Feeding Horses

1.36# per quart. So divide 2 1/2 by 1.36 and that equals 1.83 quarts. Round it off to either 2 qts. if the horse is on the lean side or round it down to 1 3/4 qts. if he is on the chunky side.

The balance of the weight in feed needs to come from good quality hay.

One must know the weight of a flake of hay. Figure an average of 40# bales with 10 flakes in each bale. So now we know that 1 flake would weigh approximately 4#. Therefore, 75% of 30# of total feed would be what? ... 22 1/2# per day of hay, divided by 3 feedings, equals out to 7 1/2# per feeding. Because hay is the main staple of a horse's diet, we can easily, without worry, round up the weight to 8# which would mean 2 flakes of hay at each of 3 feedings.

OK, now I know this all sounds really complicated but it is not. Read it over again and follow step by step. If you can just remember 2 - 2 1/2# of TOTAL FEED per day for every 100# of horse body weight, you can go from there.

There are many brands and types of grain available on the market today. Only you can decide which is best for your horse. It would be wise to consult your vet if you have any nutritional questions.

As a postscript: Horses LOVE different fresh veggies, herbs and fruits. A couple of things that are NOT ACCEPTABLE for horses are tomatoes, raw potatoes, onions and some herbs that might cause adverse reactions. Do some studying into herbs and horses to see what might be beneficial not only for your horse's palate, but for his health. I like to add lettuce, broccoli, carrots, apples, oranges, bananas, celery, cauliflower, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, fresh corn husks and corn, pears, pineapple, peaches, dandelion leaves, rose hips, comfrey, nettle, ... many other fruits and veggies to compliment the diet. An amount of 3# of select, mixed fresh veggies and herbs at least 3X a day will help ensure proper vitamin intake. Be creative - safe leftovers from preparing dinner and give them to your horse. Just be sure that you KNOW what you're adding is safe for horses.

Bon appetit!

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