What is the best Grass hay for horses?
There are two primary types of horse hay: legume and grass. Alfalfa is the best variety of legume hay, and Orchard grass is the grass hay I recommend; however, Timothy, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are also excellent choices.
What should I look for in a good horse hay?
When selecting your horse’s forage, keep these six signs of good quality horse hay in mind:
- High leaf-to-stem ratio. Think about the leafy greens you eat.
- Small diameter stems.
- Few seed heads or blooms.
- Fresh smell and appearance.
- Cleanliness.
- Hay Color.
What is considered horse quality hay?
Horse hay should be bright green, leafy and fine textured, with a fresh, pleasant aroma. Musty hay or other indications of mold or heating, and dust, weeds and other foreign material in hay can be unhealthy for an animal. Color is an indicator of quality and nutrient content; good hay is a bright green.
What hay can horses not eat?
Oat hay has thick tougher stalks that some horses will not eat. Oat hay tends to be higher in nitrates and also high in sugar (NSC), so this hay is not an option for insulin resistant horses. Here’s a comparison chart so you can see the differences between alfalfa hay, timothy (grass) hay and oat hay.
What hay is bad for horses?
Some hay types are particularly prone to high nitrate levels and should be avoided if there are options. These include: Sorghum, Sudan, Johnsongrass and Pearl Millet. High levels of simple carbohydrate (sugars, starch) are an issue for horses with insulin resistance and can occur in virtually any type of hay.
Which is better for horses timothy or orchard grass?
Orchard Grass is higher in protein (10-12%), higher in calorie content and contains the same balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus as Timothy grass. This helps ensure your horses always have a high quality grass forage option to utilize.
Can a horse live on hay alone?
So to answer your question, yes, a horse can live on just hay and be perfectly healthy.
What type of hay is best for miniature horses?
Alfalfa hay is too energy-dense for most Miniature Horses; grass hay is a better choice, fed at the rate of about 1.5% of their body weight in hay daily.
Does a horse need hay if they have grass?
No , horses don’t need hay. They are, and always will be, meant to eat grass, herbs and perhaps some leaves and other such thing. When we can’t provide enough of that, we give them some sort of hay.
What is the Ideal Hay for horses?
Timothy Hay. Timothy hay is a common favorite among horses and owners.
Is grass hay a good hay option for my horse?
While grass hay is lower in protein and calcium it is still a great source of feed for most horses . While the lower relative nutrition level of grass hay makes it a good filler, it does have relatively more carbohydrates. This means that grass hay, not alfalfa hay, is a more dangerous food for an obese horse, or a horse with laminitis concerns.
What do horses eat grass or Hey?
What Horses Eat That Keep Them Healthy Pasture Grass and Tender Plants. The natural diet of the horse is pasture grass and tender plants. Hay. Many of us don’t have the luxury of being able to let our horses graze on pasture throughout the whole year. Grains. Oats are a traditional grain fed to horses. Concentrate Mixes. Salt and Minerals. Treats. Water. Plants Toxic to Horses.