Horses • nutritionVerified Scientific Formula
Horse Digestible Energy (DE / Calorie) Calculator
Computes daily digestible energy requirements in Megacalories (Mcal/day) for horses across all workloads from maintenance to heavy work.
Enter Parameters
Calculated Output
Daily Digestible Energy Requirement
18Mcal/day~20 lbs Good Quality Hay Equivalent
What This Result Means
This horse requires ~18 Mcal of digestible energy daily to support its body mass and work level.
Calculation Details & Practical Equivalents
Maintenance Energy Baseline
18 Mcal/day
Workload Multiplier
1×
Estimated Hay Equivalent (~0.9 Mcal/lb)
20 lbs/day
Formula & Mathematical Methodology
Standard Mathematical Formula
Maintenance DE (Mcal/day) = (0.0333 × BW_kg) + 1.4 | Workload add: +20% (Light), +40% (Moderate), +60% (Heavy), +100% (Very Heavy)
Formula Variables Defined
BWHorse Weight(kg or lbs)
Equine body mass
DEDigestible Energy(Mcal/day)
Megacalories per day
Step-by-Step Calculation Example
Example: 500 kg (1,100 lb) Horse in Moderate Work
A 500 kg horse ridden 3-5 hours per week.
- Maintenance DE = (0.0333 × 500) + 1.4 = 18.05 Mcal/day
- Moderate Work multiplier = 18.05 × 1.40 = 25.3 Mcal/day
Final Output: 23.3 Mcal/day
Key Assumptions
- Diet is composed of high-quality forage and grain concentrates.
Biological Limitations
Verified Scientific & Veterinary Sources
Version: 1.0•Methodology Reviewed: 2026-01-22
1. Nutrient Requirements of Horses (Sixth Revised Edition)textbook
National Research Council (NRC) Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Horses (2007). National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
Access Source Authority Horse Digestible Energy (DE / Calorie) Calculator — FAQs
One Megacalorie equals 1,000 kilocalories (kcal) or 1,000,000 calories. Equine energy is internationally measured in Mcal.
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