Hay bales for the winter.

Worked example

Two horses, 20 lb a day each, 180 days: 2 × 20 × 180 = 7,200 lb eaten. With 10 percent waste, 7,200 ÷ 0.90 = 8,000 lb. At 50 lb a bale that is exactly 160 bales, or 160 bales (4.0 tons), 80 per horse.

How it works

Total hay = horses × hay per day × days ÷ (1 − waste / 100). Bales = total hay ÷ bale weight, rounded up. The daily hay per horse comes from you; a common maintenance range of 1.5 to 2 percent of body weight is in Table I of G1781 Basics of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Kathy P. Anderson). Add a spare bale or two: bale weights, hay quality and weather change the real use.

Sources (opened 2026-10-08): G1781 Basics of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Kathy P. Anderson).

FAQ

How many bales of hay does a horse need for winter?

It depends on weight, bale weight and the number of days without pasture. A 1,000 lb horse eating 20 lb a day for 180 days uses 3,600 lb, or 72 bales of 50 lb before waste.

How many tons of hay per horse per year?

A 1,000 lb horse at 2 percent eats 20 lb a day, about 3.65 tons a year if fed hay alone all year.

How much extra should I buy?

A waste allowance of 5 to 10 percent is a common rule of thumb, not a published standard. The waste field adds the percent you choose.

Do bales weigh the same everywhere?

No. Weigh several from your supplier; the count here is only as good as the bale weight you enter.