People always wonder how much hay do you feed a horse. A healthy horse needs to be fed on average 2% of it’s body weight. If it’s winter, or the horse is underweight, or if the horse is being worked hard, you increase that to 2.5-3%. For example, if you have 1000lb, 15 hand horse, you’ll feed it 20lbs a day of dry matter. If you have hay bales that weigh 80lbs., then you’ll go through that hay bale in 4 days.
The bottom line is that you need to be daily watching your horse. Every horse is different. If your horse is dropping weight, you’ll need to increase the amount or adjust the type of feed. If your horse is starting to put on weight, back off on the amount your are giving your horse.
Also, don’t forget to adjust the amount of hay you feed your horse if you work your horse out or if it’s cold. It’s best to be feeding your horses at least twice a day. Remember that horses are grazing animals. It is more natural for them to be eating in small amounts more frequently throughout the day.