Skip to content
PortiopetDeutsch

Horse hay calculator

How much hay does your horse need? Enter its weight – we calculate the daily minimum, the usual range and how many bales you need a year.

No scale? Estimate the weight with a tape (link below).

Hay per day

at least 19.2 lb per day

Usual: 19.2 lb (8.7 kg) – 25.6 lb (11.6 kg)

Dry matter, at least
16.5 lb (7.5 kg) per day
Per month, at least
584 lb (265 kg)
Per year, at least
7,003 lb (3,176 kg) (about 3.5 tons)
lb

Not sure? Ask your hay supplier.

At the minimum: about 2.7 bales a week, 141 a year.

Estimate weight · Is the hay enough? Feed calculator

Pasture is not included. Haylage holds more water, so you need more of it by weight.

Offer forage for at least 12 hours a day, with breaks of no more than about 4 hours (German horse welfare guidelines, BMEL).

How we calculate

At least 1.5% of body weight as forage dry matter (LfL Bavaria), usually up to 2% (Merck Veterinary Manual). Hay is about 86% dry matter, so we divide by 0.86. Only a hay analysis tells you exactly.

The short answer

A horse needs at least 1.5–2% of its body weight in forage dry matter every day (Merck Veterinary Manual); German guidelines set the minimum at 1.5% (LfL Bavaria). Hay is about 86% dry matter, so a 1,100 lb horse needs at least 19.2 lb of hay a day, usually 19.2–25.6 lb. That’s at least 3.5 tons a year.

How we calculate: formulas and sources

Hay per day by weight

WeightHay, at leastUsual per dayPer year, at least
500 lb8.7 lb (4.0 kg)8.7 lb (4.0 kg) – 11.6 lb (5.3 kg)3,183 lb (1,444 kg)
700 lb12.2 lb (5.5 kg)12.2 lb (5.5 kg) – 16.3 lb (7.4 kg)4,456 lb (2,021 kg)
900 lb15.7 lb (7.1 kg)15.7 lb (7.1 kg) – 20.9 lb (9.5 kg)5,730 lb (2,599 kg)
1,000 lb17.4 lb (7.9 kg)17.4 lb (7.9 kg) – 23.3 lb (10.5 kg)6,366 lb (2,888 kg)
1,100 lb19.2 lb (8.7 kg)19.2 lb (8.7 kg) – 25.6 lb (11.6 kg)7,003 lb (3,176 kg)
1,300 lb22.7 lb (10.3 kg)22.7 lb (10.3 kg) – 30.2 lb (13.7 kg)8,276 lb (3,754 kg)
1,500 lb26.2 lb (11.9 kg)26.2 lb (11.9 kg) – 34.9 lb (15.8 kg)9,549 lb (4,332 kg)
1,800 lb31.4 lb (14.2 kg)31.4 lb (14.2 kg) – 41.9 lb (19.0 kg)11,459 lb (5,198 kg)

Hay with 86% dry matter, pasture not included. At least 1.5% of body weight as dry matter (LfL Bavaria), usually up to 2% (Merck).

Questions

How much hay does a horse eat a day?

At least 1.5% of its body weight as dry matter, usually up to 2% (Merck). With hay at 86% dry matter, a 1,100 lb horse needs at least 19.2 lb of hay a day, usually up to 25.6 lb.

How much hay does a horse need for a year?

A 1,100 lb horse needs at least 19.2 lb a day, so about 7,000 lb or 3.5 tons a year. The calculator above works it out for your horse and your bales.

How much haylage instead of hay?

Haylage holds more water. LfL Bavaria gives at least 2 kg of haylage with 70% dry matter per 100 kg body weight a day – that’s 2 lb per 100 lb.

Can I feed straw?

In moderation: at most about 1 kg per 100 kg body weight and at most half of the forage (LfL Bavaria, ponies excepted). Lots of straw needs a steady routine and enough exercise, or it can cause impaction colic.

How much hay should a horse eat in 24 hours?

The daily amount above is for 24 hours. Offer forage for at least 12 of them, with breaks of no more than about 4 hours (German horse welfare guidelines).

Does pasture count?

The calculator counts hay only. How much your horse eats on pasture depends on the grass – we can’t calculate that.

Sources (3)