Feeding a draft horse- is it really significantly more than a smaller horse?
January 7th, 2012 | by drafthorse |
Hi. I don’t own a horse, but would like to buy one or two in the near future, so am trying to do my research. I live in a rural area in S. Dakota and recently moved to a place with a large pasture (15 acres, give or take?) with plenty of grass in the spring & summer. Currently the pasture supports a flock of about 30 sheep during the warm months. In the fall, there are a billion people around me that cut hay, and I’ve already been told I can have some round hay bales for free.
Now, I am quite interested in getting a draft horse, preferrably a Belgian. Most of the people around me are die-hard quarter horse fans (one is a cattle rancher who refers to horses as “hay burners”)…and they look at me like I’m nuts when I say I want a Belgian. “That thing will eat you out of house and home” they say.
I have read on the Internet that draft horses *do* eat more than a smaller horse, but the extra amount is not hugely significant. All of the other advice I’ve gotten about feeding draft horses was anecdotal- somebody who “knew somebody” with a draft horse, etc.
I guess I would like to hear from somebody who actually OWNS a draft horse(s) & can give me a solid comparison between their feed requirements & that of a quarter horse. How much hay, how much do you need to supplement, etc? Thanks.
draft horse t shirts
7 Responses to “Feeding a draft horse- is it really significantly more than a smaller horse?”
By saddllp on Jan 11, 2012 | Reply
Any horse should be fed approximately 20% of his ideal weight per day in hay. So if you get a horse that weighs 1000 pounds that is 20lbs per day; a 1300 pound horse is 26 pounds of hay per day. The ISSUE you need to take care with is that too much sugar can lead to laminitis. They can get too much sugar in the type of food you feed them - grains like sweet feed or the processed food you buy at the feed store, or being out on green grass. You need to be careful to only feed them grass hay and in the right amount. The best indicator of what horse you should buy is 1) what do you want to use him for - Belgians are not going to win any endurance races but they can be a nice slow trail horse and 2) how do you and the horse get along. Just don’t count on finding inexpensive ways to keep you horse’s weight on. It would be better to buy a lighter horse if that is an issue. Good luck!
By McSween on Jan 14, 2012 | Reply
No not significantly more at all. My preference is more hay and less grain.
My Clyde mare eats 2 cups of Gro N Win am and pm and between 3/4 and one bale of hay per day. I think she is fat as a pig but my vet swears to me that she is at an appropriate weight.
My friend’s Clyde gelding eats 1/2 bale of hay and a scoop of XTN am and pm.
As a point of reference my QH’s eat anything from 1 cup Gro N Win am and pm to one scoop XTN am and pm and about 2/3 bale of hay each day.
The horse that costs me the most to feed is my T-bred gelding at least a full bale of hay per day, 1 1/2 scoops of XTN am and pm and one cup of soy oil am and pm. - he is still on the thin side.
By charm on Jan 17, 2012 | Reply
Draft horse needs are the same as stock horse needs. They just need proportionally more.
So if you buy say, a large Hafflinger who stands 15 hands and weighs 1200 lbs, then you are feeding the same as a stock horse. However, if you buy a Belgian that is small, about the same size, you will again feed the same as a stock horse.
If you buy a Belgian that is 17 hands, and weighs 1800 lbs, then you are feeding the equivelent of two 900 lb stock horses.
So in other words, assuming you are getting a full sized draft horse and working it, you will probably feed it twice as much as a regular horse. The amount will vary depending on if it is an easy keeper, hard keeper, worked hard, etc.
Shoes will also cost a little more, as will worming.
This means most drafts will eat between 1 and 2 bales of hay per day (small squares).
By Horse Lover on Jan 19, 2012 | Reply
Yes. The amount of hay a horse needs is based on body weight and nutrient value of hay.
My arab is 14 hands. She eats 15 lbs of hay every day. I weight it before I give it to her.
My friend owns a draft. We share the same hay shed. She feeds him 32 lbs of hay per day. He’s a big boy. She also weighs his hay.
My hay delivery is always one half of what hers is.
Good luck with your new horse.
By Bobbi on Jan 23, 2012 | Reply
You have already been presented with some pretty good formulas for determining feed/weight ratio. Unless your draft has a problem that needs corrected, I wouldn’t go overboard on the grain, but regulate his/her hay according to the desired weight of the horse. Going into winter, roughage is the most important feed, as this is what keeps your horse warm….grain is what helps you regulate the nutrients, give any extra meds, entice your horse to always come to you from the pasture, etc. But hay is the most important…in the winter, I try to keep hay in front of any horses 24/7, and also keep your mineral and salt blocks out as well. You can watch their use and tell what your horses are lacking in their grain.
By WhaleRider on Jan 23, 2012 | Reply
I remember when I was stabled in the Stake Barn at Pimlico a few years back, when the Budweiser horses stayed overnight in the empty stalls. I had the privilege of talking to the guys that work and handle these horses daily. They told me that they only get a few quarts a day and toss a few flakes at them. I was shocked at how little this huge horses actually eat. Now, I’m so used to race horses eating anywhere from 12 quarts a day, up to 22 quarts a day and all the hay they can eat. I was told by the Budweiser guys, that the Clydesdale’s metabolism is much slower than the Thoroughbreds….but hey…what to the Budweiser people know?
By priehl on Jan 26, 2012 | Reply
I don’t know about feeding a draft, but there IS a huge difference in farrier care. For a trim on a standard horse, my husband charges $35. For a draft, it’s $55. They are heavy and more difficult to work on. AND it’s sometimes hard for a person to even find a farrier that will work on them.
A basic set of shoes for a standard horse is $75. For a draft, it starts at $125, then the bigger the hoof, the more it goes up from there. This is work that gets done every 6 weeks to 10 weeks.
So, aside from feed costs, keep these things in mind as well.
Oh, and one more thing. A regular sized horse takes roughly one tube of dewormer. A draft will likely take 2, every 8-10 weeks. (deworming is based on weight).
I’d love to have one as well. They’re so mellow and beautiful. Good luck in your venture and I hope you CAN AFFORD one!