Trying to calculate hay/ feed cost. They say horses eat 2 percent of of their body weight in hay. If you feed grain, beet pulp, other non forage can you subtract from that?
I don't. Forage is the most important piece of a horse's diet. Grain and what not is extra as far as I am concerned. My horse (when not on stall rest), is turned out in a pasture with lots of grass eating his little heart out all day, he comes in at night to a manger full of alfalfa (he's a hard keeper), and gets 1.5 lbs of Renew Gold + mineral supplement + Silver Lining Herbs.
I don't weigh my hay, and obviously can't weigh my pasture. To calculate what he costs me to feed, I keep track of how fast he goes through a bale of alfalfa and then how fast he goes through his RG and supplements.
Ideally a horses diet should be 60-70% forages and this can vary with their activity level and therefore what supplemental feedstuff are needed. As mentioned forages are the most important aspect of a horses diet and are crucial for ideal gut health. I would not subtract the supplemental feed stuffs from the total % of BW to be fed, if I was wanting to save money or get the best value for my money I would spend more on a great quality hay and if needed balance out with supplemental feedstuffs.
Posted 2015-03-07 8:43 AM Subject: RE: Feeding gurus
I am a Freak
Posts: 3326 Location: Nowhere Special
I think its 20% of weight in hay.. The best you can do for your horse and your money is invest in GOOD/GREAT quality hay and feed them enough of it. Have the hay tested and know what your are feeding, don't just go by looking at it or what the hay dealer/seller tells you it is..
Posted 2015-03-07 10:14 AM Subject: RE: Feeding gurus
Queen Boobie 2
Posts: 7521
jetgetset - 2015-03-07 8:43 AM
I think its 20% of weight in hay.. The best you can do for your horse and your money is invest in GOOD/GREAT quality hay and feed them enough of it. Have the hay tested and know what your are feeding, don't just go by looking at it or what the hay dealer/seller tells you it is..
For a 1,000 pound horse, 20% of his weight in hay would be 200 pounds...pretty sure it's 2% (20 pounds). That seems like a more likely amount ;)
Feeding gurus
