PennFAQ's

PennFAQs

"Horse products made by Horse People"

Frequently Asked Questions -

We will answer all questions, but the really good questions we will post on the site.

Q: What is the most important ingredient in a horseʼs diet?

A: Water is the single most important item in your horseʼs diet, and itʼs also the item that your horse will consume the most of. Clean, fresh water should be available to your horse at all times.

Under average conditions, a horse will consume one gallon of water per 100 pounds of body weight per day. Conditions will increase this. For instance, extremely hot weather or being asked to perform strenuous activity to prepare for a show or work will increase a horseʼs consumption of water.

Average food consumption for a 1000 pound horse breaks down to:

80 pounds of water per day
15 pounds of hay per day
7 pounds of grain per day
1 ounce of salt per day

Q: How much should I feed my horse?

A: Adult horses consume 2% to 2.5% of their body weight each day. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat 20 to 22 pounds combined of hay, grain, salt, and minerals daily.

A horseʼs activity level helps you decide the hay to grain ratio required. If a horse is very inactive, it will thrive on a ration mostly of hay, with very little grain intake. If the horse is asked to work, a higher intake of grain is necessary. A very active horse, such as a buggy horse or work horse out plowing all day, may require a ratio of 50% grain and 50% forage. The ratio should NEVER be higher than 50% grain.

It is up to you to decide how much grain you feed your horse. Remember, if you over feed, you run the risk of causing obesity in your horse, and health issues from possible metabolic syndrome. Underfeeding a horse that is asked to work causes malnutrition and health problems from inadequate nutrition.

Q: How much does my horse weigh? (Refer to PennFaq article)

A: There are three ways to determine your horseʼs weight. The ﬁrst it obvious, but usually not practical: lead your horse onto a large animal scale and weigh it. Most folks donʼt have access to a scale, so even though this is by far the most accurate, it is not easy to accomplish.

The second way is to use a weight tape. This provides an estimate, & is the easiest way to attempt weight, but also the least accurate method. The weight tape can be off by 10% in either direction, plus or minus.

There is a third method utilizing a formula, and this method is accurate to about 2% of actual weight either way. More work, but still practical to use.