01/27/2025
🐴**𝐇𝐀𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆**🐴
In this next post of my series - Is your feed program hurting your horse? - I will primarily talk about how the type of forage impacts a horse's digestive health , 𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 and 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐲 for your horse, as much of a domestic horse's diet comes in the form of hay. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.
Forage is a VERY extensive topic, so to keep this post relatively short, I'll attempt to condense this in a nutshell. A horse's diet should primarily consist of structural (fiber) carbohydrates, mainly from forage. Fiber plays a crucial role in promoting healthy digestion and serves as a significant energy source for hindgut microbes. However, ̲𝚗̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚐̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚎̲̲𝚚̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲; poor-quality forage can harm your horse's health.
When assessing hay quality, it's essential to consider nutritional value and 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 and 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐨. However, along with the 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, there is an ̲𝚊̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲ ̲𝚌̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚖̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚗̲̲𝚝̲ we need to look at as well. The nutritional value of hay is largely influenced by the 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 of the plants at harvest. Plant fiber consists of a fiber called 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞. As plants age and mature, the levels of lignin within them tend to increase. For instance, coarse hay typically contains higher concentrations of lignin. If the concentration of lignin is high, then the ̲𝚎̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚏̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚝̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚏̲ ̲𝚠̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚠̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚍̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚍̲ ̲𝚒̲̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚎̲ ̲𝚏̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚙̲̲𝚘̲̲𝚜̲̲𝚝̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚏̲ ̲𝚝̲̲𝚑̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚜̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚛̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚎̲̲𝚜̲ ̲𝚠̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚕̲ ̲𝚘̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚞̲̲𝚛̲. This means that forage harvested at the appropriate stage of growth is essential for optimal digestion and nutrition for horses.
̲𝙷̲̲𝙾̲̲𝚆̲ ̲𝙳̲̲𝙾̲ ̲𝙸̲ ̲𝙺̲̲𝙽̲̲𝙾̲̲𝚆̲ ̲𝚆̲̲𝙷̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚃̲ ̲𝙸̲̲𝚂̲ ̲𝙶̲̲𝙾̲̲𝙾̲̲𝙳̲ ̲𝚀̲̲𝚄̲̲𝙰̲̲𝙻̲̲𝙸̲̲𝚃̲̲𝚈̲ ̲𝙷̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚈̲?
To help determine if hay is of adequate quality is, break open a bale and check for:
1) 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 - Look for a 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐟-𝐭𝐨-𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨. If the hay appears to have mostly thick stalks, it indicates that it was cut too late, resulting in a high lignin content, which is not ideal for feeding your horse. Instead, seek hay that has been cut earlier, as this will typically contain more flat leaves, fine stems, and fewer seed heads. For instance, grass and alfalfa should ideally be cut in the pre-bloom stage. For timothy hay, the head length should be in bud form or less than 1 inch long, while alfalfa should be harvested before it blooms. Hay that contains 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 suggests that it is from an early maturity plant, which is beneficial for horses.
2) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 - When you pick up a handful of hay, does it feel soft and pliable, as small stems and flat leaves should, or does it feel harsh, pokey and brittle? Good quality hay should feel very 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, and it should feel pleasant in your hand.
3) 𝐒𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐲 - Doesn't the smell of freshly cut grass smell wonderful? Good quality hay has a clean, pleasant aroma known as "crop odour". If hay has musty, mouldy, or burnt odours, it's an indication of poor quality, can decrease your horse's willingness to eat it and cause further health issues.
4) 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐂𝐬 - 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - The exterior of a hay bale often fades because of sun exposure, which is normal. However, the inside of the bale should be a bright green color. If the hay appears yellow, brown, black, or white, it indicates poor quality, suggesting that the hay is old, mouldy, or has been stored improperly. Additionally, the hay should be completely free of trash, weeds, dirt, and dust.
Ensuring these points, and having earlier cut hay ̲𝚝̲̲𝚢̲̲𝚙̲̲𝚒̲̲𝚌̲̲𝚊̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚕̲̲𝚢̲ means higher digestibility and nutrient content for your horse, although this can be fully confirmed by a hay analysis. It's important to understand that, just like we gradually introduce a new grain to a horse over a period of 10 to 14 days, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐚𝐲. Horses need time to adjust, as they cannot make a sudden change in their hindgut microbial balance overnight.
̲𝚆̲̲𝙸̲̲𝚃̲̲𝙷̲ ̲𝙰̲̲𝙻̲̲𝙻̲ ̲𝙾̲̲𝙵̲ ̲𝚃̲̲𝙷̲̲𝙴̲̲𝚂̲̲𝙴̲ ̲𝙷̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚈̲ ̲𝚅̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚁̲̲𝙸̲̲𝙰̲̲𝙱̲̲𝙸̲̲𝙻̲̲𝙸̲̲𝚃̲̲𝙸̲̲𝙴̲̲𝚂̲ ̲𝙰̲̲𝙽̲̲𝙳̲ ̲𝙾̲̲𝙿̲̲𝚃̲̲𝙸̲̲𝙾̲̲𝙽̲̲𝚂̲, ̲𝙸̲̲𝚃̲ ̲𝚂̲̲𝚃̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚁̲̲𝚃̲̲𝚂̲ ̲𝚃̲̲𝙾̲ ̲𝙶̲̲𝙴̲̲𝚃̲ ̲𝙾̲̲𝚅̲̲𝙴̲̲𝚁̲̲𝚆̲̲𝙷̲̲𝙴̲̲𝙻̲̲𝙼̲̲𝙸̲̲𝙽̲̲𝙶̲ - ̲𝚆̲̲𝙷̲̲𝙰̲̲𝚃̲ ̲𝙳̲̲𝙾̲ ̲𝙸̲ ̲𝙳̲̲𝙾̲?
The first thing I would suggest is to 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 when feeding your horse. Finding the perfect hay—affordable, high-quality, leafy, low-calorie, high-protein, and with an NSC of 10% or lower—may be challenging. Prioritize what matters most to you, whether it’s price, availability, or nutritional content. Be prepared to pay more for better quality. If high-quality hay is scarce or too expensive, supplementing with hay balancers may be an option to maintain health. However, focusing on buying good quality hay can mitigate the risk of many health diseases, and allow you to reevaluate how many supplements you're feeding your horse as well. Always 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 to ensure the forage meets its needs, as one type of forage may work well for one horse but not for another.
Overall, forage is an extensive topic that encompasses many different aspects that need to be understood, but following the steps mentioned above will help you choose quality hay for your horse. If you're unsure whether your hay is adequate, meeting your horse's needs, or if you want to learn more about the various factors related to hay, a certified Equine Nutritionist can assist you in this area.
In the next post, I'll discuss the importance of vitamins and minerals.
Pictures have been taken from:
Rutgers University - Good Quality Alfalfa & Orchard Grass on the left
The Hay Pillow - Mature Cutting vs Immature Cutting
North Dakota State University - Alfalfa Growth Stage
