| Horse hay is a very important staple in your horse's | | | | 3. Steer clear of hay that smells dusty, moldy, musty, |
| diet. Your horse is a grazing animal and benefits from | | | | and even fermented |
| eating and digesting small amounts of forage, such as | | | | 4. Steer clear of hay that contains lots of weeds, |
| hay, consistently through the day. | | | | debris, or dirt this is a recipe for colic |
| Since hay is so important to your horse's digestive | | | | 5. Make sure you try to purchase hay within one year |
| health we will be discussing how select good quality | | | | of its harvest to ensure it contains its proper nutritional |
| hay and set up a proper feeding program for your | | | | value. |
| horse. | | | | Feeding Hay |
| Choosing Hay | | | | Now that you have an idea on how to choose the |
| Horse hay can be categorized as either a grass or | | | | best quality hay for your horse you should also set up |
| legume. Legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy, | | | | a plan for a feeding program for your horse. Horses |
| and vitamins when compared to a grass type of hay. | | | | need more consistency in their diets and are therefore |
| Alfalfa and clovers are your common legume hays. | | | | more sensitive to changes in diet. |
| Ryegrass, timothy, brome, fescue, Bermuda grass, and | | | | This is why it's important to set up a consistent feeding |
| orchard grass are examples of your grass hay | | | | program. How much protein and energy a horse |
| mixtures. | | | | needs depends on many factors such as age, |
| Once you decide on which category of horse hay | | | | workload, and metabolism. An adult horse will eat |
| works best for your horse you need to make sure | | | | 2-2.5% of its own body weight each day. |
| you are getting good quality hay to feed to your horse. | | | | Half of this percentage should be roughage such as |
| Poor quality hay (dusty or moldy) can lead to | | | | hay fed on a daily basis. If you think about 1% of 1,000 |
| significant health problems in your horse such as colic | | | | pounds of horse, you'll need to feed around 10 pounds |
| and respiratory issues. | | | | of hay each day! |
| Here are several tips from the American Association | | | | It is a great idea to speak with your veterinarian to |
| of Equine Practitioners when choosing hay for your | | | | determine appropriate amounts of hay to feed your |
| horse: | | | | horse each day. |
| 1. Ask for anywhere from one to several bales be | | | | Most owners ration out the total amount of hay into |
| opened so you can check out the inside of the bales | | | | 2-3 daily feedings. As mentioned above, horses are |
| for an idea on the quality | | | | grazing animals and feeding smaller amounts of horse |
| 2. Opt for hay that is more fine-stemmed, green, and | | | | hay through the day helps keep their digestive system |
| leafy. You want it softer to the touch as opposed to | | | | going smoothly especially if your horse is not turned |
| overly coarse | | | | out regularly. |