Nutrition basics
Horse Nutrition Basics
How much hay, water and salt your horse needs, how to read body condition and how to change feed without upsetting the gut.
- Forage first Hay or pasture is the base of every diet.
- Water and salt daily The two things owners most often underestimate.
- Adjust by body condition Score monthly and change feed slowly.
Free tool
Daily ration calculator
Enter your horse's weight, condition and work to see how much hay, water and salt to plan for each day.
Your daily plan appears hereEnter a body weight to start.
The foundation
Six rules that cover most horses
Get these right before you think about supplements or grain.
Forage first
Hay or pasture should be most of the diet: about 1.5 to 2% of body weight a day. Horses are built to chew for 14 to 16 hours a day.
Water, always
Clean water at all times. A 500 kg horse drinks 25 to 50 litres a day, more in heat and work. Low intake in winter is a common cause of impaction colic.
Salt every day
About 25 g (1 oz) a day at rest, more with work and sweat. A plain white salt block is the minimum; a mineral block is not a salt block.
Change feed slowly
Gut bacteria need 10 to 14 days to adjust. Sudden changes in hay, grain or grass are a common cause of colic and diarrhea.
Feed to body condition
Score your horse by feel every month. The scale, not the bucket, tells you whether the diet is working.
Grain only if needed
Most horses in light work on good hay need no grain. If you feed it, keep meals small and split them; a ration balancer covers vitamins and minerals.
Body condition
Body condition score, 1 to 9
The Henneke scale scores fat by feel over the ribs, back, tail head, withers, neck and behind the shoulder. Tap a score to see what it looks like.
Too thinIdeal for mostOverweight
5
Moderate
Back is level. Ribs easy to feel but not seen. Fat around the tail head feels slightly spongy.
Ideal for most horses: Keep doing what you are doing, and keep scoring monthly.
How to score your horse Weight and condition estimator EMS and easy keepers
Hay
Timothy vs orchard vs alfalfa
Typical differences. Sugar and protein vary more with cutting, growing conditions and storage than with hay type, so test your hay if it matters for your horse.
| Timothy (grass) | Orchard (grass) | Alfalfa (legume) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | Lower | Moderate | High |
| Calories | Moderate | Moderate | Higher |
| Calcium | Low | Low to moderate | High |
| Sugar and starch | Varies; test it | Varies; test it | Often moderate |
| Best for | Most adult horses and easy keepers | Most adult horses; soft and tasty | Hard keepers, growing horses, late-pregnant and nursing mares, ulcer-prone horses |
| Watch out | May fall short on protein for growing or hard-working horses | Some cuttings run high in sugar | Easy keepers gain weight fast; introduce slowly |
Full hay comparison Timothy hay Orchard grass hay Alfalfa pellets
Feed changes
Plan a safe feed change
Switching hay, grain or pasture? Spread it over about two weeks. Pick a start date to get your schedule.
Watch manure and appetite at each step. If manure loosens, hold at that step for a few more days.
Days 1 to 3
25% new feed, 75% current feed
Days 4 to 6
50% new feed, 50% current feed
Days 7 to 10
75% new feed, 25% current feed
Day 11 onward
100% new feed
Common situations
Adjusting the diet
Start with the cheapest, safest change first. Most of these begin with forage, not grain.
Needs to gain weight
- Rule out teeth, parasites and illness with your vet first
- Feed more forage, or switch to a higher-calorie hay such as alfalfa
- Then add beet pulp, rice bran or a fat supplement before grain
- Increase slowly over 2 to 3 weeks
- Score body condition monthly
Overweight or easy keeper
- Cut grain to zero; use a ration balancer for vitamins and minerals
- Feed hay at about 1.5% of body weight, weighed, not guessed
- Use a slow feeder or small-hole hay net
- Limit lush grass with a dry lot or grazing muzzle
- Ask your vet about EMS if weight won't shift
Hay net selector → EMS guide →
Senior losing weight
- Dental exam first: worn or missing teeth are the top cause
- Look for balls of chewed hay (quidding)
- Switch some or all hay to soaked cubes, pellets or senior feed
- Keep water easy to reach and appealing
- Ask your vet about PPID (Cushing's)
Senior hay replacer → Teeth and floating →
Heavy work or competition
- Raise forage first, up to about 2.5% of body weight
- Add calories from fat or fibre before large grain meals
- Keep each grain meal under about 0.5% of body weight
- Replace salt and electrolytes lost in sweat
- Score body condition through the season
Electrolyte calculator → Alfalfa pellet planner →
Health check
When a feeding problem is really a health problem
If you see any of these, check vitals and talk to your vet before changing the diet again.
