Feeding Horses Hay

What is Hay?

Hay is, very simply, dried plant material. Feeding your horse a hay cut from a field of mixed grasses, or feeding a mixture of different hays, can never hurt. There are two general classes of hay: grass and legume. Grass hay is the preferred hay for horses year round. Legume hays can be used and added in as supplements. Alfalfa can be present but should never be the main grass! If the protein level is high from Alfalfa it can lead to diarrhea, and possibly cause founder.

The fiber level of grass hay depends on the age of the plant when it was cut. And there are several "cuts" depending on when in the year it was harvested. You can put it this way: first cut hay is like the main course; second cut is like dessert. Horses can be fussy about what they eat, and some horses, especially the older "smooth mouthed" ones, may have difficulty chewing certain cuts of hay.

Differences in Grass Cuttings

The qualilty of any hay depends on many factors: weather, drying conditions, and at what point in the life cycle the grasses are cut, to name a few. 1st cutting is usually weedier and coarser (giving it more fiber); second and third are typically softer. In general, horses like the second cut better, but the first cut has more body and fills their stomachs up quicker. Either way, it is a good source of fiber, minerals, and calories for energy.

The first cutting often grows slower in the cool spring weather. Later cuttings grow faster in the heat of summer. "First cutting, whether alfalfa, grass, or mixed, is often a nice all-purpose hay," says Glenn Shewmaker, MS, PhD, a forage specialist and extension assistant professor at the University of Idaho.

First cutting hay, harvested in mid, to late spring, usually has good yield, plenty of fiber, and adequate energy and protein. Although it might have a coarse stem (if it's alfalfa), most animals like it, and it's good feed because it grew slowly enough to accumulate nutrients.

Secont cut, the summer hay, or hot-season cuttings, often have fewer weeds, and are leafy, and fine-stemmed. It has a lower concentration of sugars because it grew faster than the previous first cuttings. For a horse that needs to be on a diet with less nonstructural carbohydrates, the hot-season cuttings are generally safer (including a laminitic horse or any horse that's sensitive to sugars).

The end-season cutting is richer in nutrients again because of slower growth when nights are cool. Even if it's blooming, it still may be very nutrient-dense. It may be a good idea to have the hay tested to be sure it's not too rich.

Size and Cost of Baled Hay

Did you know? East coast bales tend to run 40 to 60 pounds. West coast bales run a bit larger, 90 - 100 pounds. Buying a whole bale (30-60 pounds) will usually cost between $4.00 and $10.00 per bale. The crucial thing to remember about storing hay is making sure it is kept dry. Hay also needs to stay out of the sun as the sun will bleach most of the nutrients out of a good bale of hay.

Hay Extender (Hay Stretcher)

Hay stretcher provides similar nutrition as grass hay, thus, a serves as a supplement for baled hay. However, it does NOT serve as replacement of your horse's grain. Different brand hay stretcher pellets usually differ in size. While the Blue Seal, and Agway hay extender (to name a few) are a large pelleted feed, the Tractor Supply Company's Horseman's choice pellets are considerably smaller when compared. Some prefer the bigger pellets over the smaller because they feel it slows down their horse's eating, which reduces the likelihood of choke. Either type can be easily soaked, or fed dry. Soaking the pellets takes only 3-5 minutes, and most horses love it. This is where you have to determine your own preference, and what works best for you, and your senior, or otherwise compromised horse.