Horse Feed Calculator
Daily hay and grain from horse weight and workload.
What it does
Horses eat by percent of body weight, not by scoop. An idle 1,100 lb horse needs about 22 lb of feed a day, all of it forage, while the same horse in moderate work needs 27.5 lb with grain covering the gap. Percents keep the ration honest as horses range from 800 lb ponies to 1,400 lb draft crosses.
The tool above runs NRC based percents. Enter weight and workload and it prints hay, grain with a meal split, and the daily total. Light work at 1,100 lb gives 16.5 lb of hay plus 5.5 lb of grain over 2 meals. Metric mode mirrors in kilograms: a 500 kg horse shows 7.5 kg of hay and 2.5 kg of grain.
University and veterinary sources agree. Minnesota Extension requires at least 1 % of body weight in roughage with 2 % typical, the Merck Veterinary Manual (from NRC requirements) sets 1.5 to 2 % forage with 2 to 2.5 % max intake, and Nebraska Extension tables forage, concentrate, and total percents by class from maintenance through intense work.
Grain needs splitting, not stacking. The 0.5 % per feeding cap means the example 5.5 lb fits two meals, while an 11 lb moderate ration needs three. Forage stays at least half the ration at every level; heavy grain feeding without hay invites colic.
How to use
- Pick imperial (lb) or metric (kg).
- Enter the horse body weight.
- Pick the workload level honestly.
- Read total intake first, then hay and grain.
- Split grain over the printed meal count.
- Keep hay at half the ration or more.
Formula
- weight
- Body weight: lb or kg by system.
- workload %
- Idle 2.0, light 2.0, moderate 2.5, intense 2.75 %.
- meals
- Grain split: 2 meals normally, 3 past 8 lb.
- 0.5 % cap
- Max grain per feeding: 0.5 % of body weight.
Percents follow UNL Table I and Minnesota Extension: forage 1 to 2 %, totals 1.5 to 3 % by class. Metric defaults mirror imperial (500 kg is 1,102 lb).
Worked example
Example: 1,100 lb horse, light work
Imperial defaults: 1,100 lb horse, light work. Metric mirrors at 500 kg.
- Inputs: 1,100 lb horse in light work.
- Total: 1,100 x 2.0 % = 22 lb/day.
- Hay: 1,100 x 1.5 % = 16.5 lb.
- Grain: 22 minus 16.5 = 5.5 lb over 2 meals of 2.75.
- Tool shows 16.5 lb hay, 5.5 lb grain (2 meals), 22 lb/day.
Reference table
| Class | Forage | Grain | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance | 1.5-2.0 | 0-0.5 | 1.5-2.0 |
| Light work | 1.0-2.0 | 0.5-1.0 | 1.5-2.5 |
| Moderate work | 1.0-2.0 | 0.75-1.5 | 1.75-2.5 |
| Intense work | 0.8-1.5 | 1.0-2.0 | 2.0-3.0 |
Limits
- Planning percents only. Hay quality and condition score adjust rations.
- Ignores supplements, pasture hours, and senior feeds.
- Broodmares and growers follow class tables, not this average.
- Vet and nutritionist judgment rules metabolic cases.
Common mistakes
- Feeding by scoop instead of weighing the ration.
- One big grain meal past the 0.5 % cap.
- Cutting hay under half the ration for hard keepers.
- Skipping the workload step up for fit horses.
- Changing rations fast instead of over two weeks.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
1,100 lb horse, idle?
Total 1,100 x 2 % = 22 lb, all forage. No grain.
1,100 lb horse, moderate work?
Total 1,100 x 2.5 % = 27.5 lb. Hay 16.5 lb. Grain 11 lb over 3 meals of 3.67.
Questions
How much does a horse eat daily?
Body weight times a workload percent: 2.0 % idle and light, 2.5 % moderate, 2.75 % intense. An 1,100 lb horse in light work eats 22 lb a day.
How much hay at minimum?
At least 1 % of body weight, ideally 1.5 to 2 %, per Minnesota Extension and Merck/NRC guidance. Here 16.5 lb for the example horse.
How much grain?
Total minus hay. Light work at 1,100 lb: 22 minus 16.5 = 5.5 lb, split over 2 meals.
How much grain per meal?
At most 0.5 % of body weight per feeding (5.5 lb here). More grain means more meals, not bigger ones.
Do idle horses need grain?
Yes. Idle horses eat about 2 % of body weight all as forage: 22 lb of hay for 1,100 lb.
Is half the ration always hay?
Yes, at least half the ration stays forage at every workload. Heavy grain rations risk colic and laminitis.
Sources
- Univ. of Minnesota Extension: Using Hay in Horse Diets
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional Requirements of Horses (NRC based)
- Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln NebGuide G1781: Basics of Feeding Horses