Knowledge base: Feeding Horses

Feeding Your Horses

Why?

Feeding your horses keeps them healthy and regains their energy every turn. Energy is needed for training and breeding.

How do I feed my horse?

Your horse automatically grazes on the grass in his pasture every time you take a turn. If your horse is in heavy training then he'll probably need extra feed. Horses kept in a pasture can only be fed one additional feed, while horses kept in a barn can be fed up to 4 feeds. Choose a feed from the drop down list, then choose how much of that feed the horse should eat. By default a horse will eat 25%, which is 25% of the total energy he needs to maintain his current weight, but you can change this to any amount up to 100%.

Note About Pastures: All pastures have a 'Quality' rating which describes how much grass is available. 100% quality means the grass is very lush, while 0% quality means the pasture is only dirt and no grass. If your horses are eating too much grass and gaining too much weight you can mow the grass down which will reduce how much the horses eat, while also giving you some money when you sell the hay. The grass will gradually grow back too unless the horses are eating it faster than it can grow back.

What is Fiber, Protein and Sugar?

Fiber, Protein and Sugar are the nutrients that are in your horses feed.

  • Fiber: High fiber is very important to keep your horse healthy. If they are not fed enough fiber they could suffer from colic which is very dangerous.
  • Protein: High protein is required for very fit horses to maintaing their fitness, but protein is expensive.
  • Sugar: Sugar can make horses hyper (increase their Temperament), which is benefitial for some competitions (like racing), but bad for others (like dressage). Sugar is cheap though so its an easy way to get a lot of energy while training.

What feeds should I give my horse?

Most horses are quite happy and meet all their needs just by grazing in the pasture. However if you are training your horses a lot you'll want to supplement their grazing.
Feed Energy Protein Fiber Sugar Cost per 20 kg
Hay Low Low Very High Low Low ($4.98)
Alfalfa Hay Low Moderate Very High Low Low ($5.06)
Alfalfa Cubes Low High Very High Low Low ($5.76)
Yellow Corn Very High Low Low Very High Moderate ($5.89)
Oats High High Moderate High Low ($5.91)
Sweet Feed Moderate Moderate High Very High Low ($5.87)
Performance Mix Very High Very High Low Moderate Very High ($8.80)

My horse is over/under weight, how do I fix this?

If a horse is fed more than 100% of what he needs he'll gain weight, and if he's fed less then 100% he'll lose weight.

  • Reduce the amount of hay or grain fed
  • Move the horse into a barn so he's not eating extra grass
  • Mow the grass in the pasture so there is less grass for the horse to eat

What should my horse weigh?

Your horses ideal weight depends on what the horse is being used for. Most horses should be kept in the range of 4 to 6 BCS (Body Condition Score). Horses being used for high speed or high endurance events should have a BCS of around 4, while events like Dressage or horses used for breeding may be around 6 BCS.

English Disciplines
Discipline Ideal Body Condition Score
Cross Country 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
Dressage 5 (Moderate) to 6 (Moderately Fleshy)
Hunter 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
Saddleseat 3 (Thin) to 4 (Moderately Thin)
Show Jumping 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
In-hand Jumping 4 (Moderately Thin)

Western Disciplines
Discipline Ideal Body Condition Score
Barrel Racing 5 (Moderate) to 6 (Moderately Fleshy)
Cutting 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
Pole Bending 5 (Moderate)
Reining 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
Western Pleasure 5 (Moderate)
Western Trail 5 (Moderate)
Working Ranch 5 (Moderate)

Racing Disciplines
Discipline Ideal Body Condition Score
Racing 3 (Thin) to 4 (Moderately Thin)
Spring Racing 3 (Thin) to 4 (Moderately Thin)
Steeplechasing 4 (Moderately Thin) to 5 (Moderate)
Endurance 3 (Thin) to 4 (Moderately Thin)
Harness Racing 3 (Thin) to 4 (Moderately Thin)

Driving Disciplines
Discipline Ideal Body Condition Score
Driven Dressage 5 (Moderate)
Log Pull 5 (Moderate) to 6 (Moderately Fleshy)
Marathon Driving 5 (Moderate)
Obstacle Driving 5 (Moderate)

Disclaimer: The above values may not reflect real life situations, do not use them to determine if your real horse is suitable for a competition in real life. Please speak with your trainer or vet to determine if your horse is of sound condition.