how many flakes of hay do your horses get?

[HoofHeartSoul]

Edited to add: it seems like ppl aren't reading all of my post. i DO know how much the barns average flakes/Chunks weigh. i have already said (3-4lbs per). sorry it just gets me aggravated when some ppl don't read the whole post through to the end.

this ISN'T a health question... just curious

Well i am the type of horseowner that believes that horses should have hay/forage infront of them at ALL times.

so my horse right now eats about 10-11 CHUNKS/Flakes of hay (average weight 3-4 lbs each flake) and to tell the truth he could probably eat more.

my Barn owner gives 4 flakes am (12-16 lbs), turnout (dirt paddock 4 or more hours), then 4 flakes pm in stall (12-16 lbs) bust sometiems she gives him only 3 when they're big 4lbs (which is 12 lbs)

so that would be at least 24lbs hay at most (not enough in my opinion it is usually gone by 9:30pm) at MOST 32 lbs.

. then i come and give another 2 or so flakes (depending on weight) barn owners hay is straight timothy grass, my hay is orchard grass,red clover,timothy mix

my horse is a 15.3 hh easy keeper QH 16 yr old. good condition, worked everyday (lighly-moderately).

:D

so what do yours get?

[county]

Round bales 24/7

[4Martini]

8 = 6 grass + 2 alfalfa unless it's really cold when he gets a few extra if he can clean them up before the next meal. Also in the summer when he's out on irrigated pasture he gets 2 less as he doesn't get lunch when he has grass...

[jaimebaker]

All of my horses are on pasture 24/7. The ones on the smaller pastures get 2-3 flakes each, each morning. Once a day. And that's if it's cold or when the pastures really start getting skimpy. Those particular horses are in pairs, with each pair being on about 5 acres. Then I have two others on about 8 acres. They get 1-2 flakes. All of my horses are fat (that's not a brag....I hate that they are such air ferns) and get along just fine in the winter. Now, if it's snowing or bitter cold I will divide a bale between two. My horses finish their hay and go out and graze so they always have something in front of them:)

[00Jumper]

4 timothy am and pm, so 8 total. She's out 6 hours/day on a grass field, which will have a round bale when the grass gets too sparse. It's about all she can eat, so feeding any more would be wasteful.

[sid]

Do you know how much your "chunks" (aka "flakes") weigh? Or at least the amount of the whole bale, so you can figure out the weight of a "chunk"? Sorry, I'm laughing at the term chunk.

Feed your horse by the the caloric intake they need for forage and spread it out over a 24 hr. period.

Typically, during the winter I feed my horses 20-30 lbs of a high quality grass hay fed in a way so they do not go more than 3 hrs. "empty". In other words, I try to recreate "grazing" habits so they have something to pick over the course of a day.

If I fed in only 2 feedings they would clean it up too fast and go to many hours without something in the stomachs.

It's not just about how much you feed them, but how you feed it...time wise.

[Little Valkyrie]

3 give or take a bit each out in the pasture, two each when they come in and then two more for everyone at night check. We did all access hay last year and they looked like Goodyear blimps, and I find that more than 2 flakes leaves leftover hay in the stall. I weighed it out at one point and fond that this was meeting their nutritional needs and they all look fantastic, so I guess it works. Guess it just depends on the horse!

[CamdenLab]

Flakes are about 6 lbs each and I feed him three in the AM and three in the PM, so 15-18 lbs each day. However, he always has some left. Sometimes I will just add to what he has, hoping he'll eat the leftovers which are thick stems that he does not really like -- he shakes out the good stuff and eats that up. It's an alfalfa/orchard mix. I need to get a less mature cutting next time. He is a 9 year old OTTB, 15.3 hh, 1100 lbs., in good weight, moderate work right now. He also receives approximately 4 lbs rice bran and a few lbs alfalfa cubes, soaked into a mash. More alfalfa cubes now that it's freezing as he won't drink water, so this helps keep him hydrated.

