Horse Feed Calculator

The National Research Council (NRC) recommends horses consume 1.5 to 3% of their body weight in dry matter per day, depending on activity level. A 500 kg horse in light work needs approximately 7.5 to 10 kg of dry matter per day. Most of this should be forage (hay or pasture): at least 1 to 1.5% of body weight as forage to maintain digestive health.

As a minimum, horses should receive hay equal to 1% of body weight daily (5 kg for a 500 kg horse) even when on good pasture. For horses in light to moderate work with no pasture, 1.5 to 2% of body weight as hay (7.5 to 10 kg) covers maintenance and energy needs. Heavy or performance horses may need more and should receive concentrate supplementation.

Forage is hay, haylage, or pasture grass: high in fibre, digested in the hindgut, and essential for gut health. Concentrate is grain, pellets, or compound feed: high in energy and protein, digested in the small intestine, and fed to meet additional energy demands beyond what forage can provide. Forage should always be the majority of a horse's diet.

The most accurate method is a calibrated livestock scale. A practical field estimate uses the formula: Weight (kg) = (Heart girth cm x Heart girth cm x Body length cm) / 11,877. Body length is measured from the point of shoulder to the point of buttock. Condition scoring (1-9 Henneke scale) is also used to track weight trend.

Yes. Light work (trail riding 1 to 3 hours per week) adds roughly 20% to maintenance energy requirements. Moderate work (regular riding 3 to 5 hours per week) adds 40%. Intense work (racing, eventing, endurance) may double or triple energy needs. Consult an equine nutritionist for performance horse rations as concentrates must be introduced gradually.