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Thoughts on Marketing Horse-Quality Hay
by Lori
K. Warren
Extension Equine Specialist, Colorado State University
Lori Warren offers eHay Weekly readers the following information regarding
what nutritional considerations horse owners are making when seeking quality hay
for their animals.
The fastest growing segments of the horse industry are horses used for
sport/competition and recreation. Typical horse owners in this category are
women in their mid-30's to early 50's who own one or two horses and generally
are well educated. They are keen to learn about their horses and how to take the
best care of them. They are willing to spend the money if they can be convinced
it will be of benefit to their horse's welfare. Most larger horse producers
(i.e. breeders) are more worried about cost-savings.
Horses are not as efficient as cattle at digesting low-quality, mature forages.
The horse digests fiber only in the large intestine, so by the time the forage
gets to the hindgut, it has bypassed where nutrients are absorbed in the small
intestine. Essentially, the horse is "missing out" on the microbial protein that
ruminants get from microbial breakdown in the rumen. We know horses require
higher-quality hay than beef cattle and sheep. This means hay that is cut
earlier (at heading, before going to seed, or, in the case of alfalfa, at first
flower). Harvesting hay at an earlier stage optimizes the amount and
availability protein and energy in the forage for the horse.
Characteristics of Horse Hay
Horse-quality hay is hard to define, primarily because it is more of a function
of what that horse will be used for. For example, while we would use a mixed
alfalfa-grass hay to maximize the protein and energy content of hay for a young
growing horse, this would be too nutritious for a mature, adult horse that isn't
being ridden very often. This type of horse would probably get too fat if
allowed to eat a high-quality hay free choice. This type of hay could still be
fed, but in fixed amounts to meet his needs. That means less total feed and
increased amount of time that the horse has nothing in front of him.
We also do not know the minimum recommended level of fiber a horse needs to
maintain healthy gut function (either as crude fiber, ADF or NDF). The only
guideline we have is that horses should have a minimum of 1% of their body
weight per day as forage. When you drop below 1% there is a high risk of the
horse developing digestive and systemic problems (i.e. colic, diarrhea,
laminitis). Obviously, there are differences in the actual fiber content when a
horse is fed a minimum of 1% alfalfa, compared to a minimum of 1% timothy, which
makes this a poor recommendation. More research in the area of minimum fiber
requirements of horses is needed.
Following are some general characteristics of hay for certain
classes of horses.
A. Mature, idle horses; horses ridden infrequently; broodmares in the first
eight months of gestation; and stallions during non-breeding season:
*8-10% crude protein
*less than 39% ADF
*typically a mid-maturity grass hay
B. Mature horses that need to lose weight:
*8-10% crude protein
*40 -- 45% ADF
*a very mature grass hay works well (often, protein isn't high enough in these
hays, so the horse will need supplementation).
C. Performance/Competition horses and stallions during breeding season
*8-12% protein
*less than 36% ADF
*early to mid-maturity grass hay, or mix alfalfa/grass hay
D. Broodmares (last three months of pregnancy) and lactating mares:
*ideally, minimum of 14% crude protein
*less than 36% ADF
*mixed alfalfa-grass or straight alfalfa work well
E. Growing horses (weanlings, yearlings)
*ideally, minimum of 14% crude protein
*less than 35% ADF
*alfalfa-grass mix hay or straight alfalfa
Contact Warren at Colorado State University Equine Teaching
and Research Center, 701 South Overland Trail, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1679, or
phone: (970) 491-8955.