How much hay does a horse eat a day, a month and a year
A horse eats about 2% of its body weight in hay a day at maintenance (University of Maryland Extension, Calculating Your Horse's Winter Hay Needs (7 Apr 2021), 2026-09-19): 22 lb (10 kg) for a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse. Because 13% is wasted when hay is fed on the ground, you put out 25.3 lb (11.5 kg) a day, which is 771 lb (350 kg) a month, 19.3 (buy 20) bales of 40 lb, and 96.4 (buy 97) bales for a 5-month winter. The tables below give the same figures by body weight, by period and by feeder; the calculator does it for your own horse, bale and price.
How much hay does a horse eat a day, by body weight
Eaten = body weight x 2% (published range 1.5%-2.5%, Alabama Extension, Decreasing Costs of Feeding Horses (2022), 2026-09-19). Put out = eaten / (1 - waste), so what you put out covers what is trampled, soiled or blown away. Bales per month = put out x 30.44 days / the bale weight, exact; round up when you buy.
| Horse | Eaten per day | Put out per day (13% waste) | Bales per month (40 lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 661 lb (300 kg) | 13.2 lb | 15.2 lb | 11.6 |
| 882 lb (400 kg) | 17.6 lb | 20.3 lb | 15.4 |
| 1,102 lb (500 kg) | 22 lb | 25.3 lb | 19.3 |
| 1,323 lb (600 kg) | 26.5 lb | 30.4 lb | 23.1 |
| 1,543 lb (700 kg) | 30.9 lb | 35.5 lb | 27 |
The same horses in kg, UK bale
| Horse | Eaten per day | Put out per day (13% waste) | Bales per month (20 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 kg | 6 kg | 6.9 kg | 10.5 |
| 400 kg | 8 kg | 9.2 kg | 14 |
| 500 kg | 10 kg | 11.5 kg | 17.5 |
| 600 kg | 12 kg | 13.8 kg | 21 |
| 700 kg | 14 kg | 16.1 kg | 24.5 |
How much hay does a horse eat in a week, a month, a winter and a year
One 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse fed on the ground, 40 lb bales. The winter row uses the 5-month hay season of the calculator’s starting values (Penn State Extension, Buying Winter Hay for Horses (27 Oct 2025), 2026-09-19); the year row assumes no grazing at all.
| Period | Hay put out | Bales (40 lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Per day | 25.3 lb (11.5 kg) | 0.6 |
| Per week (7 days) | 177 lb (80.5 kg) | 4.4 |
| Per month (30.44 days) | 771 lb (350 kg) | 19.3 |
| Per winter (5 months, 152 days) | 3,857 lb (1,749 kg) | 96.4 |
| Per year (12 months, 365 days) | 9,256 lb (4,198 kg) | 231.4 |
The share matters as much as the weight: at 1.5% of body weight the same horse eats 16.5 lb (7.5 kg) a day and at 2.5% it eats 27.6 lb (12.5 kg), which is 14.5 against 24.1 bales a month once waste is added. A horse at maintenance sits near the middle; a horse in work, a hard keeper, an old horse or a cold spell moves it up.
How much hay is wasted, and does a feeder help?
The horse eats the same amount whichever way it is fed; the waste share only changes what you put out and buy. Published figures for small square bales (Penn State Extension, Buying Winter Hay for Horses (27 Oct 2025), 2026-09-19):
| How hay is fed | Waste | Put out per day | Bales per winter (5 months) | Bales per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No feeder (fed on the ground) | 13% | 25.3 lb (11.5 kg) | 96.4 (buy 97) | 231.4 (buy 232) |
| Hay rack | 5% | 23.2 lb (10.5 kg) | 88.3 (buy 89) | 211.9 (buy 212) |
| Basket feeder | 3% | 22.7 lb (10.3 kg) | 86.5 (buy 87) | 207.5 (buy 208) |
| Slat feeder | 1% | 22.3 lb (10.1 kg) | 84.7 (buy 85) | 203.3 (buy 204) |
Why your horse may need more, or less
- Weight: the share is of body weight, so a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse and a pony are worlds apart; weigh or tape your horse rather than guess.
