A horse is the fastest and most versatile draft animal, walking 5-6 km/h and training in 2-4 months, but it needs 4-6 kg of grain a day plus hay for hard work, shoes on hard or rocky ground, and careful handling because it kicks, bolts and rears when frightened. Choose a horse for road hauling, riding and light plowing, where speed is the limit.
Part of Draft Animal Training
The horse as a working animal: where its speed and versatility pay for its feed and injury risk, and where they do not.
A Horse Pays For Its Grain Only When Speed Is Worth Something
The horse does four jobs: it rides, packs, pulls and plows. It responds to commands, learns quickly, and works longer hours per day than cattle. On the road, with a cart, that speed is hard to replace.
The price is feed. Hard work needs 4-6 kg of grain a day plus hay. On grass alone a horse can only do light work. A horse is also more prone to injury and illness than cattle, more expensive to maintain and replace, and needs shoes on hard or rocky ground.
What You Need
- Grain supply — 4-6 kg a day per working horse during hard work, so a working season is a grain-growing decision made months ahead. See Feeding Working Animals.
- Hay — the ration table in this wiki gives 7-8 kg of hay with light to heavy grain for a 500 kg horse.
- Shoeing capacity — salvaged shoes or a forge; see Hoof & Foot Care.
- Handler experience — a frightened horse is the dangerous case, so a green handler needs an experienced person beside them.
Method: Fit The Horse To The Job
Step 1: Match the job to the pace. A horse walks 5-6 km/h. Use it for cart and wagon hauling, riding, light plowing, and any work where speed matters. Heavy plowing and logging are where a pair of oxen pulls more than a pair of horses, so give those to oxen if you have them.
Step 2: Check the ration against the work. A 500 kg horse eats the following per day in the carrier’s table: idle 8-10 kg hay; light work 8 kg hay plus 2 kg grain; heavy work 7 kg hay plus 5 kg grain.
Step 3: Plan the training time. Allow 2-4 months from halter to working in harness. Start halter work at 6-12 months of age. See Ground Training Fundamentals.
Step 4: Plan water. The training article gives 30-50 liters a day for a working horse; offer water at least 3 times daily and more in hot weather, and water before grain, never immediately after it.
Worked Example
One 500 kg horse in heavy work for 30 days, using the ration above:
- Hay: 7 kg/day x 30 days = 210 kg.
- Grain: 5 kg/day x 30 days = 150 kg.
- Total feed mass per day: 7 + 5 = 12 kg; 12 / 500 = 0.024, or 2.4% of body weight (computed here, not a feeding standard).
- Water: 30 to 50 L/day x 30 days = 900 to 1,500 L.
If the horse stays in light work, the same month needs 8 kg x 30 = 240 kg of hay and 2 kg x 30 = 60 kg of grain.
Common Mistakes
- Working a grass-fed horse hard — it loses condition and develops lameness; rest it or add grain gradually.
- Skipping shoes on rocky ground — the hooves wear and crack; trim every 6-8 weeks and shoe for hard ground.
- Treating a horse like an ox — a horse that is frightened will bolt rather than stand, so train it with more care around noise and sudden objects.
Safety
A frightened horse kicks, bolts and rears
Stand beside the shoulder, not directly behind or in front. Never wrap a lead rope or line around a hand or wrist. A bolting horse hitched to a vehicle drags the vehicle with it, so rig a quick release at the hitch point and practise it before every new load.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Halter Breaking — the first lesson for a young horse
- Combine with: Collar Harness — the harness that lets a horse use its full strength