Classes of Feeds for Horses Presentation Part 2: Roughages #8895-B

Hay Usually fed to confined horses Producing and purchasing requires skill Differences in plant species affect certain qualities of hay

Hay Legumes: Higher in protein, energy, calcium, and vitamin A than grass hays Plants with nitrogen-fixing nodules on roots – make use of atmospheric nitrogen

Hay Should eat a mixture of legume and grass hays if: – In light to moderate training – Between 2 – 4 years of age – Mares in latter stages of pregnancy

Hay Should not contain weeds and other foreign material Weeds add woody material – Low digestibility – Bad taste and smell

Hay - Fertilizer Fertilizer - increases plant nutrient content and number of leaves As plants mature from stage of active growth to reproductive stage, protein content, digestibility, and palatability decrease

Hay - Fertilizer Palatability - acceptability of taste Ratio of stem to leaf increases which amplifies fiber content Difficulty digesting fibrous stems

Hay - Weather Conditions Conditions that reduce hay quality – Rain – Excessive sunlight Drought - less forage & fewer leaves Excessive moisture - promotes diseases that destroy leaves

Hay – Weather Conditions Rain: Beats leaves from legumes Leaches out soluble carbohydrates Prevents hay from drying sufficiently

Hay – Weather Conditions Moisture content should be 12-18% Hay with excessive moisture becomes moldy – toxic to horses Mold develops musty odor

Hay – Weather Conditions Excessive sunlight bleaches color from leaves – Loss of Vitamin A Attempt to dry quickly If dried too slowly, hay will ferment and lose nutrient content

Hay - Harvesting Legumes - harvested when few flowers appear Grass - harvested when seed heads begin to develop Grain – harvested in soft-dough stage – ensures maximum nutrient content & tonnage/acre

Hay - Harvesting Crushing or crimping stems may reduce need to move a windrow for proper drying Too much movement can shatter leaves and mix soil into hay

Hay Harvesting Leaves fall off during baling if hay remains too long in the windrows

Hay - Selection Determine stage of plant maturity No mature seeds or plants in full bloom

Hay - Selection Estimate percentage of leaves present Should have high proportion of leaves relative to stems Leaves more nutritious than fibrous stems

Hay - Selection Color should be observed Bright green indicates minimum bleaching and presence of adequate Vitamin A Rain may discolor hay which lowers nutrient content

Hay - Selection Should smell good and clean Not moldy and dusty No foreign material