Q:
My horse is stalled most of the time. He gets 2 to 4 hours
of turnout daily and does graze during this time. How much
hay does he need?
A:
Horses generally need 2 to 2.5 pounds of dry feed per 100
pounds of body weight daily. For a 1,000 pound gelding,
this would be 20 to 25 pounds of total feed daily. The amount
of hay needed will be the difference between his total need
and the amount of feed concentrate you feed. If he needs
20 pounds of feed and you are feeding 6 pounds of concentrate
daily, he will likely need at least 14 pounds of hay daily.
A small
amount of hay can be replaced by the grass he consumes at
turnout. An even better approach is to provide your horse
with all of the hay he will consume. However, don't waste
hay. If he leaves some hay in his stall, reduce the amount
that you feed him.
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