Horse Food - What and How Much?
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What and How much Horses Eat?
When it comes to feeding horses, there are a range of nutritional requirements. Understanding the why behind your feeding program helps make better choices and spend dollars wisely. Below we have listed some of our most common questions and answered them with real-world insight and care.
How much does horse food cost?
Commodity/commercial feeds (GMO grains and soy based) range from $25-$35 per 40-50 lb bags. Mid-Range feeds that have higher quality nutrition and less fillers range from $40-$50 per 40-50 lb bag. Premium feeds (Non-GMO, no grains, no soy products) can land anywhere from $55-$65 per 35-44 lb bag. What you are paying for is digestibility, balance, and nutrient bio-availability; nutrients and high quality ingredients that support the horse’s metabolism, gut health, and energy without adding inflammation or sugar spikes. When the feed is nutrient-dense, horses often require less per day. The bag may cost more but the monthly expenses even out.
How long can a horse go without food?
Not long and this should never be tried.
Horses are trickle feeders. Their stomach produces acid constantly. Without a steady intake of forage, acid builds up and can lead to ulcers, colic, or stress behaviors.
Ideally horses should never go longer than 3-4 hours without access to hay, pasture, or some type of non-toxic edible forage. Horses are meant to eat little and often, not two big meals a day like humans.
Can dogs eat horse food?
Not recommended. Horse food is not nutritionally balanced or safe for dogs. Dogs are not designed to chew and grind their food like horses and other livestock. Dogs are meant to tear and swallow.
How much is horse feed per month?
This depends on your horse’s size, workload, and type of feed you use.
Easy Keepers can run $90-$130 for feed (not including hay) to hard keepers or performance horses $260-$360 for feed (not including hay) per month. Quality feeds are usually more nutrient-dense meaning horses thrive on smaller amounts. Pairing your feed with consistent forage, salt, and access to clean fresh water keeps your total cost balanced and your horse healthy.
Feeding horses isn’t just about calories - it’s about balance. Choosing the right feed means choosing the right foundation for health, performance, and longevity. At Aterak Nutrition our goal is to bring clean, Non-GMO, spy-free, grain free options that support metabolic stability, gut balance, and true healing through nutrition.
If you are rethinking your horse’s diet, reach out anytime. We love helping owners find clarity in a confusing marketplace.