Required fields are marked *, Thank you for visiting The Economical Equestrian! Aim to feed your horse chopped hay or an equivalent fiber source at a rate of about 1% of the horse’s ideal body weight per day. Keep in mind that even though some of these hays may sound better in their description, ultimately the best hay for your horse is the one they will eat. The two main types of hay for horses are grass hay and legume hay. Many horse owners jump at the chance to purchase 2nd. Horse owners have found that Timothy hay promotes a shiny coat, good digestion, bowel regularity, and a healthy weight. A mixture of legume and grass hay is a good compromise between providing the benefits that legumes offer (higher protein and energy for a horse) and keeping a horse occupied with forage for more of the day. When grass is not available, hay may make up the largest part of a horse's diet. Feeding a legume/grass mix can be the best of both worlds. Hay and Hay Quality 3. Birdsfoot trefoil is more resistant to negative soil conditions as well as moisture fluctuations. High-quality, properly fenced pastures are one of the best and least expensive sources of summer feed for a horse. The benefits of feeding a legume, like alfalfa, but keeping the balance in your horse’s nutrition and energy levels by also feeding them a grass hay. Alfalfa is a frequent “topper” or “add-on” hay for many horses’ diets. Clover hay can provide energy, protein and fiber, however, if clover molds, it can cause slobbers and bleeding... Birdsfoot Trefoil. Feeding hay to laminitic horses or ponies. Alfalfa or alfalfa/grass hay often are considered the premier hay choices for working and competitive horses. The resulting oat hay is high in protein and other nutrients, making it a nutritious option for horse hay. , « The Most Comfortable Cowboy Boots That You Can Wear All Day, What Barn Chores Do You Need To Do Every Day? What Hay Growers Should Know 4. This higher content of protein and calcium can come with problems. The same can be said of horses! In other words, 11 lbs. Rhodes grass Rhodes grass. Different types of hay for horses can vary in nutritional value, taste or texture. Hay should be green. Rye grass is gaining popularity as a forage for horses as it is quick to establish and grow and provides good nutrition. All cuttings can result in good-quality horse hay! + Free Printable Barn Chores Checklist ». Typically timothy grass has a finer texture than other grasses. Alfalfa has lots of nutrients, so many people feed a mix of alfalfa and a grass hay. The first cut of hay is the first hay harvested from a field for that year. Legume hay is also ideal for goats and lambs. All horses need fiber in their diet and some of it must be the form of long hay. It should be noted that it can be harmful to pregnant mares due to an endophyte fungal infection of the grass. Most commonly, clover is mixed with other grasses. It does spike in sugar production in the fall, so be cautious when grazing or feeding it to sugar sensitive horses. You can even perform a hay analysis to check crude protein, fiber, energy, and mineral content. Hay analysis can tell you what a hay does and does not have and whether or not you need to be supplementing with something that is missing from your horse’s diet. Grass hay comes in many varieties and the best hay can vary from horse to horse. Alfalfa hay is one of the most common hays available in the US, making it a popular choice for forage for horses. Timothy hay is the most digestible of all hays and is one of the most popular hay feeds for horses. Timothy hay is a common favorite among horses and owners. The best alfalfa is cut more on the early side, and horses LOVE to eat it! Horse Hay FAQs: List of Types of Hay, What Hay is Best, etc. Stay a while and then get out there and ride! This class of carbohydrates includes starch, water-soluble sugar, and fructan. On the other hand, horses usually don’t require such rich forage. Some of the most common kinds of hay are timothy hay, bermudagrass hay, oat hay, alfalfa hay, and clover and grass hay. Here is the quick list for my picks for the best horse pasture seed mix on more time. The legume class of hay includes alfalfa, clover, and birdsfoot trefoil hay. Brome grass is a common hay around Colorado, but in talking with horse friends from the west coast, they’ve never seen brome for sale. This slow feeder is available in two different sizes. Additionally, the stalks can be thick so some horses won’t eat it because of texture. We didn’t