What do horses eat?

What Do Horses Eat? A Deep Dive Into the Culinary Choices of Your Majestic Hay Vacuum

Horses: they’re strong, they’re beautiful, and they have an uncanny ability to make you question your life choices as you scoop their 50th pound of manure for the day. But what fuels these noble, grass-powered beasts? What do they eat, and—more importantly—what do they attempt to eat when you’re not looking? Buckle up, because we’re about to explore the world of equine nutrition in a way that will leave you questioning why your horse has better dietary habits than you.

1. The Staples: Hay & Grass (a.k.a. The Horse’s Daily Bread)

Let’s start with the obvious: hay and grass. Horses eat this stuff like it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet that never closes. If you ever feel guilty about how much you snack, just remember: your horse literally eats for most of the day and doesn’t even feel bad about it.

Grass:

It’s the OG horse food.
Comes in multiple varieties, none of which your horse will politely discuss over dinner.
Free, unless you count the cost of maintaining pasture (spoiler: it’s not actually free).
Full of fiber, vitamins, and the deep satisfaction of grazing dramatically in the wind.

Hay:

Dried grass, but with a fancy, rustic twist.
Essential when pastures look more like a barren wasteland than a green wonderland.
Comes in different types: alfalfa (the good stuff, like fine wine for horses), timothy, orchard grass, and more.
Smells amazing. Seriously, if you’ve never taken a deep whiff of fresh hay, are you even a horse person?

2. Grains: The Horse Equivalent of Fast Food

Horses may be nature’s lawnmowers, but sometimes they need a little extra. Enter: grains. Think of this as the protein bar of the equine world—nutritious, delicious, but also something you don’t want them to overdo.

Common Grains in Horse Diets:

Oats: Classic. Old school. Horses love them, but feeding too many can turn your horse into a fire-breathing dragon.
Corn: High in energy, low in fiber. Think of this as horse junk food—fine in moderation but don’t go overboard.
Barley: A solid middle ground between oats and corn, kind of like the reliable B-list actor of horse feeds.
Bran: Sometimes given as a mash, usually after work or in cold weather, because nothing says “love” like a warm, mushy meal.

3. What do horses eat? Treats: Bribery at Its Finest

Horses, much like small children and grown adults pretending to diet, love treats. And we, being the weak humans that we are, happily oblige their every begging moment with snacks.

Approved Horse Snacks:

Carrots: Crunchy, satisfying, and make you feel like you’re promoting healthy eating habits.
Apples: Horses love them. Just cut them into pieces unless you want an equine choking emergency.
Peppermints: Nothing says “I love you” like handing your horse candy while questioning why they have better breath than you.
Bananas: Yep, some horses love bananas. Just don’t be alarmed when they eat them with the peel.
Watermelon: Messy? Yes. Worth it to see your horse slurp it up like a child on a summer day? Also yes.
Homemade horse cookies: Because who doesn’t love baking snacks for their four-legged money pit?

Things Horses Will Try to Eat (But Shouldn’t):

Your sandwich: Just because you’re eating it doesn’t mean it’s horse-approved.
Your jacket: Not food, despite what your horse may think.
Random plastic objects: They will chew on it. They will make you panic. And they will absolutely not learn from their mistakes.
Poisonous plants: Horses have an impressive ability to eat things that will make them sick, despite having literal acres of safe food around them.

4. Water: The Unsung Hero of Horse Nutrition

You’d think with all the hay they eat, horses would be fine just chewing their hydration, but nope—these magnificent beasts need LOTS of water. Like, LOTS.

Water Facts for Your Horse-Obsessed Brain:

Horses drink 5-10 gallons of water a day, depending on size, diet, and weather.
Dehydrated horses = colicky horses. And nobody wants that.
If the water is too cold, some picky horses will stage a dramatic protest. Heated buckets in winter are a lifesaver.
If they can flip, step in, or otherwise destroy their water source, they absolutely will.

5. What do horses eat? Supplements: The Multivitamins of the Horse World

Just like we pop vitamins to feel like we’re doing something healthy (even if our actual diet is 90% coffee), horses sometimes need extra nutrients too. Depending on their workload, diet, and overall health, they might get:

Salt & Mineral Blocks: Because licking a giant rock is apparently a good time.
Electrolytes: Helps with hydration and preventing your horse from turning into a sad, sweaty mess.
Joint Supplements: For those of us with horses who like to remind us that age comes for everyone.
Biotin: Makes hooves strong and hair fabulous. Your horse deserves to be a shampoo commercial star.

6. Special Diets: When Your Horse is Fancy

Not all horses can live on a simple diet of grass and dreams. Some need special accommodations because they’re high-maintenance, like a celebrity ordering a complicated Starbucks drink.

Senior Horses: Soft, easy-to-chew food because their teeth are not what they used to be.
Performance Horses: Extra calories and protein because jumping over things for a living burns a lot of energy.
Metabolic Horses: Low-starch, low-sugar diets, because some horses are basically walking diabetes risks.
Rescue Horses: Careful refeeding because their bodies need slow, careful rehabilitation.

Final Thoughts on what do horses eat: Your Horse’s Culinary Choices in a Nutshell

So, there you have it—a deep dive into what horses eat, what they want to eat, and what they absolutely shouldn’t eat (looking at you, plastic-chewing troublemakers). Whether your horse is thriving on lush pastures, happily munching on their morning hay, or side-eyeing you until you hand over a treat, one thing is for sure: feeding horses is part science, part art, and 100% an experience filled with snack-based negotiation.

Just remember: when in doubt, consult your vet or an equine nutritionist. Because as much as your horse might want that cheeseburger, it’s probably not the best idea. (Unless, of course, they just steal it when you’re not looking.)

Have a look at what Dean says: Horse junk food

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