| 10 Tips for Choosing the Best Hay for Your Horse High-quality
hay can be an important source of essential nutrients in your horse’s diet. A horse’s
protein and energy requirements depend on age, stage of development,
metabolism and workload. A mature
horse will eat 2 to 2.5% of its body weight a day, and for optimum
health, nutritionists recommend that at least half of this should
be roughage such as hay. For a 1000-pound horse, that means at least
10 pounds of roughage each day.
Hay generally
falls into one of two categories – grasses
or legumes. Legume hay is higher in protein, energy, calcium and
vitamin
A than
grass hays. While hay alone may not meet the total dietary requirements
of young, growing horses or those used for high levels of performance,
high-quality hay may supply ample nutrition for less active adult horses.
Once you’ve
determined the best category of hay for your horse, most people select
hay based on how it looks,
smells and feels.
Use the following
tips from the American Association of Equine Practitioners to select the
best hay for your horse:
- It’s what’s
inside that counts. Ask that one or several bales are opened so you
can evaluate
the
hay inside the bales. Do
not worry about
slight discoloration on the outside, especially in stacked hay.
- Choose hay that is as fine-stemmed, green and leafy as possible,
and is soft to the touch.
- Avoid hay that is overcured, excessively sun-bleached, or smells
moldy, musty, dusty or fermented.
- Select hay that has been harvested when the plants are in early
bloom for legume hay or before seed heads have formed in grasses. Examine
the
leaves, stems and flowers or seed pods to
determine the level of maturity.
- Avoid hay that contains significant
amounts of weeds, dirt, trash or debris.
- Examine hay for signs of insect infestation or disease. Be
especially careful to check for blister beetles in alfalfa. Ask the
grower about
any potential
problems in the region.
- Reject bales that seem excessively heavy for their size of
feel warm to the touch, as they could contain excess moisture that
could
cause mold,
or
worse, spontaneous combustion.
- When possible, purchase and feed hay within a year of harvest
to preserve its nutritional value.
- Store hay in a dry, sheltered area out of the rain, snow and
sun, or cover in the stack to protect it from the elements.
- When buying in quantity, have the hay analyzed
by a certified forage laboratory to determine its actual nutrient
content.
Remember
that horses at different ages and stages of growth, development and
activity have different
dietary
requirements. Consult your veterinarian
or
a qualified equine nutritionist when formulating your horse’s
ration. He or she can help you put together a balanced diet that is
safe, nutritious
and cost-effective.
For
more information about choosing hay, ask your equine veterinarian
for the “Hay
Quality and Horse Nutrition” brochure, provided by the AAEP in partnership
with Educational Partners Bayer Animal Health and Purina Mills, Inc. More information
about nutrition also can be found online at the AAEP’s horse
health Web site, www.myHorseMatters.com.
Reprinted with permission from the American Association of Equine
Practitioners.
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