Feeding Horses in a Group

Horses maintained in a herd will often establish a hierarchy. This pecking order must be kept in mind when attempting to feed horses in a large group. Aggressive or dominant horses might eat more than their share by chasing others away, and timid horses might not get enough feed.

The goal of group feeding should be to allow all of the horses to consume enough feed to meet their requirements. In order to minimize injury when feeding a group, the most dominant horse should be fed first and the least dominant horse fed last.

If feeding concentrates, feed tubs should be placed at least 50 feet (15.4 meters) apart and away from any fences. If using a trough system, offer multiple small troughs to prevent dominant horses from monopolizing the feed. It is a good idea to offer one more trough or feed bucket than there are horses in a pasture to allow each horse a better chance of consuming the feed.

When feeding hay on the ground, scatter it in different locations, spacing piles a minimum of 50 feet (15.4 meters).