Horses of Hoofprint Bay Feeding: Hay, Grain, Water, Weight
Horses of Hoofprint Bay feeding guide: hay, grazing and water, when to add grain, easy and hard keepers, treats, buying feed in town and avoiding laminitis.
Horses of Hoofprint Bay feeding is the first job the game gives you: on day one, one of your goals is simply to feed and water your horse. Horses of Hoofprint Bay feeding stays important all game, because hungry, malnourished or overweight horses lose strength, cost vet bills and can even be taken away by animal welfare. This guide covers what horses need every day, when to add grain, and how to keep body condition in the healthy range.
Getting feeding right keeps your horses fit for training and competitions and protects your money and prestige. The official Horses of Hoofprint Bay store page on Steam promises care that is grounded in realism without being tedious, and feeding follows that idea.
What Horses Need Every Day
The in-game library, read out in gameplay videos, sets the basic rule: horses need roughage, meaning hay or grazing in the fields, and water every day. A horse always needs access to water and fiber. You can feed additional grain if the horse is ridden a lot and needs more nutrition, but it still always needs high-fiber food like hay or grass.
| Need | How to provide it | What the game says |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Drag the water bucket to the water trough | Needed every day |
| Hay | Drag hay from the storage to the hay rack | Roughage; hay or grazing every day |
| Grazing | Turn horses out in the fields | Counts as roughage |
| Grain | Feed it in the care screen | Only needed for horses that work a lot, or hard keepers |
| Treats | Feed by hand | Players report a tiny confidence boost |
The first-day tutorial explains the controls: zoom into the stable, drag the water bucket to the water trough, and drag some hay from the storage to the hay rack. The storage right next to the stable shows how much feed you have left. The v0.1.10 to v0.1.12 demo patch notes moved hay and water slightly further apart so it's easier to grab the right one.
When to Add Grain in Horses of Hoofprint Bay Feeding
Grain is what you adjust. According to the in-game illness list, a horse that doesn't work much usually gets enough from hay or grazing the fields, while a horse that works a lot, or is a hard keeper, needs additional grain. Feed too much for how much the horse exercises, and it becomes overweight.
The care screen shows each horse's body condition as a bar. Your goal is to keep the arrow in the green section, and the February 25, 2026 demo patch notes added an explanation of body condition to the stats book in the library.
- Light work: hay or grazing is usually enough.
- Heavy work: add grain in the care screen, or the horse will lose weight.
- Check the office: a player on the official Steam forum pointed out that the Horses book in the office has a scale icon (body condition) column; a negative number means the horse will lose weight overnight unless you feed more grain.
- Watch overweight horses: cut grain or exercise them more before laminitis sets in.
How much grain a horse needs varies. One demo player found that a scoop of grain wasn't always enough to keep condition in an okay range, and another said every horse needed 2 to 3 scoops a day in their game. Use the body condition bar rather than a fixed amount.
Feeding Problems and Illnesses
The in-game library lists several conditions caused by feeding mistakes, each with a duration in days with and without treatment:
| Condition | Cause | Days if treated / untreated |
|---|---|---|
| Thirst | Not enough water; leads to dehydration | 0 / 2 |
| Dehydration | Very weak; taken away by animal welfare if not watered | 0 / 2 |
| Hunger | Not enough to eat; leads to malnourishment | 0 / 3 |
| Malnourished | Very weak; taken away by animal welfare if not fed more | 1 / 3 |
| Overweight | Ate too much for its exercise; leads to laminitis | 1 / 4 |
| Laminitis | Overweight for too long; taken away by animal welfare if untreated | 1 / 3 |
For laminitis, the library says to call a vet and limit the horse's feed by leaving it in the stable with a limited amount of hay. Our Horses of Hoofprint Bay injuries guide covers the other illnesses.
Special Cases: Keepers, Treats and Boarders
Some horses need more or less feed than others. According to the Traits and Quirks book in the library:
| Trait | Feeding effect |
|---|---|
| Easy keeper | Needs less feed to keep body condition; if not watched, may become overweight and is at higher risk of laminitis |
| Hard keeper | Needs more feed to keep body condition and may require additional feed to not get underweight |
| Snacky | Gains more confidence from snacks |
Both keeper traits are testable and inheritable, so they can run in a bloodline. See our Horses of Hoofprint Bay traits and quirks guide for every trait.
Treats are mostly about bonding. A player on the official Steam forum remembered a tooltip mentioning a small weight increase; another player replied that treats give a tiny amount of confidence if the horse isn't already maxed, and that snacky horses get more confidence points from them.
Feeding boarders
Boarders follow the same rules, with one catch. Players on the official Steam forum report that full-board owners ride their horses, so the horses get hungrier than their evening body condition suggests. The in-game library agrees: the owner comes to exercise the horse, so feed the appropriate amount of grain. Players found that feeding until the arrow sits in the middle of the green section, not at the bottom, stops the morning hunger. Part-board horses only need hay or pasture grazing. More in our Horses of Hoofprint Bay boarders guide.
Buying Feed in Town
When the storage runs low, buy more in town. On the official Steam forum's FAQ thread, a player explained the way: go to the city from the home map; the store is the building on the right with the saddle sign, and you buy hay and feed by clicking it behind the clerk.
| Item in the store | Notes from a full-release gameplay video |
|---|---|
| Small bales of hay | Smallest hay option |
| Big bales of hay | Larger hay option |
| Round bales | Bulk hay, fewer trips |
| Sack of grain | Standard grain |
| Pallet of grain | Bulk grain |
| Treats | Sold in the same store |
Buying in bulk means fewer trips to town. Later, staff can help with daily feeding; in the February demo, a gameplay video showed Laura mucking out, feeding and grooming one horse each morning for five coins a day.
Horses of Hoofprint Bay Feeding FAQ
What does Horses of Hoofprint Bay feeding need every day?
Water and roughage, meaning hay or grazing in the fields. Grain is only needed for horses that work a lot or are hard keepers.
How much grain should I give?
There is no fixed amount. Keep the body condition arrow in the green section and check the scale column in the office's Horses book; add grain when the number is negative.
What happens if a horse is overweight for too long?
It gets laminitis. The in-game library says to call a vet and keep the horse in the stable with a limited amount of hay, or it can be taken away by animal welfare.
Where do I buy more hay and grain?
In the store in town, the building on the right with the saddle sign. Click the hay and feed behind the clerk to buy more.
Related Guides
Boarders Guide: Board Types and Fees
Horses of Hoofprint Bay boarders guide: what part board, full board and schooling ask of you, why boarders get hungry, prestige, and sending them home early.
How to Praise Your Horse: Timing and Key
Horses of Hoofprint Bay how to praise horse: press S just after a gait change you asked for or when the horse is curious, and use scratches and treats too.
Injuries: All Illnesses, Treatments
All Horses of Hoofprint Bay injuries and illnesses from the in-game library: causes, treatments, healing days, vet costs, and where to buy antiseptic and cream.