Forage 101: How to Ensure Your Horse Eats Quality Hay

Have you ever felt like the more you learn about equine nutrition, there is more to know that you don’t already know? I feel that way especially on the topic of hay. Alfalfa hay, grass hay, Timothy, Bermuda, pellets and cubes oh my! Owning a horse that is not an easy keeper, and having lived in the Midwest where horses have pasture and now California where most do not, I have come across various forage feeding programs. These variations can be mystifying! I am grateful to have had a chance to interview equine nutritionist Stephen E. Duren, M.S., Ph.D., PAS to bring clarity about feeding quality hay. Read these answers to six burning questions a few of my local horse friends and I had.

Thank you to Standlee Premium Western Forage for sponsoring this post. 

A friend noticed that the alfalfa her barn buys has more stems, but the one that she buys for supplemental feeding is leafy. Does this mean her barn is buying “cheap” hay? Are there tiers of hay quality?

The visual appearance of hay is only a partial indicator of quality. A definitive indicator of quality is nutrient content that is determined by laboratory analysis. Alfalfa hay with more stems and fewer leaves would typically have a lower nutrient content than an alfalfa with fewer stems and more leaves. The lack of leaves in the “barn hay” may be a reflection of baling conditions, for example alfalfa that was baled too dry causes leaf shatter or loss. Alfalfa hay is graded in quality tiers based on nutrient content. Hay with a higher nutritive content is more expensive. Unfortunately most horse owners are not aware of grading systems for alfalfa hay and purchase what is available in their area.

What is the best hay for feeding hard keepers?

Hard keepers tend to require more calories than their counterparts to maintain adequate body condition. Therefore the best hay for feeding hard keepers is high calorie hay. Alfalfa hay typically contains more calories per pound compared to grass hay. Grass hay that is less mature when cut contains more calories than grass hay cut at a later stage of maturity. So hard keepers benefit from alfalfa hays and grass hays that are less mature at the time of harvest.

Read this article to learn more about managing body condition with forage. 

What should horse owners look for in determining their horse’s individual forage needs?

Horse owners should consider both the type of hay selected and the amount of hay provided to their horses. With respect to hay type, the higher calorie, higher protein hays, alfalfa hay or mixed alfalfa/grass hays, should be fed to broodmares, growing horses and high intensity athletic horses. The moderate protein and energy hays, mixed alfalfa/grass hays and grass hays, should be fed to mature athletic horses and maintenance animals.

With respect to the amount of hay provided, all horses should have a minimum of 1.5% of body weight in dry hay per day. This equates to 15 lbs of dry hay for a 1,000 lb horse per day. A better estimate of hay requirements is to simply calculate 2% of body weight per day. Horses that are working harder or that have higher nutrient demands can eat as much as 3% of body weight in hay per day.

For a more in-depth exploration of forage facts prepared by Standlee Premium Western Forage click here. 

Tell us more about cutting time and how that impacts nutritional value.

The maturity of the plant determines nutrient content. The more mature a plant becomes, the taller a plant becomes the lower the nutrient content. So when a plant goes from the height of your lawn, to the height of pasture, to the height of hay and finally to the height of small trees the nutrient value decreases. Hay growers try to optimize the nutrient content of the plant with the yield of the hay crop to produce the most valuable product.

Have there been any studies conducted on the nutrient content of hay varieties based on soil conditions? For example, in certain parts of the U.S., is it easier to get a high quality of Timothy than other parts due to richer, better soil, etc?

Yes. It is well established that growing conditions will influence the quality of hay produced. Growing conditions include nutrient content of soil, pH of the soil, availability of water (rain or irrigation), length of growing season, average daily temperature and drying conditions. There are certain areas of the U.S. that are very conducive to quality hay production, while other areas are very difficult to grow high quality consistent hay. The Western U.S. is known to grow high quality hay.

What should horse owners know about genetically modified hay species?

This is an area of science that is rapidly expanding. The key to understanding the influence of genetics and the results of modifying a plant’s genetics either by adding or subtracting a gene is EDUCATION. Take the time to read the science on the subject. (Here is a blog post about the work of scientists at University of Illinois regarding genetically modifying crops to require less water.)

Thank you for reading this post about feeding quality hay. I hope you learned something new (I sure did!). 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Leave a comment with a question you still have or tip to share about your forage feeding experience. Is it hard or easy to find high quality hay where you live? (Bonus points if you leave the dollar amount for how much a bale of alfalfa is where you live! Last I checked it’s in the $20s here.)

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