Since it is fed in such high quantities to meet dietary needs, hay can be one of the highest expenses associated with horse ownership. Therefore, it is important that horse owners be able to estimate their hay needs each year and budget appropriately based on expected market value.
The Hay Inventory and Purchasing Calculator for Horse Owners is an Excel-based tool for calculating an estimated hay need and expense for a herd of horses in a given time period. The tool was developed using standard, recognized values set by the National Research Council’s 6th Edition Nutrient Requirements for Horses textbook (2007, NRC).
The tool is composed of one Excel Workbook with five internal sheets: Instructions, Herd Requirements, Annual Forage Intake, Annual Hay Needs, and Estimated Expenses. It is recommended that users download and save the tool to their computer for future use.