Equine Information for Horse Owners

Horses are herbivores and foragers by nature and their nutritional needs are rooted in these natural instincts. They eat grasses and other foraged plants as their primary source of nutrition. Horses are most content when they can nibble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Although it is not always possible to let our horses graze to their hearts' content, one way to satisfy their urge to chew and provide essential nutrients
is to feed high quality hay on a regular schedule.

   Hay generally falls into one of two categories -- grasses or legumes.
Horse hay is often a mixture of the two. What is readily available and most cost effective generally depends on the part of the country in which you live.

Hay's nutritive value and palatability (i.e. how much your horse enjoys eating it) will depend on a number of factors, such as:

    * Plant Species
    * Level of Plant Maturity at Harvest
    * Weed Content
    * Growing Conditions (rain, weather, insects, disease)
    * Curing & Harvesting Conditions
    * Soil Conditions and Fertility
    * Moisture Content
    * Length & Method of Storage

Alfalfa and clover are examples of legumes. Alfalfa is more commonly fed as hay than is clover, although clover may be a component of a mixed hay.

Legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy, calcium and vitamin A than grass hays. This concentrated source of energy and protein may be an advantage when fed as part of the ration for young, growing horses, lactating mares, and performance athletes.

However, not all horses need the rich levels of nutrients present in premium alfalfa. By buying a lower quality hay (such as an early cutting or one harvested in a late stage of plant maturity), or by selecting an alfalfa grass mix hay, you can get alfalfa's dietary benefits without supplying excess nutrients that may predispose young horses to problems such as developmental bone disease and epiphysitis.

When feeding alfalfa, there is also a need to include a palatable, high phosphorous mineral supplement as part of the ration. Doing so will bring the calcium/ phosphorous ratio into a better balance for the horse. This is especially important when feeding young, growing horses. High phosphorous supplements are commercially available just for this reason.

Due to alfalfa's high mineral content, your horse will likely drink more water when being fed this legume. In turn, your horse's stall will be wetter and require more care to keep it clean, dry and ammonia-free.

Although grass hay is generally lower in protein and energy, and higher in fiber than legume hay, this is, in part, what makes it a good choice for many adult horses. It can satisfy the horse's appetite and provide necessary roughage without excess calories and protein.

A good quality grass hay may meet most of the adult horse's basic nutritional needs. Mature horses require 10% - 12% CP (crude protein) in their diets. Many native or prairie grass hays contain just 6-8 percent. A fortified grain concentrate can be used to supplement the ration, increasing its energy, protein, vitamin and mineral content.

Common varieties of grass used for horse hay include:

    * Timothy
    * Orchard
    * Brome
    * Fescue
    * Prairie or Wild Native
    * Oat
    * Bermuda