01/30/2025
HAY BREAKDOWN! -> How much does it cost to feed a horse?
Here is our 2024 breakdown for how much we spent and how much hay we used for four horses! Not including hay balancer, pellets, supplements etc.
In 2024 we purchased 339 3string 100lbs bales of hay.
Our total spent on hay for the year was $4169.46 for roughly 33,900 lbs of hay.
This averages out to $12.29 per bale but prices fluctuated throughout the year from $8.50 to $17.00 per bale of hay!
In our area, Bermuda and Alfalfa are most easily accessible although we do have access to other varieties, these two are the most prevalent! We have found a roughly 50/50 mix of Bermuda and Alfalfa to be the best combination for our horses. Our horses consist of Off the Track Thoroughbreds, Draft Crosses, and an Arabian!
33,900 lbs of hay divided amongst 4 horses equates to 8,475lbs of hay per horse per year.
8,475lbs of hay per horse per year equates to roughly 23 lbs of hay per horse per day!
Each horse needs to eat about 1.5-3.5% of their body weight daily depending on their life stage and their workload. Our horses are all adult (7-19 yrs old) and they are usually in moderate work (ridden and/or worked 3x per week).
Each of our horses weigh roughly 1000 lbs. The Arabian is 900lbs and the draft cross is 1300, for the sake of this post we will calculate the average for a 1000lbs horse! Therefore at an average of 23lbs per day per horse, they are eating 2.3% of their body weight!
At $12.29/100lbs, our hay costs are about 12 cents per pound. 23lbs in a day means it costs $2.82/horse to feed daily.
This of course does not include hay balancer/pellets or any supplements they may get throughout the year depending on the season! But it is an incredible inside look at what it truly costs to feed a horse!!
If you loved this breakdown be sure to follow for more as we breakdown our farrier, vet, supplements, boarding costs and more!!
We are so excited to empower you on your equine journey and help you reach your goals this year
