Forage
How much forage should I be feeding my horse a day?
We recommend that horses and ponies be fed no less than 1.5% of their bodyweight in forage (grass, hay, and/or haylage) per day on a dry matter basis.
So, what does this mean for your horse or pony?
To calculate 1.5% of their bodyweight:
250kg pony: (250/100) x 1.5 = 3.75kg
600kg horse: (600/100) x 1.5 = 9kg
As the above is on a dry matter basis, we need to factor in the moisture content of the forage. On average, hay contains 15% water, with haylage containing 35% water, so we need to adjust the amounts to an ‘as-fed’ basis.
250kg pony: 3.75kg / 0.85 = 4.4kg hay or 3.75kg/ 0.65 = 5.8kg haylage
600kg horse: 9kg / 0.85 = 10.6kg hay or 9kg / 0.65 = 13.9kg haylage
When looking to maintain your horse or pony’s weight we recommend at least 2% of their bodyweight, dry matter, per day. You can use the above calculations for this, change 1.5 to 2 or feed on an ad-lib basis. If you are feeding to gain weight, then provide forage ad-lib.
The above information does not consider grass consumption, as it differs greatly depending on the horse, the amount of grass available, the time of year, and the time of day. Remember that grass has a very high moisture content, so even if you think they are eating lots of grass on a dry matter basis, they may still require a ‘top-up’ of supplementary forage.
How long do you recommend soaking hay for?
Whilst we previously thought the length of time hay was left to soak had the most considerable effect on sugar, fructans, and calorie loss, recent research has shown that the amount of water used to soak has the most significant effect. Use the largest container you can find and fill it with as much water as possible—this allows more space for the sugar and fructans to leech out into the water. A smaller container would reach capacity sooner!
Ideally, soak hay for at least 2 hours but never more than 12 (or 6 in hot weather) due to the bacterial load in the water. Upon removing from the water, rinse off the net to remove sugar and contaminated water.
Remember to get your hay analysed so you know your starting point and whether you may need to soak for closer to 12 hours. For horses and ponies prone to laminitis, we would ideally like the hay to be less than 10% sugar before soaking.
TOP TIP: To ensure optimal intake, increase the amount of hay given by 20% due to the loss of dry matter during soaking.
My horse appears to be struggling to eat forage. What do I do?
Lack of fibre is one of the key reasons for weight loss in horses or ponies. If your horse is no longer able to chew hay or haylage, then you need to provide the fibre they would usually receive from this in the form of a hay replacer.
Fast Fibre is not only a best-selling quick-soak fibre-based daily ‘bucket’ feed but also a tasty partial forage replacement. Nutritionally, 1kg (dry weight) of Fast Fibre is equivalent to 1kg (dry weight) of hay, which makes it easy to monitor how much forage you are providing.
You can find more information in our hay replacers factsheet here, or you can contact our friendly, award-winning nutritional helpline on 01362 822 902.