always have great … It is very palatable and desirable and grows well in poor fertility soils. Color can vary based on grass type and exposure to sunlight. It usually has a higher amount of protein than other grass hays but has a better balance of nutrients such as calcium and fiber. To see prices and customer reviews view the links below. But bermuda grass provides a good source of forage for horses. Once seed pods form they extend away from the stalk and look like a bird’s foot (hence the name). Normal horses can tolerate NSC levels of 20% or higher. Important factors to keep in mind for horse hay are the nutritional needs of the animals (mature horses will not need high protein or calcium levels unless they are mares nursing foals), and the way the hay was harvested. For Round Bales. Clover. Horses can do well on grass or alfalfa (or other legume) hay. Your email address will not be published. Hay allows us to keep horses in climates and conditions not natural to horses. Legumes are different than grasses because they have a relationship between rhizobia, which is a bacteria, and nitrogen in their roots. Alfalfa typically has a thicker stem and lots of leaves. The nutritional requirements for a performance horse working 5-6 days a week will be drastically different than a backyard horse ridden lightly 1-2 times per month. Website Help, 10 Tips For Choosing The Best Hay For Your Horse. 1. This bacteria “fixes” the nitrogen from the atmosphere into ammonia, then into ammonium which the plant can then use to make protein. My name is Catherine, and I am here to help all equestrians live better with their horses as well as learn to be financially savvy. The hay is a late-maturing high fiber bunchgrass with a relatively low protein content. When in doubt, be sure to discuss feeding this hay with your vet. Good Horse Grass Crested Dog’s Tail. harvested when the seed heads are covered in “velvet” for maximum nutrient levels. If made in the early stages of grain formation, oat hay alone is an excellent total ration for maintaining older horses while avoiding the imbalances and excesses that can come with alfalfa. Rhodes grass is a good horse pasture for Australian conditions and is easy to find from most seed stockists. Derby Originals Slow Feed Horse Hay Bag. This is the cut … 10 Tips For Choosing The Best Hay For Your Horse. Leafiness Leaves contain more nonstructural (digestible) … A grass-legume hay is recommended for most horses; however, hay can vary widely in nutrient compositions. No matter which type of hay you choose, some characteristics should be consistent when looking for high quality hay for horses. per day for a 1,100-lb. It is relatively palatable to horses and has a fine texture. One reason horse owners often avoid clover is its propensity for mold. Legume hay is more easily digested than grass hay, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the horse. There are Only 3 Types of Horse Hay Timothy Orchard Brome Blue grass A well-kept pasture also is the most natural and healthy environment for exercise and rest. 3. So this is definitely a regional hay. Heavy Duty Hay Bags,Multi-plaid Horse Grass Bag, Exclusive Slow Feeder Hay Bags 8.0 7.5 8.1 8: Brome is typically green to dark green to blueish green and has a broader blade. The type of hay you feed the horses in your barn depends on a number of factors, including geographic location, price and the horse’s nutritional needs. At the same time, p… Most horses will let you know they don’t like a certain type of hay by leaving it behind when they’re fed. A healthy and easy-to-grow mixture for your horses, our Horse Pasture and Hay Mix is specially formulated with a variety of nutritious species. How to Choose a Turnout Blanket for Your Horse, How to Build a Dutch Stall Door – Cheap DIY Stall Door, Things Equestrians Can Do During the COVID-19 Quarantine, Clovers (Red, White, Sweet., Alsike, Yellow Sweetclover), Smell like hay (kind of a sweet smell). Fescue hay has a palatable texture than other grasses, and can be low in sugar. Orchard hay is another common type of grass hay – it usually has a thicker blade than timothy hay but can be softer in texture. Productive, well-managed pastures can provide most of the feed requirements of horses for the least cost. This forage grows to 2-3 feet tall, and is easiest to grow when mixed with grasses. What We Liked: It’s rare to see a hay net that can be used to feed a group of horses in the field (360 degrees for the win! Your email address will not be published. A variety of fescues, ryegrass, orchard grass and more, many of the varieties in our mix will self-seed each year and … Do not worry about slight ... 