FAQ's about hay for horses

Q: What is the best hay to feed my horse?

A: There is no one 'best' type of hay, but there are logical decisions that will lead you to the best alternative. First, you have to feed what is available to your area. In Oklahoma, there are several varieties of hays; the predominant types are alfalfa, bermudagrass, bluestem and native or prairie grass hay. These hays are grown in large quantities in Oklahoma and surrounding states. Each is different in its expected content of nutrients of energy, protein, minerals and vitamins, and different in cost.

Alfalfa, a legume, is high in protein, and will contain more energy per pound than the others that are grass hays. As such, those owners feeding horses needing nutrient dense rations, such as producing and growing horses, will routinely use alfalfa as the sole hay or in combination with grass hays. Alfalfa, however, costs more and there is the possibility of undesirable insects (blister beetles) in alfalfa, so some use grass hays as the sole source of hay. Bermudagrass hay and other 'improved' grasses will have less protein, energy and some minerals as compared with alfalfa. This may be desirable for those who feed large amounts of grain and supply much of the nutrition from grains as compared to the amount expected to be supplied by grass hays. Bermudagrass hay is usually less costly than alfalfa, and when feeding high energy and high protein grains, will balance the total ration well. The lower quality hays will be the native grass or prairie grass hays. These hays will usually be about 10 to 20 percent less protein and energy as compared with improved grasses such as bermuda, although there is a large variation of what is classified as 'native hay'. These hays work well with those who use grains as the main source of nutrition for their horses, and use hay mainly as a fiber source to keep the horse's digestive tract regular, and as a continual source of feed to keep boredom and other behavioral problems to a minimum.

Q: How do I know how good a hay is?

A: The biggest factor, other than differences between species of forage, that affects the quality of hay is the maturity of the plant that was harvested: The more mature the plant, the less nutrients and the less digestible the forage. Hay that has been fertilized may be better because fertilization increases plant growth and plants may have been harvested at an earlier maturity. Hay that has been sprayed for weeds may be better, as hays fed to horses need to be free of undesirable, non-nutritious plant types. Hay that was harvested properly will be safer to feed as hay put up too wet may be moldy. The other ways to estimate how good a hay is involve hay tests that quantify the amount of protein, fiber and possibly minerals. Hay tests can help you compare hays on a nutrient basis instead of a weight or 'by the bale' basis. Hay tests can also help you determine grain mixes that best balance a hay. Your local Cooperative Extension Educator can assist you in sampling and receiving a hay test.

Q:How much hay should I feed?

A: How much hay to feed really depends on what is being fed otherwise. If the horse is on a good pasture, there is little to no need to feed hay. If the horse is receiving a high fiber source in a processed mix such as hay cubes with a grain ration, then there may be little need for hay. Usually, however, any horse that is restricted from grazing because of no forage in the turnout or because of being stalled will need hay at a minimum of 1 percent of body weight per day. This means about 10 pounds per day for a 1000 pound horse. On the other end, most hays can be fed free choice so horses have a continual supply of nutrients throughout the day. Most horses cannot eat more than about 2.5 to 3 percent of their body weight in total ration per day, so upper limits may be about three times the minimal amount recommended.

Q: How well is your horse's ration meeting requirements?

Most horse owners are part-time equine dietitians. Feed is one of the most frequently purchased and largest contributor to daily operating expenses. Knowing whether or not feed is meeting needs effectively not only helps the owner's peace of mind, but also is of obvious importance to the horse. The horse's general health and body condition is a good indicator of nutritional status. Horses receiving insufficient energy and/or protein will be of undesirable weight, general appearance of coat quality, and/ or behavior. Those receiving excess will carry too much fat, and be more prone to energy excess maladies such as colic, founder and several energetic metabolic 'diseases.' In order to evaluate rations, you have to estimate what the horse needs and what the diet supplies. Horses require certain amounts of nutrients each day, and estimates are provided by the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements for Horses, which has been revised in 2007. Examples of estimates are provided in tables in this newsletter. Estimating what the diet supplies requires you to know the amount of feed(s) being fed on a weight basis, and the expected nutrient content of the feed(s). From that point, it a matter of math skills to compare needs and supplies.

There are two recently revised OSU Fact Sheets available on-line that help this process of ration evaluation. Both are accessible through www.ansi.okstate.edu/e-equine. Navigate to Equine Fact Sheets and read OSU ANSI-3928 Evaluating Rations for Horses and OSU ANSI- 3997 Nutrient Needs of Horses. Hopefully, both will aid in your ability to do some simple nutritional checks of your horse's ration. Be aware that you will need to use weights, so weighing feed is essential. You can use feed tags to obtain estimates of nutrient concentration of commercial mixes, and there are estimates of nutrient analyses for hays (or testing available) that can give fairly close estimates of nutrients in hays. Pastures are a little harder to estimate as plant types, stage of maturity and intake are harder to pinpoint.

More info needed? See what is available at www.ansi.okstate.edu/e-equine.

Information prepared by Dr. David Freeman, OSU Extension Equine Specialist, Department of Animal Science. Contact: david.freeman@okstate.edu

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