[Simbalism]

My horse gets 3 good size flakes in the am and 3 pm. I am at a boarding barn, so haven't weighed the hay, but having picked up one of the bales and guesstimating weight about 70 lbs, she is getting around 20lbs per day. When I go out to the farm, I give her some of my hay, usually a flake plus a couple of pounds of alfalfa forage and some beet pulp with oats,flax, brown sugar, and crushed peppermints with warm water. The pasture is kind of sparse and I wish I could talk barn owner into letting me get some round bales, but she is against using them. She doesn't seem to get the fact that the horses are eating the grass down pretty drastically, and is probably going to affect growth in the spring. When I was at a farm doing my own horse care, my mare got about 25 lbs of hay per day in the winter, but still had some grass to nibble on. Per her weight to get 2% she should get about 22lbs.

[JoZ]

Flakes are about 6 lbs each and I feed him three in the AM and three in the PM, so 15-18 lbs each day.

Actually that would be 36 lbs./day, wouldn't it? 6 lb. flakes x 6 flakes a day?

And the OP's horse is an EASY KEEPER on 10-11 flakes that are 3-4 lbs. each? That's 30-44 lbs. of hay a day. Define "easy"!

Most of our horses get between 1/2 and 3/4 flake of grass hay per meal, 2 meals per day. Tee hee, before you keel over, our bales are 750 lbs. and each flake is 15 lbs. So 15-22 lbs. per day per horse. The easy keepers are on the 15 lb. end of the scale. We do have some TBs that are getting alfalfa instead of grass hay, in about the same volume (15-20 lbs./day), plus some grass hay for between-meal munching.

[WhisperHeart]

my three have 24/7 access to a round bale of good quality grass hay.


i had to do square bales i'd give them as many flakes as it took to reach 20lbs thought i'd probably end just opening 2 or 3 bales and give them all of it.

my TB is a hard keeper so he needs alot of hay and the other two are easy keepers one even being an air fern but they would need enough that'd keep them busy so they would steal from the TB

[ThoroughbredFancy]

Right now my BO has the barn on first cutting hay. (Which my gelding is not very pleased with.) She gives 2 flakes in their stall in the am and 1 flake per horse when they go outside. Then when they have dinner they get another 3 flakes.

So a total of 6 flakes a day. I think that is not enough AT ALL. Especially for my OTTB.

When I am there I always give him an extra two flakes. I am considering putting him on an alfalfa pellet as well.

All of us argue that we wish our horses could get more hay. I was considering buying him some second cutting or grass hay from somewhere but I can't find a place around here that has any.

[JB]

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=179953

[shakeytails]

2-4 flakes/feeding, depending on the weight of the flakes. I actually have no idea how much weight in hay my horses get, but I can tell by "feel" how much is enough for each animal. I used to waste a little bit of hay giving them enough so that they still had some crumbs left at the next feeding. With the drought we've had the last couple of years, I've had to become more thrifty. Now they go probably a couple/few hours w/o hay before the next feeding. It hasn't hurt them at all.

The outside gang has round bales, so they have 24/7 access to hay.

[SmartAlex]

They have hay in front of them all the time, in doors or out, and probably eat half a #75 pound square bale a day. They usually waste only if it happens to be a bale they don't like (and they've gotten pretty spoiled and particular). My horse spends most of his day in our indoor round pen eating hay out of a net hung on the wall outside. This works great, and I'm going to get more hay nets next time I do a mail order for supplies. If you have several nets, you can fill them all at once and just hang a new one when you need to.

[HoofHeartSoul]

Do you know how much your "chunks" (aka "flakes") weigh? Or at least the amount of the whole bale, so you can figure out the weight of a "chunk"? Sorry, I'm laughing at the term chunk.

Feed your horse by the the caloric intake they need for forage and spread it out over a 24 hr. period.

Typically, during the winter I feed my horses 20-30 lbs of a high quality grass hay fed in a way so they do not go more than 3 hrs. "empty". In other words, I try to recreate "grazing" habits so they have something to pick over the course of a day.

