How much hay does a horse eat a day?

As a rule of thumb, 1.5–2 kg of dry feed per 100 kg of bodyweight. Agriculture Victoria suggests budgeting on 1.7 kg.

How much should a 500 kg horse eat?

About 8.5 kg of dry feed a day on the 1.7% guide.

How much grain can I feed?

Concentrates should be no more than 30% of the diet, introduced gradually.

Yes. Reduce bought feed to allow for good pasture, and watch body condition.

Who should I ask about a specific diet?

An equine vet or qualified equine nutritionist.

Horse feed and hay calculator

How much hay should your horse eat, and how many bales will get you through winter? Enter your horse's weight (or estimate it with our weight tool) and this calculator uses Agriculture Victoria's feed budgeting guidance to estimate a daily dry-feed amount. It splits that into roughage and concentrates and scales it up to weekly and monthly totals. Add your bale weight and price to see how many bales you'll need and what they'll cost. It's a starting point for a feed budget, not a ration plan.

Bodyweight (kg)Not sure? Use the weight calculatorDaily intake (% of bodyweight)1.5 to 2; Agriculture Victoria suggests 1.7

Bale weight (kg)Optional; check with your supplierPrice per bale ($)Optional; your own quoteDays

Change diets gradually over 3–5 days.
To gain weight, increase feed by no more than 10% at a time.
Provide clean water at all times.

Dry feed per day

–

Enter bodyweight to see daily, weekly and monthly feed.

Privacy: Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored or sent to horse.work.

This tool gives an estimate only. It is general information, not veterinary, nutrition, legal or tax advice. Every horse and every situation is different. Check with your vet, equine dentist, farrier or a registered tax agent before you act on the result.

Ready to book?

Find local providers in the horse.work directory.

Find hay and feed suppliers near you

How to use it

Enter weight in kg.
Choose intake (default 1.7%).
Optional: enter bale weight and price.
Read daily, weekly and monthly kg, bales and cost.

How it's worked out

Daily dry feed (kg) = weight × intake % ÷ 100 (default 1.7%, range 1.5–2%). Example: 500 × 1.7 ÷ 100 = 8.5 kg. At least 70% roughage, concentrates no more than 30%. Bales = daily roughage × days ÷ bale weight; cost = whole bales × your price.

Questions

How much hay does a horse eat a day?: As a rule of thumb, 1.5–2 kg of dry feed per 100 kg of bodyweight. Agriculture Victoria suggests budgeting on 1.7 kg.
How much should a 500 kg horse eat?: About 8.5 kg of dry feed a day on the 1.7% guide.
How much grain can I feed?: Concentrates should be no more than 30% of the diet, introduced gradually.
Does pasture count?: Yes. Reduce bought feed to allow for good pasture, and watch body condition.
Who should I ask about a specific diet?: An equine vet or qualified equine nutritionist.

Sources

Sources checked: 17 Oct 2026.