Horse Feed Ration Calculator
A horse's daily feed is sized as a percentage of its body weight, then divided between forage and concentrate. This calculator takes the horse's weight, the daily intake percentage, and the forage share you want, and returns total daily feed, forage weight and concentrate weight. Every figure is user-editable so you can match the workload, life stage and ration plan for your horse.
Feed ration formula
Total daily feed = weight * (intake percent / 100)
Forage = total * (forage percent / 100)
Concentrate = total - forage
Total feed is the daily dry-matter target as a fraction of body weight. The forage share sets how much of that is hay or pasture, with the rest as concentrate.
Worked example
A 500 kg horse at 2 percent intake with an 80 percent forage share: total = 500 * 0.02 = 10.00 kg/day. Forage = 10 * 0.80 = 8.00 kg/day. Concentrate = 10 - 8 = 2.00 kg/day.
Horse feed: frequently asked questions
How much should a horse eat per day?
Horses typically eat between 1.5 and 3 percent of their body weight in dry matter per day, with about 2 percent a common starting point for a mature horse at maintenance. The exact figure depends on workload, life stage and body condition, so it is a user-editable input here.
How is the feed split between forage and concentrate?
Most equine diets are forage-based, with forage making up the majority of intake. You enter the forage percentage and the calculator assigns the remainder to concentrate. A forage-first ratio supports digestive health.
Does this account for nutrient balance?
No. This calculator divides total daily intake by weight and ratio. It does not balance protein, minerals or vitamins. Work with a veterinarian or equine nutritionist to ensure the ration meets the horse's full nutrient requirements.
Official sources
- U.S. National Academies, National Research Council: Nutrient Requirements of Horses.
- The ration split follows from the definitions of percentage of body weight and percentage of total feed.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 19 June 2026. See our methodology.