Estimate cost from a physical purchase plan
HayRatio calculates the bales you would actually purchase before multiplying by price. This can be slightly higher than multiplying a fractional bale count, but it avoids reporting a budget for a bale fraction your supplier does not sell.
Compare hay on a weight basis
A lighter bale can look cheaper while costing more per ton. University of Minnesota Extension gives an example where a 35 lb bale at $5 costs more per ton than a 50 lb bale at $6. Weigh representative bales and compare delivered cost, storage loss, and usable quality—not sticker price alone.
What this budget leaves out
The result excludes delivery fees, sales tax, storage equipment, spoilage beyond your entered waste rate, pasture, grain, supplements, testing, and veterinary or nutrition services. It is a forage purchase estimate, not a total horse-care budget.
Hay cost questions
How do I estimate monthly hay cost for a horse?
Calculate the waste-adjusted amount for the selected daily target and 30 days, divide by measured bale weight, round up to whole bales, then multiply by price per bale.
Does the calculator compare price per ton?
The current tool calculates whole-bale purchase cost. To compare suppliers, divide bale price by measured bale weight and multiply by 2,000 for price per US short ton.
Which currency does HayRatio use?
The calculator does not convert currencies. Enter a price in your local currency and interpret the numeric cost in that same currency; the dollar-style display is a US English formatting convention.