Selection Horse Hay

It is time to purchase your hay for the coming winter. What are some of the criteria to consider when selection hay?

• Hay is the main stay food for most horses. It is usually 2/3 or more of their nutrition.
• Find a good supplier for hay and stick with them.
• Try to buy your hay in the summer. It usually will cost less than in the winter. Have enough hay storage to take you through the year.
• Purchase your hay early.
• Be consistent on the type of hay you buy. Changing a horse's food type can cause colic and other health problems.
• Know what you are buying. Have it analyzed.
• Costs of hay vary. Make allowances for that in your budget.

The following information regarding a horse's needs will help in the selection of horse hay:

"Horse hay should be 10-17% moisture and about 10% crude protein. Crude protein is not likely to be a limiting part of the diet except in lactating mares, foals, or performance horses, which would require higher levels.

Hay with an acid detergent fiber (ADF) value of 30-35% is good for horses. The lower the ADF value, the more digestible the nutrients in the hay are. Hay at 45% or more ADF is of little nutritional value. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels should be 40-50%, and most horses won't eat anything above 65%.

(DE) in the hay. For a light working horse, DE should be about 20 Mcal/day, and most hays range from 0.76 to 0.94 Mcal/lb. of DE. Calcium and phosphorus ratios can vary among different types of hay, an adult horse in a maintenance phase should have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 3:1 to 1:1." Six Simple Tips for Buying Good Hay