Sudden weight loss
Rule out dental disease, parasites, PPID and chronic illness first.
Off feed
More than 12 to 24 hours, or a slow loss of interest in hay, needs a temperature check and a call.
Not drinking
Horses that drink much less than usual are at risk of impaction colic. Call the same day.
Diarrhea after a feed change
Brief loose manure can happen. Watery diarrhea, or diarrhea with fever, needs your vet.
Repeated colic
Can point to feeding schedule, hay type, sand, ulcers or teeth. Work it out with your vet.
Cresty neck or fat pads
With an easy keeper, these can signal EMS and raise laminitis risk.
Symptom guides Vitals checker Colic in horses
Free tools
Nutrition tools and guides
Calculators for the feeding questions owners ask most.
Estimate weight from measurements and score body condition. Daily salt and electrolytes by size, work and weather. How much to feed and how to introduce alfalfa pellets. Soaking, amounts and a safe start for beet pulp. Replace hay for horses that can no longer chew it. Pick a slow feeder that suits your horse and setup.Weight and condition estimator
Salt and electrolyte calculator
Alfalfa pellet planner
Beet pulp starter plan
Senior hay replacer
Hay net and slow feeder selector
Basics of equine nutrition→ Orchard vs timothy vs alfalfa→ How much does a horse weigh?→ Body condition scoring→ Salt and electrolytes→ Beet pulp for horses→ Rice bran for horses→ Alfalfa pellets→ Water intake in winter→
See what each feed change actually does
Log feed changes, weight, body condition and supplements for every horse in Horse Tracker, so you know what is working. Start free with one horse.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should a horse's diet be based on?
Forage. Hay or pasture should make up most of what a horse eats, with clean water and plain salt every day. Most healthy adult horses on good forage need little or no grain, but often benefit from a ration balancer for the vitamins and minerals hay lacks.
How much hay should a horse eat per day?
About 1.5 to 2% of body weight in forage per day. For a 500 kg (1,100 lb) horse that is 7.5 to 10 kg (16 to 22 lb) of hay. Hard keepers and hard-working horses may need up to 2.5%. Weigh your hay: flakes vary a lot.
How much water does a horse drink?
Usually 25 to 50 litres (about 7 to 13 US gallons) a day for a 500 kg horse at rest, and much more in heat, during work or when eating dry hay. A horse that drinks much less than usual is at risk of impaction colic.
Do horses need salt every day?
Yes. A resting 500 kg horse needs about 25 g (1 oz) of salt a day, and two to three times that in hard work or heat. Offer a plain white salt block and consider adding loose salt to feed. A mineral block is not a substitute.
Is alfalfa good for horses?
For the right horse. Alfalfa is higher in protein, energy and calcium than grass hay, which suits hard keepers, growing horses, late-pregnant and nursing mares and horses prone to ulcers. Easy keepers often gain too much weight on it.
How do I change my horse's feed safely?
Over 10 to 14 days. Replace about a quarter of the old feed every 3 to 4 days so the gut bacteria can adjust. Sudden changes in hay, grain or pasture are a common cause of colic and diarrhea.
How do I help a horse gain weight safely?
Check teeth and parasites first and rule out illness with your vet. Then add more forage, or higher-calorie forage such as alfalfa, before adding beet pulp, rice bran or a fat supplement. Increase slowly over 2 to 3 weeks and score body condition monthly.
What body condition score should my horse be?
Most horses do best at 5 on the 1 to 9 Henneke scale: ribs easy to feel but not seen and a level back. Many athletes sit at 4 to 5 and many broodmares at 5 to 6. A score of 7 or more raises laminitis risk.
Nutrition information is educational. Work with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist for horses with medical conditions, metabolic disease or significant weight concerns.