If I fed in only 2 feedings they would clean it up too fast and go to many hours without something in the stomachs.

It's not just about how much you feed them, but how you feed it...time wise.

i already told the amount the chunks/flakes weigh.

from my original post

" my horse right now eats about 10-11 CHUNKS/Flakes of hay (average weight 3-4 lbs each flake) and to tell the truth he could probably eat more."

so he is eating about 30-40lbs hay daily. if the barn ownder truly feeds him his 4 Chunks in the morning.

I say chunks because most barn owners around here think: oh a flake means this little skinny well "flake" so i say CHUNKS because that gets the point across about them being good sized.

if it were my barn i would spread it out unfortunatley its not. so they get fed 2 x daily they give him enough at each feeding that he has some 24hours in his stall . he has figured out now that it won't disappear and eats slower throughout the day..

my horse also doesn't waste much, if at all. he also gets 2 lbs ration balancer daily.

he is worked lightly-moderately everyday. is in good muscle tone and weight (not to fat not too thin). has never coliced in my care has 2 water buckets cleaned daily and refilled 3x daily.

[HoofHeartSoul]

Actually that would be 36 lbs./day, wouldn't it? 6 lb. flakes x 6 flakes a day?

And the OP's horse is an EASY KEEPER on 10-11 flakes that are 3-4 lbs. each? That's 30-44 lbs. of hay a day. Define "easy"!

Most of our horses get between 1/2 and 3/4 flake of grass hay per meal, 2 meals per day. Tee hee, before you keel over, our bales are 750 lbs. and each flake is 15 lbs. So 15-22 lbs. per day per horse. The easy keepers are on the 15 lb. end of the scale. We do have some TBs that are getting alfalfa instead of grass hay, in about the same volume (15-20 lbs./day), plus some grass hay for between-meal munching.

JoZ: but how much "grain" are your horses getting??

keep in mind my horse is NOT on a grain AT ALL, he is on a ration balancer 2 lbs daily, that is the way i want it, he works lightly-moderatly EVERYDAY.

if he was getting 6lbs of grain daily i would VERY likely have to decrease his hay to probably 6 flakes or less daily.

he used to be FAT on 2lb sweet feed daily and 4 flakes! ALL DAY. but then his minerals and vitamins were being met,because i wasn't feeding the reccomended amount of grain. if i fed him the reccommended amount of the average grain he would be a blimp and need only probably 2 flakes daily.

I know my horse. i am comfortable knowing my horse has plenty of forage to nibble on.

my horses estimated calorie intake : Timothy hay at the lower end ot the DE spectrum per pound 0.82(or 820 calories per pound) 820x24 (8 flakes x 3lbs each) = 19,680 DE

plus my 2 flakes at the upper end because it is mixed 0.92 DE (920/lb) 920x6=5,520 DE

19,680 + 5,520= 25,200 PLUS 2 lbs ration balancer at 1,300 DE/lb = 27,800 DE/daily

a horse performing medium work needs average 24.6 calories daily to MAINTAIN weight. so i think i am pretty good on the DE scale.

[texang73]

3 flakes at AM feeding and then same amount again PM feeding, 1 - 2 flakes when brought in from being turned out.... 7-8 flakes a day

[Rayman421]

However much it takes so they eat for 2 hrs and are done. So some get more than others. More if cold out - under 30 degrees.

In pasture hay 2x day in winter

In stall 3x day summer, 4x in winter usually in smaller amounts to keep them busy(they spend more time in)

[PNWjumper]

My easy keepers get 1 flake of hay twice a day. In addition to that they get a scoop of rolled oats with my Glanzen (flax seed supplement) mixed in.

My hard(er) keepers get anywhere from 3 flakes a day (1 flake AM, 2 flakes PM) to 8 flakes a day (2 flakes timothy AM + 1 flake alfalfa, 2 flakes timothy at lunch, 2 flakes timothy + 1 flake alfalfa at dinner). And my one hard(est) keeper OTTB gets a hay net stuffed with timothy/orchard grass 24/7 (which actually only works out to maybe 3-4 flakes a day total) plus 3-4 flakes of alfalfa a day. He also gets rolled oats, complete feed, corn oil, and my custom Glanzen supplement on top of that. After a year of tweaking things he's finally fat (well, for a skinny-type OTTB!) and shiny!

