Article: what kind of hay is best for horses
December 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
© 2020. We will explore all the types of hay that are commonly fed to horses. Please fill out the rest of the form below. Alfalfa hay is one of the best legume hays fed to horses. A palitable hay that horses like the taste of, this is the hay often used to make cubes & pellets. Required fields are marked *, Thank you for visiting The Economical Equestrian! 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. Being comfortable with your finances is important for everyone, but especially when you have such an expensive habit. Stay a while and then get out there and ride! Most horses tolerate more than 20% NSC without adverse effects, and most grass hays, especially those from the Eastern states, contain only 7-18% NSC, with an average of … Feeding a mid- to late-maturity hay will provide fewer nutrients, which might be desirable for easy keepers. Pick a hay your horse likes to eat. For these horses NSC, P and mold content are key. The feed store down the road advertises hay at $15 a bale. Alfalfa Hay. Top 7 Best Treatment for Cushings in Horses. Timothy hay is a common favorite among horses and owners. Third cut hay is really soft and super leafy. Your email address will not be published. When in doubt, be sure to discuss feeding this hay with your vet. She is getting no grain, and she has never developed laminitis, inflammation of the soft connective tissues within the foot that can result from a variety of … The first priority in choosing hay is to evaluate it for quality. Horses that suffer an allergy to hay can be allergic to either the hay dust or to the mold that can grow in the hay. 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. Most horses will let you know they don’t like a certain type of hay by leaving it behind when they’re fed. Beet pulp or beet-pulp-based processed feeds are a good choice because beet pulp is well tolerated by horses with sensitive digestive tracts, is well digested and itself helps to encourage healthy populations of organisms in the large bowel. Horses and ponies in their natural environment are grazing animals - they spend many hours a day eating grass. Different types of hay for horses can vary in nutritional value, taste or texture. Legume hay is higher in protein, energy, calcium and vitamin A than grass hays. 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. 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. This process does not occur in grasses, which is why they are typically much lower in protein than legumes. Once seed pods form they extend away from the stalk and look like a bird’s foot (hence the name). It makes an excellent stand of hay. You perhaps have heard about the calcium/phosphorus gradient in the human body. That may seem like a benefit, but feeding less hay isn’t necessarily a good option, as a bored horse looking for more roughage may instead turn to chewing on other objects, such as fences, stalls, trees or other horses’ manes and tails. Your primary goal in selecting hay for your horse should be meeting his specific energy needs. Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices. Respiratory or digestive disturbances associated with feeding hay are more likely … Most horses will readily consume alfalfa hay. 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