If you drive around in horse country, you are likely to see more fat horses than thin.  Horses are made to work; to run and move, and most of the time our domesticated friends do not get enough work to keep them in shape.  This is especially true in the winter where snows and rains can make it hard to get out and exercise our horses.  Making sure they have just the right amount of food can help keep the weight off, which is critical to preventing health problems related to obesity.

As a general rule of thumb, a horse will eat about two percent of its body weight in food per day.  For a 1,400 pound horse, this means 28 pounds of hay, assuming there is no forage or other food.  Only in very specific situations, such as a mare about to foal or one that is lactating, will you need to supplement a hay ration with any grain.  Grain is very easy to overfeed and most horses just don’t need any of it.

The type of hay you feed is important as well.  Unless you have a pregnant or lactating mare, you should feed a grass/alfalfa mix.  Straight alfalfa is too rich and will put on the pounds. 

Since horses are meant to graze all day, feeding 2-3 times per day is important to help combat boredom.  When you feed this way, it is critical to make sure you do not overfeed, because they will continue to munch all day and eat more than they need if allowed to.

If your horse seems to be leaving too much or wasting hay, try cutting back a couple of pounds per day until you find the right balance between eating quickly and having some left over.