Oh, and all of mine are on pasture 24/7. I cut their hay back to 1 flake a day once a day for most of them during the spring and summer.

But telling the number of flakes is kind of meaningless because of the huge variance in bale sizes. I use 120(ish) pound bales, so 1 flakes is roughly 8-10 pounds, but there's a huge difference between the flake sizes from bale to bale, so sometimes I'm feeding 20 pound flakes and sometimes I'm feeding 5 pound flakes.

[Bluehorsesjp]

I board in the winter so I have to follow some rules right now.
At home my horses get 3 flks in the morning a flake at lunch, a flake when they come in, 2 flakes at dinner and then a flake at night check. So a total of 8 flakes a day.
However, at the boarding barn the base amount of hay included is only 4 flakes. For every flake over that you have to pay $1. So right now they get 2 flakes in their turn out, a flake for lunch and 3 flakes at night. For my hoover horse, who can eat a flake of hay in 30 minutes I have them put 1 flake for when he comes into his stall and then leave the remaining 2 flakes out side so I can feed it after I ride around 7 pm. This helps keep him from being empty for long periods.

[Fharoah]

My horse only gets four max five flakes of local spread out over six times a day. He was getting six flakes a day but was overweight and is recovering from a collateral ligament injury. I am trying nicely to take his weight down as I am worried about his joints, he is such an easy keeper only gets base supplement. Soft tissue injuries suck!

[pines4equines]

I have two horses, one high maintenance TB and one medium maintenance TB cross. We go through approximately 1 1/2 bales a hay, more like 2 full bales when it's cold. Our bales are NY first cut hay and probably about 35 - 40 lbs. So we feed about 50 - 60 lbs of hay a day, 25 - 30 lb per horse. We do have alot of waste but we actually bed the high maintenance TB on the wasted hay. Get two uses out of it.

Additionally both horses get grain, one TC Complete and the other TC Senior.

[MistyBlue]

I go through 50-55 lbs of hay per day for two horses. They get hay at 7 am, noon, 4 pm and 8 pm daily. I prefer to break up into more feedings to keep them eating longer. I could give them their hay in one or two feedings but then they'd stand and hoover it and have nothing left to munch for 10 or so hours at a time.
When I had my mare I went through 1.5 bales per day or so for two horses...she ate 50 lbs per day and the gelding ate 25 lbs or so. She was NOT an easy keeper though.
Both my geldings now get only a little grain twice per day...total grain for the day for both horses is a bit over a quart.
They also both get a 5 gallon bucket every night that has a 2 quart scoop of timothy cubes in it with 2 handfuls of totally timothy dengi and filled with water to make aboout 4 gallons of mucky soup. A treat for them and my peace of mind getting that extra 4 gallons of liquid in them daily.
That's it, nothing else.

[Huntertwo]

3 in the morning, 1 at lunch (provided by me) BO works all day. And 2 more at supper time.

[Janet]

Flakes are about 6 lbs each and I feed him three in the AM and three in the PM, so 15-18 lbs each day.
New math?

[Janet]

"Flakes" are WAY to variable to be a useful measure, same with "chunks".

Rule of thumb is 15 lb hay per horse per day. Less when they have access to decent pasture (April to October). More when it is particularly cold.

They also get a small amount of TC Lite or TC Low Starch (1- 4 LB PER DAY).

[HoofHeartSoul]

"Flakes" are WAY to variable to be a useful measure, same with "chunks".

Rule of thumb is 15 lb hay per horse per day. Less when they have access to decent pasture (April to October). More when it is particularly cold.

