How Much Should You Feed a Horse?
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I’m having some trouble getting my three-year-old gelding to be patient when it’s feeding time. He acts like he doesn't get enough to eat. How much food are you really supposed to give to a horse?
- Amanda
This is a tough question to answer without knowing more about your three-year-old, Amanda. The amount to feed a horse depends on many factors, including size, age, health and activity level. For example, growing foals, equine athletes and mares and stallions being used for breeding have greater nutritional requirements than do pet horses who receive little exercise.
Roughage should make up the majority of your horse’s diet. For grains, feeding recommendations are normally listed on the feed bag; however, these are just suggestions. Some horses will require more or less than the recommended amount. To determine specifically how much food your horse should consume, we recommend you have a discussion with your veterinarian or another equine professional.