. I do this occasionally in the winter as the heavy coat can make them look fatter than they are. Sounds like your horses are doing fine..tell your wife's friends thanks for the advice but my horses are just fine.
Posted 2011-12-28 7:37 PM (#139704 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316 Location: Illinois
If you feed too much hay, they'll just pee on it and waste it. If the horses are happy, in good weight and such, chances are you are just right. If you want to throw them an extra flake on a really cold night, won't hurt.
BTW, if they are skinny and dull, well, yeah you might want to feed more. :P
Posted 2011-12-28 9:21 PM (#139706 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Veteran
Posts: 201 Location: Lincoln, NE
I feed one square bale(65#) a day for three horses. It's brome hay, given in two feedings. No grain at all for the pasture ornaments! They have large run in for a windbreak and to get out of rain and snow.
Like others I increase the hay if the weather gets bitterly cold. Hasn't happened yet this winter. Make sure they have salt and water.
Posted 2011-12-29 10:44 AM (#139712 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Veteran
Posts: 186
I like the feel test - know what their meat feels like over the hip, back,and rib bones, feel them before the winter coat comes on. They will usually loose the meat over the ribs first. I have two (full grown not doing much in the winter) 1100 horses, if it is a really heavy bale-mixed grass- I am taking a flake out of the "big" bales, as they are comming out of winter too fat. - they get 1 cup of Safe Choice each a day, just to mix with their 1 oz of vitamine. My old farrier said "Horses should come out of winter thinner than they go in, that is natures way." I find it very hard to under feed but will try again this winter - here in Upper Michigan it gets cold, I always feed more when it is below 0 - this year I bought a truck load of late cut hay I am going to try feeding more quantity of the low surgar hay when it gets below 0. Both of them were in good shape this fall as we rode allot all last year but it only took a month of dead pasture grass this Oct/Nov for them to gain enough weight I had to let the back cinch out. I would tell the neighbor that horses are like people, skinny is better for them than too fat.
Posted 2011-12-29 11:33 AM (#139713 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Regular
Posts: 51 Location: VA
There's the old saying, "the eye of the owner fattens the calf", meaning if you see your animals as thin then you will tend to over feed them, even if someone else sees them as just right. Probably most who post here feed their horses well over winter. Hay is more important than grain as it is the source of heat in the rumen.
Posted 2011-12-29 12:24 PM (#139714 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
"Horses should come out of winter thinner than they go in, that is natures way" Hmmmm.... and it's natures way is for the poor body condition and weak to die in harsh winter conditions.
Posted 2011-12-29 12:42 PM (#139717 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Expert
Posts: 1871 Location: NY
I agree with everybody what I do is feed what they will eat so If I see hay left on the ground then I do not add more to it they do go in at night to there stalls
Posted 2011-12-29 5:15 PM (#139722 - in reply to #139662) Subject: RE: How Much To Feed?
Expert
Posts: 1723 Location: michigan
A horse does not have a rumen.They are only found in a ruminant such as a cow. The majority of digestion in a horse is done in the small and large intestine. Horses do have a cecum which is similar to a rumen but is not a multi-chambered digestive organ.
How Much To Feed?