- Work and condition: a horse in work, a hard keeper, a pregnant or lactating mare and an old horse need the top of the range; an easy keeper the bottom.
- Weather: cold pushes intake up, and the horse burns hay to stay warm; a shelter and a rug bring it down a little.
- Grazing: pasture replaces hay for part of the year, which is why the calculator asks how many months you feed hay.
- Hay quality and bale weight: coarse hay is refused more, and a “40 lb” bale can weigh 35 or 55; weigh a few bales and type the average.
- Hard feed and haylage: concentrates replace part of the forage, and haylage is wetter, so more of it by weight gives the same dry matter. The figures here are hay only.
The honest way to find your own figure: weigh what you put out for a week, note how much is left on the ground, and type both into the calculator.
Work it out for your own horse
The horse hay calculator takes your horses, their weight, the forage share, the waste share, the months you feed hay and the bale you buy, and gives hay per day, per week and per month, bales per week, per month and per season, how long a bale lasts and the cost from your own bale price, in lb or kg. If you also keep chickens, the chicken feed guide does the same for the flock.
Amounts are published averages for planning, not veterinary advice; a vet or an equine nutritionist decides what an individual horse needs, and any change to a ration should be made gradually.
Frequently asked questions
- How much hay does a 1,000 lb horse eat a day?
- About 20 lb (9.1 kg) of hay eaten a day at 2% of body weight (University of Maryland Extension, Calculating Your Horse's Winter Hay Needs (7 Apr 2021), 2026-09-19), and 23 lb (10.4 kg) put out once 13% waste is added. That is 17.5 bales of 40 lb a month.
- How much hay does a horse eat per month?
- 771 lb (350 kg) put out for a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse fed on the ground: 19.3 (buy 20) bales of 40 lb. One 40 lb bale lasts about 1.6 days. Lighter horses, a feeder that cuts waste or summer grazing bring it down.
- How much hay does a horse eat in a year?
- Fed hay all year, a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse gets through 9,256 lb (4,198 kg), 231.4 (buy 232) bales of 40 lb. Most horses graze part of the year: for a 5-month winter (Penn State Extension, Buying Winter Hay for Horses (27 Oct 2025), 2026-09-19) it is 3,857 lb (1,749 kg) and 96.4 (buy 97) bales.
- How many bales of hay does a horse eat a week?
- 4.4 bales of 40 lb a week (177 lb (80.5 kg)) for a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse fed on the ground; with a 20 kg bale it is a different count, which is why the calculator asks for your bale weight. Bales vary a lot, so weigh one.
- How much hay does a horse eat in the winter?
- 3,857 lb (1,749 kg) for a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse over a 5-month winter fed on the ground, 96.4 (buy 97) bales of 40 lb. Cold weather pushes intake up and there is no grass, so winter is when the 2% figure applies in full; a hard keeper or a horse in work may need the top of the 1.5%-2.5% range.
- Does a hay feeder cut how much hay I buy?
- Yes. With hay on the ground 13% is wasted and a 1,102 lb (500 kg) horse takes 96.4 (buy 97) bales a winter; in a slat feeder (1% waste) it takes 84.7 (buy 85) (Penn State Extension, Buying Winter Hay for Horses (27 Oct 2025), 2026-09-19). The horse eats the same; the difference is what is trampled and soiled.
More guides
- How many grams of food does a rabbit eat per day
Grams of hay, pellets and leafy greens per day for rabbits of 1 to 5 kg, adult and young, plus hay and pellets per month and bags for 1 to 4 rabbits, with sources.
- How much food should a guinea pig have a day
Guinea pig feeding chart: hay, pellets and vegetables per animal per day in grams and ounces, by body weight, and hay and pellets per month for 1 to 4 guinea pigs.
- How much to feed chickens per day
Complete feed per hen per day by stage, and feed per day, per month, bags and cost for flocks of 3 to 50 birds, from published figures with their sources.
Last updated 2026-09-21. Figures are planning estimates built from published feeding guidance, each with its source and year: adjust for your own animals and follow the guide on the bag. Not veterinary advice.