Pasture and Hay for Horses

Horses are used in a wide variety of activities throughout Pennsylvania and adjoining states. Most of these horses are owned and managed for recreation or sport rather than for profit. One of the main expenses in owning a horse is feed. More myths are associated with feeding horses than with feeding most other animals in part because an increasing number of horse owners are unfamiliar with the basics of horse nutrition. Nutritional needs vary considerably among horses depending on age weight and level of activity. There are no magic supplements high performance feed secrets or short cuts that will transform any horse into a champion.

Horses naturally use forages as a primary component of their diets. Forages are a basic necessity for normal functioning of the equine digestive system and forage requirements are supplied most easily by pasture and hay.
Horses naturally use forages as a primary component of their diets. Forages are a basic necessity for normal functioning of the equine digestive system and forage requirements are supplied most easily by pasture and hay.
Horses should consume at least 1 percent of their body weight in hay or pasture grasses and legumes each day. Mature horses performing minimal or no work can be maintained on highquality forages without supplementing their diet with grain. Growing breeding or working horses require supplemental grain or concentrate to meet their additional nutrient requirements. Generally for optimal horse growth and development forages should supply onehalf or more of the total weight of feed consumed daily. Table 1 shows estimated daily feed consumption rates recommended for various classes of horses.
Depending on quality and quantity consumed forages provide varying amounts of required nutrients. Table 2 lists the major nutrient requirements for different types of horses. To properly balance the diet the nutrient content of the forage and the concentrate

in the diet must be determined. Once the nutrient content of the feeds is known the proper amounts of each can be calculated to meet the horses nutrient requirements. For more information on feeding horses and balancing their rations contact the Penn State Extension office in your county.
Pasture
Highquality properly fenced pastures are one of the best and least expensive sources of summer feed for a horse. A wellkept pasture also is the most natural and healthy environment for exercise and rest.
Productive wellmanaged pastures can provide most of the feed requirements of horses for the least cost. Good pasture alone is sufficient to meet all of the nutritional requirements for many classes of horses. At the same time poorly managed pastures supply little or no feed and frequently are the source of internal parasites.
If pasture is a feed source horses with a mature weight of 1000 to 1200 pounds generally need the following amount of pasture mare and foal 1 75 to 2 acres yearlings 1 5 to 2 acres and weanlings 0 5 to 1 acre.
When acreage is very limited less than an acre per horse exercise may be the main pasture use. In that case pasture will supply only a minimal amount of feed.
Establishing a rotational grazing system is the best way to maximize forage production and consumption on limited pasture acreage. A group of compatible horses can graze a paddock area of divided pasture for approximately 3 to 6 days then be moved rotated to a fresh paddock. Limed and fertilized Kentucky bluegrass should be the main grass in this system because it withstands close and continuous grazing better than most other grasses. When well established and properly fertilized it produces a reasonably dense and attractive sod. Consult the Penn State Agronomy Guide available through your county extension