They also get a small amount of TC lite or TC Low Stsrch 9! - 4 LB PER DAY).


if this is in response to my OP: i have already addressed in my OP that the flakes/chunks weigh 3-4 lbs each

[denovo]

I'm feeding my own, and boarders horses, and the short answer is ..... they get what they need. :)
So, depending on the horse, anywhere from 4 flakes to a bale per day! :)we also tend not to feed lots of grain....one extremely hard keeper gets quite a bit, but otherwise, my
3'6/3'9 jumper gets the most grain at approximatly 2 1/2 lbs per day.

[sk_pacer]

right now, mine are getting probably close to 40 pounds a day each, of course the termometer seems to be stuck at -20°F and isn't moving much. They are also getting a good whack of beet pulp as well. They are maintaining weight at the moment. IF it ever warms up, they will get half of that.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

I am actually relocating my mare at the end of this month due to the fact that the barn owner and I disagree on how much hay a horse should get! During the summer horses at this barn get 2 small flakes per day. Geldings are on great pasture, mares are in smaller paddocks with some grass but not great grass. So when my mare dropped weight I began supplementing with alfalfa cubes and 2-3 additional flakes of hay at night. Now that winter has arrived BO says horses are getting 2 flakes ( of wonderful beautiful hay ) at night but many nights they do not so I still supplement with an additional flake or two depending on the weather as well as the alfalfa cubes. My mare has now picked up weight and looks much better however dear BO has thrown a fit and declared that no horse needs more then what she provides and since I know that to be incorrect I am moving to somewhere that enough hay is given so that horses are not in stalls for 10+ hours with nothing to eat :)

[goodmorning]

As much as he'll eat ;) I figure it's about 8 big flakes a day - he's a picky TB and will not touch his hay is he get more than a flake or two at a time, which usually means he gets a flake or two 4-6x a day :yes: He gets hay stretcher in addition to this. My other TB mare gets 2 flakes 3-4x a day, and she gets alfalfa pellets with each meal.

The broodmare is another who gets as much as she'll eat, but she's another TB, so that can vary day to day. She's not at a show-barn so there are less options for feeding at all hours of the day/night; I'd say she gets about 1/2-bale a day. She also gets hay-stretcher & alfalfa pellets.

The gelding & broodmare are not easy keepers by any stretch, however, you can't tell by looking at them ;) The other TB mare is new to me, and appears to be a much-easier keeper than the others, so we'll see how she does.

[stuge]

I am a huge believer in forage first so if there isn't grass in front of them there is hay in front of them almost 24/7. I believe this for easy horses as well as normal or hard keepers. If you have a fat horse or an easy keeper, find a lower calorie hay to keep in front of them but I don't believe having even a fat horse standing around with nothing to eat is good for them. You might solve one problem but create a multitude of others in the process.

That being said my 17 hand, 1200 lb Trak cross eats about 30-40 lbs of hay a day. He gets four big flakes in the evening when he comes to eat and then around 10 or 11 he might get another couple of flakes of hay if it looks like he is going to run out through the night. During the day they get another 2-4 flakes outside because the grass is pretty much gone. He goes out with one other horse in I guesstimate an acre. He is easily eating 1/2 to 3/4 bale of hay a day (Orchard grass). They eat for a while then go graze or play then go eat for a while. He's 19 years old and working light to moderate dressage 5-6 days a week and now that winter is here we have had to up his TC Complete to about 7 lbs/day plus some added rice bran. He's probably a normal keeper, we have to cut him way back in the summer.

My 16.1 hand TB (also 19) is a hard keeper. I want hay in front of him but the barn owner isn't doing that so I am moving him somewhere that will. he is currently maybe eating 2 flakes twice a day (he eats slow and they get fed in a group so it is hard to say) along with 10 lbs of TC Senior feed.

[Janet]

if this is in response to my OP: i have already addressed in my OP that the flakes/chunks weigh 3-4 lbs each
You missed my point.
You asked us to describe what WE feed.
I don't use either "flakes" or "chunks" in feeding, so I can't describe what I feed that way.

I am describing what/how _I_ feed.

I have no problem with _YOU_ feeding by/ describing "chunks".