2. Pick a hay your horse likes to eat. If you have a hard keeper or senior horse, then this may be a good idea. Alfalfa typically has a thicker stem and lots of leaves. One with a small-sized hole and one with extra-large sized holes. Food or Foe: What Do Horses Eat (And Why) Beginner’s Guide to Horse Hay Nets & Bags; 7 Best Blankets for Happy Horses (Winter, Turnout, Rain) Fact of Fiction: Do Horses Eat Meat? *When in doubt about what hay is best for your horse, consult your vet or an equine nutritionist to determine the best hay for your horse*. Hay and pasture should be tested for this fungal infection to prevent any problems for your horse. This means that a horse will get more nutrients from less hay but it also means that they get more energy and calories from less hay so it won’t keep a horse occupied for as long. Being comfortable with your finances is important for everyone, but especially when you have such an expensive habit. This hay is high in fiber, protein and calcium. In fact, a steady diet of legume hay can lead to excessive weight gain. There are many different types of grass hay available, although the types of grass available will vary based on your geographic location. Horses challenged by metabolic syndrome should be offered hays that are low in non-structural carbohydrates or NSC. Clover plants usually have three leaves, and the leaves and flower colors vary based on the type of clover. This typically indicates that it has a good flavor. Alfalfa is the most common legume hay for horses. The flower blooms are small, bright yellow, and form in clusters at the end of the stems. When purchasing hay, keep your individual horse’s needs in mind. Easier to chew. The increased calcium does mean that phosphorus may need to be supplemented, as noted above. Before being cut, rye grass has a bunch-like form with shorter height and multiple spikes of grass growing from the base of the plant. This hay bag is perfect design and comfortable for you to … Oat hay is also quite high in sugar, so it is not a good option for insulin resistant horses. There are many types of hay that you can feed to horses. Legume hay is higher in protein and calcium than grass hay is. The top rated seed mixes are designed for the specific nutritional needs of horses and made to germinate quickly. How Horses Sleep: A-Zzz Guide to Equine Rest; Horse Lifespan 101 (Life Stages, Teeth, Senior Horse Care) References 15 Best Slow Feeders for Horses Nrtfe Hay Net Slow Feed Bag for Horse Feeder. An excellent alternative to metal hay feeders, this net can be used to feed multiple horses while promoting digestive health. Brome is closer in appearance to orchard than timothy, in appearance. A high quality horse pasture seed mix is an important investment in your horse’s health. Bermuda grass grows well in a variety of conditions so it is a common hay for horses. Research has shown that stand of 2/3 alfalfa and 1/3 grass can out yield a pure stand of either grass or alfalfa by as much as 40-50%. Freedom Feeder 4-Foot Round Bale Hay Net, $152.99. Alfalfa is the most common legume hay for horses. Many of you will wonder, what type of hay is best for horses? For more sensitive metabolic and/or laminitic horses and ponies, however, it is often necessary to reduce the sugar content of hay, so that total Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSC) – basically sugars plus starch, are 10% or less. It is lower in protein than some other grasses, so you must ensure a horse is getting enough protein in their diet if this is their only forage. While alfalfa is the most well-known legume hay, clover hays are appropriate for horses, even if they are not as popular with horse owners as alfalfa. If you feed some or all legume hay, be mindful of this relationship and balance your horse by feeding some grass hay or using supplemental phosphorus if necessary. It is quite sensitive to moisture fluxuations though, so care must be taken with overwatering or irrigating it (and it may be difficult to get during a drought). This is a very common grass especially in dry areas and is great for horses. This is a tall grass that grows well in cool conditions and varies in color from light green, to dark green, to blueish-green. Choose hay that is as fine-stemmed, green and leafy as possible, and is soft to the touch. Eating pelleted hay might also help