Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Dr. Getty
I am having trouble completing a feed ration for a college assignment. The horse that I am designing this ration for, grazes for four hours a day, so how do I work out how much energy he gets from the grass? 
Where are you from? Scotland
How did you locate this forum? Search engine
Hello Emma,
In general, you can allow between .34 and .5 kg of dry matter per hour of grazing if the pasture is in good shape and there is plenty of young growth. In older pastures, allow between .2 and .7 kg per hour of grazing, depending on the pasture’s degree of age. Then, identify the most common species of grass in the pasture and look up the average feed value for that species at each stage of growth.
All the best,
Dr. Getty