[yellowbritches]

Our guys get 1 flake in the morning (some of the ponies split a flake), as they aren't in long enough in the am to get more than that. In the evening, I try to give those who aren't on diets between 12-15lbs of hay (a great timothy/alfalfa mix), which can range anywhere from 3-5 "flakes" depending on how the bale falls apart. My fatties might get less, ponies definitely do (the small and medium get 1 each- both are wide loads- the two larges get 2ish...one of them is a wide load, one is at a good weight but ridden hard, so he gets a little extra). My skinnies (on the occasion I have one) get as much as they'll eat without wasting. They are out all day on either decent pasture or with round bales (not my favorite, but for easier considering how our pastures are spread around).

[pattnic]

My horses are on pasture 24/7, with a round bale in the gelding's pasture, which he can't seem to pull his head out of. He now wears a grazing muzzle. :D

The mare gets about 2 flakes/day in addition to the grass that remains.

Back home (in Iowa) they got 4 flakes in the winter and 2-3 flakes in the summer.

All of these flakes are about 4 lbs.

Horses are very easy keepers and in good-to-a bit too-heavy weight.

Less than 1 lb of a RB (TC 30%) per day.

[ToN Farm]

I go through 50-55 lbs of hay per day for two horses. .
That's it, nothing else.Same here, except my competition horse also gets 2 quarts of grain. I also don't go by flakes/chunks. I just make certain they have access to hay at all times. Fortunately I can do that, since I have them at home. I would like to know a boarding barn that feeds 25 pounds a day to any horse. HA! Most barns feed 2 'flakes' 3x a day, and it doesn't matter how much the flakes weigh. I'm guessing (from my personal experience) that most boarding barns feed less than 10 pounds a day per horse, and it isn't good quality hay either. They get their last flakes at 5pm and they don't see another morsel of food until 6 or 7 in the AM. If you think I have a poor opinion of boarding barn's feeding practices, you're right.

[HoofHeartSoul]

You miuss my point.
You asked us to describe what WE feed.
I don't use either "flakes" or "chunks" in feeding, so I can't describe what i feed that way.

I am describing what/how _I_ feed.

I have no problem with _YOU_ feeding by/ describing "chunks".



sorry didn't mean for my post to sound snarky. i get what you're saying now.

I DO know how many pounds my horse is getting in hay and also what the average flakes weigh (30-40 lbs average is 3lbs-4lbs per)

it seemed that a couple ppl didn't think i weighed the hay & didn't know how many pounds i was giving my horse in hay. when i already did the math and told in my original post.

the barn owner around here will NOT take the time to weigh every horses ration, so yo HAVE to tell them how many flakes or they will just guess and throw some in ( and usually a smalller weight than asked)

i said "how many flakes do you horses get ?" because it was the shortest thing to write and get my point across in the title

although i COULD have put: how much hay do(es) your horse(s) get? :P

again hope my post(s) didn't sound rude or snarky. it sometimes happens that way.

[Janet]

I don't weigh it on a day to day basis either. But I know that my bales weigh 45 - 55 lb, so each horse gets approximately 1/3 bale per day. Sometimes that comes out as 2 flakes, sometimes it is 6 flakes.

[Bogie]

My horse is a TB. He weighs about 1240 lb. He gets no grain, just a ration balancer. I feed him about 25 lbs of grass hay/day plus about 3 lbs of alfalfa (some hay, some cubes). He and his stable mate end up having hay in front of them just about all the time, but not so much that it goes to waste.

[the_other_mother]

24-36# of hay per day sounds like alot of hay to me. My two boys get #15 of good orchard grass a day right now, with about #20 when it gets really cold. I feed hay three times a day, #5 at each time. They are outside 24/7 with access to their stalls, blanketed, 9 and 13 years old. They get 2 lbs of Triple Crown Lite a day and both are kinda fat!

[Bogie]

Rule of thumb: horses should eat 1.5 to 2.0% of their body weight in forage.

