Horse hay per day.

Worked example

A 1,000 lb horse at 2 percent: 1,000 × 0.02 = 20 lb of hay a day. With 10 percent waste you need to put out 20 ÷ 0.90 = 22.2 lb a day, about 667 lb a month. The 1.5 to 2 percent range gives 16.7 to 22.2 lb a day with that waste.

How it works

Hay per day = body weight × percent / 100. Hay to put out = that amount ÷ (1 − waste percent / 100). The 1.5 to 2.0 percent range is the forage intake for mature horses at maintenance in Table I of G1781 Basics of Feeding Horses: Feeding Management (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Kathy P. Anderson), which describes the feed as air-dry (about 90 percent dry matter). Horses that are working, pregnant, nursing or growing eat different amounts, and pasture, grain and body condition change how much hay is right.

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

FAQ

How much hay does a horse eat per day?

A mature horse at maintenance is commonly fed 1.5 to 2 percent of its body weight in forage a day. For a 1,000 lb horse that is 15 to 20 lb of hay.

How many pounds of hay is 2 percent of body weight?

Multiply the horse weight by 0.02. A 1,200 lb horse at 2 percent gets 24 lb of hay a day.

Does this include grain or pasture?

No. It assumes hay is the only feed. If your horse grazes or eats grain, hay can be reduced; ask your vet or an equine nutritionist.

Why add a waste allowance?

Horses drop, trample and soil some hay. If 10 percent is wasted you must put out about 11 percent more than the horse actually eats.