Hay
- plays a important role in the horse's diet. Hay makes up 60 to 90% of
your horse's diet. The type and quality makes a difference on which feed
to select. There are two classes of hay, they are:
Grass Hay- Common grass hays are;
timothy, orchard grass, brome grass, fescue, oat, and bermuda grass.
Legume Hay- Common legumes are; alfalfa,
clover, and trefoil.
'Phantom' enjoying lunch
Grass
Hay
Although grass hay is generally lower in protein and energy, and higher
in fiber than legume hay, a good quality grass hay may meet most of the
horse's basic nutritional needs. Mature horses require 10% - 12% crude
protein in their diets. Many grasses contain 6 - 8 percent. Feeding a
grass hay in most cases will require the addition of a commercially
manufactured feed to make up the difference.
Legume Hay Legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy, calcium, and vitamin A
than grass hays. This concentrated source of energy and protein may be
an advantage when fed as part of the ration for young, growing horses,
lactating mares, and performance horses. However, not all horses need the
rich levels of nutrients found in alfalfa. The calcium to phosphorus
ratio in alfalfa hay is 3/1 and can be as high a 4/1. A young growing
horse requires a ratio between 1/1 or up to 2/1. The ratio in alfalfa
hay can lead to developmental bone disease and epiphysitis in young
growing horses. If you feed a straight alfalfa hay, you must supplement
with a high phosphorus supplement to bring the calcium to phosphorus
ratio into a better balance for horses.
Mixed Mostly Grass Hay The best hay for horses is a mixture of
grass and alfalfa hay. The protein will fall in a range of 9% - 12%,
idea for almost categories of horses. The calcium to phosphorus ratio
tends to balance out to about 2/1. A high quality mixed mostly grass hay
will provide all the nutrition that most pleasure horses need. You would
only need to supplement with a grain feed in the winter months when
there is no pasture for feed.
Typical Hay Analysis
Class
Crude
Protein
%
Crude
Fat
%
Crude
Fiber
%
Est.
Net Energy
(Mcal/100lbs.)
Calcium
%
Phosphorus
%
Ca/P
ratio
Grass
7.8
2.3
32.2
35.2
0.43
0.21
2.0/1
Legume
15.0
2.0
28.0
46.1
0.90
0.24
3.7/1
Mixed Mostly Grass
9.0
2.2
31.8
37.2
0.49
0.22
2.2/1
How to select a quality
hay
Now that you know what
category of hay you are looking for, you need to learn how to select the
best quality that is available. Although it may all look the same to the
untrained eye, all hay is not alike. The nutritional value varies
according to what plants it contains, when it was cut, how it was cured,
and how it was stored. Every horseman (woman) should learn how to tell a good
hay from bad. There are several factors to consider:
Date of harvest and
stage of maturity: Young plants contain more nutrients than
older plants, so early cut hay is most desirable.
Color and smell:
High quality hay has a green color and a pleasing aroma. Avoid hay
that smells musty or moldy: it may have been baled damp or rained on
during storage.
Leaf to stem ratio:
The nutritive value is mainly in leaves, so ample leaves relative to
stems indicates quality. Hay that has the coarseness of straw is indicative
of a hay cut past maturity and of low protein, energy, and high in
fiber.
Foreign matter
content: Good hay is free from weeds, dust, and other materials
not suitable for horses.
Weather and Hay:
Our weather plays a major role in when the farmer can harvest hay. If at
harvest time, the weather doesn't cooperate, such as the summer of 2000
when we had wet, rainy weather, the harvesting of hay gets pushed back
until the weather conditions improve. The farmer needs three days of dry
weather after he cuts the hay, for it to cure, then he can bale it. This
is not always possible so the farmer is forced to wait until the weather
improves, sometimes that means the hay is cut past maturity.
What to do? If you find
that your hay is of poor quality, don't feed more hay to try and make up
the difference. Why would you want to feed more of something that is
bad? You should feed less hay. Then pick a horse
feed that will make up for what is lacking in your hay. You will
need to pick a feed with a higher protein and energy level. Blue Seal
makes many feeds that will help balance a poor quality hay. Blue Seal
has a product called 'Hay Stretcher Pellets' that works
well to supplement a poor quality hay. If you need help in selecting a
feed or need advice in which feed to use, just give us a call at (716)
652-4321 or email us with your
questions. We will be happy to assist you.