A 1200 lb horse should be eating about 18-24 lbs . . . however, you also need to factor in how much work the horse is in, whether it's living out or in, easy/hard keeper, whether or not it's also getting a complete feed, etc. My TB is a perpetual motion machine. I'd rather he get his calories from hay!

[stuge]

24-36# of hay per day sounds like alot of hay to me. My two boys get #15 of good orchard grass a day right now, with about #20 when it gets really cold. I feed hay three times a day, #5 at each time. They are outside 24/7 with access to their stalls, blanketed, 9 and 13 years old. They get 2 lbs of Triple Crown Lite a day and both are kinda fat!

Do you have grass? that makes a huge difference. My horse doesn't eat nearly the amount of hay that he eats now in the summer when there is grass.

1.5-2% is the minimum a horse should eat. They should, IMO, have forage in front of them pretty close to 24/7, even if they are an easy keeper. IMO, if you are only going to feed 15lbs (that is the minimum that a 1000lb horse and probably the average horse should eat if there is no grass), then it should be spaced out accordingly because if not they are going to be without anything in their stomach 80% of the time and that is very bad - again IMO! Not really directing this at you because I realize you feed 3 times a day but most people can't do that, just responding to the comment that 24-36 lbs of hay sounds like alot of hay. It IS alot of hay, probably 1/2-3/4 of an average size bale and it probably is more than most people feed but it still, IMO is what they should get. I realize that circumstances and constraints can cause that to vary.

[the_other_mother]

I dont have much grass right now, but there is some. Yes, I am fortunate to be at home all day and able to space my hay feeding out during the day. If its raining or snowing and I see that they havent ventured out of their stalls much all day, I'll throw them a little extra. They seem to be content and look good.

Do you have grass? that makes a huge difference. My horse doesn't eat nearly the amount of hay that he eats now in the summer when there is grass.

1.5-2% is the minimum a horse should eat. They should, IMO, have forage in front of them pretty close to 24/7, even if they are an easy keeper. IMO, if you are only going to feed 15lbs (that is the minimum that a 1000lb horse and probably the average horse should eat if there is no grass), then it should be spaced out accordingly because if not they are going to be without anything in their stomach 80% of the time and that is very bad - again IMO! Not really directing this at you because I realize you feed 3 times a day but most people can't do that, just responding to the comment that 24-36 lbs of hay sounds like alot of hay. It IS alot of hay, probably 1/2-3/4 of an average size bale and it probably is more than most people feed but it still, IMO is what they should get. I realize that circumstances and constraints can cause that to vary.

[KatieD]

I feed my horses about half a bale each per day, which ends up being about 25-30 lbs each. They are both around the 1200 lb size, and they are eating mainly grass hay, with a little bit of alfalfa. They are both eating machines! I feed them 2-3 times a day.

[&WithStyle]

He gets 4 flakes 4 times a day, and if ever he is without hay they toss him a few more flakes. Basically has it infront of him 24/7.

[Ambrey]

115 lb bales, flakes about 5-7 lbs.
Big guy- 2 flakes Timothy, 1 flake Orchard, 5 lbs alfalfa/oat cubes
Little guy- 1 flake Timothy, 1/2 flake Orchard, 4 lbs alfalfa/oat cubes.

[dotneko]

Our horses average about 30 lbs/horse/day in addition
to an average of 6 qts of grain per day.
In general, they are on free choice hay - except the ones who
are realllly fat. The hay is second cut (most of the time) plain
vanilla timothy/orchard mix. The horses range in size from 13 hand
pony to 17.2 hand saddlebred with a mix of warmbloods and quarter
horses, arabians, morgans, ages from 3-31 year olds.
We have from 20-30 horses on site and are in Massachusetts.
I think we have most of the variables covered :)

Dot

[BornToRide]

Should be 1.5 - 2 % of the horse's overall body weight. I also agree they should get free choice if possible, but that's often not an option in boarding situations. You could stretch the eating by using fine meshed hay bags that simulate more natural foraging, if you wanted to and the BO would be willing to fill those.