Free-living horses are constantly on the move, foraging and moving from one grazing area to another. Feeding takes place during two main periods of 5-6 hours each:

• From dawn to approx. 10 a.m.
• From 7 p.m. to midnight (Blendinger 1980)

Horses are highly selective feeders, cropping the palatable grass closely. Competition for food does not occur among horses ranging freely over large areas.

Satiation depends on the amount of food taken in and on the number of chewing movements (Meyer 1986). If the amount of time a horse spends chewing is not sufficient, this might give rise to behavioural abnormalities such as chewing on woodwork, crib-biting, wind-sucking or grating of teeth (McGreevy 2004).

Further reading: Chapter 'Digestive system'