horses that have grass pollen allergies. At this rate, your horse will get about half the calories he needs from … To get hay from oats, oat grass is cut between the milk and soft dough stages of the oat cycle. Oftentimes, the hay that a horse enjoys the most is the one they are most accustomed to. The following is a list of types of grass hay for horses. First Cut Hay. Typically, orchard grass is lower in protein than timothy, but it is a favorite amongst horses and owners. Stems are slender and branch with a multitude of leaves. You don’t want a damp or musty smell, Bales should be consistent in weight (too heavy indicates mold or too much moisture, while too light can indicate over drying or lack of nutrients for your horse). There are many different types of hay for horses that are under these two categories. If you really want to know what is in your hay, have it tested! For horses, grass hay or a legume/grass hay mix is the best choice. Ask that one or several bales are opened so you can evaluate the hay … This is by far the most common legume used as hay for horses. It’s what’s inside that counts. Good pasture alone is sufficient to meet all of the nutritional requirements for many classes of horses. Bermuda is typically the cheapest grass hay you can purchase for a horse. It works the same in horses. What type of hay do you feed your horses? horse. It makes an excellent stand of hay. This article from The Naturally Healthy Horse will clear up any confusion you may have about the best hay for horses.Selecting Hay for Horses: Which Type is Best? Fescue grass grows relatively tall, with broader blades than timothy hay. The high quality grasses we selected for these mixtures are late maturing, high yielding varieties with high fiber digestibility. 1. If horses don’t need additional grain, some people use a ration balancer to make sure a horse is getting all the nutrients they need from their diet. 10 Best Hay For Horses - December 2020 Results are Based on. There are some loose correlations between bermuda grass hay and colic. Buy from Amazon. Benefits: Grass hay is lower in protein and energy than legume hay — but it’s also higher in fiber, which can make it a good choice for many horses. It is highly palatable. Timothy - is a perennial and very palatable to horses. If a horse has a heavy workload, or needs more energy and caloric intake, legume hay can be a good fit. This hay is high in protein, but lower in calcium than legume hay. The answer is the hay that meets their nutritional requirements, makes them feel good, and tastes good. types of hay for horses – Legume Hay Alfalfa. What is the Best Hay for Horses?Best horse hay Knowing the right kind of hay to feed your horses can be tricky. Be aware that Alfalfa is really high protein and … It could just be a coincidence between colic symptoms and feeding dry forage though. Hay can also be useful when keeping horses indoors, and while transporting them. It's what's inside that counts. What the Horse Owner Needs to Know 5. However, a lot of horses do just fine on quality 1st cutting hay. Introduction 2. Grass Hay for Horses Kentucky bluegrass, orchardgrass and timothy are all examples of common grasses used for hay. Note that the following descriptions are generalizations. Ask that one or several bales are opened so you can evaluate the hay inside the bales. The higher percent of calcium in legume hay can present a problem with the calcium/phosphorus balance. Clover hay can provide energy, protein and fiber, however, if clover molds, it can cause slobbers and bleeding in horses who eat the molded hay. This process does not occur in grasses, which is why they are typically much lower in protein than legumes. There are many different types depending on the area of the country you live in and the time of year the hay is cut. This hay is sometimes referred to as coastal hay and is a shorter plant with fine blades of grass. Light brown hay can indicate that the hay sat too long in the sun drying. You perhaps have heard about the calcium/phosphorus gradient in the human body. The size of the holes that you get should be in line with your horse’s feeding needs. In this article, I’ll be discussing all of these different kinds of hay, their compositions, and the effect they will have on your horse’s diet. We will explore all the types of hay that are commonly fed to horses. The longer the seed head, the lower the nutrient value; and the more coarse and stemmy the hay. 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