What is the best thing to feed a horse?

When should I Feed my horse hay?

WHEN SHOULD I FEED MY HORSE? Horses can be fed hay right up to the time of competition. For horses that have ulcers, this is particularly true because hay will buffer the stomach from excess acid. Alfalfa hay is better for horses with ulcers than grass hay.

What is the best hay for a horse to gain weight?

Grass hay and pasture grasses are often sufficient for weight gain but alfalfa and other legume hays help boost the richness of hay and pasture. Go slowly when introducing any new feed to your horse even if it is “only hay.”.

How much haylage should I Feed my horse?

You also need to get used to handling haylage so as not to over or under feed your horse. A typical 500 kg 16hh riding horse requires a minimum daily roughage intake of about 1% bodyweight, ie 5kg of hay, or, due to its higher moisture content, 7 to 8.5kg of haylage.

How long does it take for hay to dry before feeding?

In perfect conditions — where the hay has been baled at less than 12% moisture and is very dry — it is safe to feed straight away, but this isn’t often the case, Tim explains: “The main reason for allowing a period of anywhere between two and eight weeks before feeding freshly made hay is to allow for a process called curing to take place.

What is the best fibre for horses to gain weight?

Whilst these types of fibre can be great for helping to manage the weight of good do-ers they won’t be as useful to the horse that needs to gain weight. Examples of fibre types with higher digestibility include early cut, soft leafy hay, haylage, grass, alfalfa and sugar beet.

What type of hay is best for horses?

Best for: Horses that require an energy- and nutrient-dense hay, such as lactating mares, growing foals or horses that need to ingest a plentiful amount of calories. Performance horses in heavy work often benefit from legume hay that can provide calories and energy while satisfying their forage needs.

Is hay and haylage enough for my horse or pony?

Whilst hay and haylage alone may provide enough calories for many horses and ponies it should be supplemented with a broad-spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement, balancer or fortified feed. One myth when it comes to feeding hay is that last year’s hay is safer for a laminitis prone horse or pony.

Why do I need to feed haylage instead of hay?

Due to a greater amount of moisture in haylage you actually need to feed more haylage by weight than hay to provide the same amount of dry matter.

How much haylage to feed a 500kg horse?

For example, a 500kg horse that needed 10kg of forage on a dry matter basis daily would require 11.8kg of hay as fed assuming it was 85% dry matter and 16.7kg of haylage as fed assuming it was 60% dry matter in order to provide this. Knowing how much moisture your forage contains by analysis is key for working this out! Is haylage better than hay?

How long does it take for hay to go rancid?

However, once rolled it might only take three weeks in the warm summer months before rancidity occurs. Heat processed feeds typically have a longer storage length (think hay or alfalfa pellets) due to the fact that the heat kills off some bacteria.

How to feed dry hay to a horse?

Feeding hay from the ground, whether in a stall or in the pasture, allows the horse to carry its head and neck in the most natural way while feeding. Owners can also use a haynet to keep hay off the floor, or a slow-feed web or bin to stretch out the time hay is available. These options are all useful when feeding dry hay. Feeding dampened hay.

How soon can I feed hay after harvesting?

Therefore, hay may be fed as soon following harvesting as needed. The more important factors are to be assured the hay was put up at the correct stage of maturity with no or minimal weathering, thus providing superior quality hay for your horse. 2 likes. Post not marked as liked

What is the best source of fat for horses?

Other common sources of fat include rice bran, linseed, sunflower seeds, full fat soybeans and coconut meal (copra meal). Rice bran is an excellent product for improving body condition and topline of thin horses because it is a combination of rice oil and highly digestible fiber.

What is coastal hay for horses?

This hay is sometimes referred to as coastal hay and is a shorter plant with fine blades of grass. It is lower in protein than some other grasses, so you must ensure a horse is getting enough protein in their diet if this is their only forage.

How to check the quality of hay for horses?

A general baseline to check for hay quality is in the percentage of crude protein. An adult horse in moderate work only needs about 10% protein in his diet, while growing, performance and breeding horses will need more. There are two major categories of hay in which the different types of hay can be placed: legume hay and grass hay.

What is the best hay mix for horses?

Mixed or mixed-grass hay usually means that it has different types of grasses in it. Common mixes are timothy/alfalfa, orchardgrass/ alfalfa, and orchardgrass/clover. The best hay mix for most horses, without any health problems, is one-half Alfalfa and one-half Timothy.

Is grass hay good for horses?

Since it’s less nutrient-dense than legume hay, horses have to eat more grass hay to fill their bellies, which makes grass hay a good tool for keeping a stall-bound horse from getting bored. Downsides: Grass hay alone may not be enough to sustain a hard-keeping horse, a growing horse or a pregnant or lactating mare.

How much haylage to feed a horse?

For example, 3kg of hay will have more dry matter than 3kg of haylage, requiring you to feed a higher weight of haylage to give your horse the same amount of nutrients. If hay is of good quality, it’s an easy forage option. The amount fed will depend on your horse’s weight and dietary needs.

Is haylage better for horses than hay?

Although haylage is generally more expensive to buy than hay, its higher digestibility means that the reliance on extra feed in winter can be reduced, making it quite cost effective. This also means that with haylage, horses with higher energy requirements can potentially be well maintained on a 100% forage diet,…

What is better hay or haylage?

1 Hay, if of a good quality, will provide horses and ponies in light work, or who are ‘good doers’ with the sufficient amount of forage needed for energy. … 2 Hay of good quality will also remain in good condition for a long period of time if stored correctly in a dry environment. 3 Hay is significantly cheaper to buy than haylage.

How can you tell that the haylage you are feeding is good?

Typically we like to see haylage at 70 – 80% dry matter. The grass is baled in small or large bales and wrapped tightly to exclude the oxygen. How is horse haylage made and how can you tell that the haylage you are feeding is good for your horse? Click To Tweet The drier it is the longer it will last once opened.

How much more haylage should I Feed my horse?

For example, if the hay fed is 85% dry matter and the haylage fed is 70% dry matter then you will need to feed 15% more haylage by weight because there is 15% more water in each kilogram. We hope this article is useful to horse owners.

Do horses like haylage?

Small holes which puncture the wrap from birds landing on the bales or pecking them are likely to be the biggest reason for bales being damaged and then becoming unsuitable to feed to horses. Should be a bright golden colour and look like a damper version of hay. We have found that horses prefer haylage which is more like hay.

How much Hay does a 500kg horse need?

Working on this basis a 500kg horse will need around 3kg of hard feed and 7kg of hay during winter months – or less if you still have decent grazing. If you don’t already weigh your hay start now – you will probably be surprised at how heavy your net is. Most of us over-feed our horses which is why obesity is an issue even during winter months.

How long will a horse eat a hay bale?

Most owners with 2 or 3 horses get 7-14 more days out of a bale with a 1.75″ hole. For example, this time lapse video shows one bale being eaten by 3 horses over a period of 22 days.

Do horses need 24-hour access to Hay?

I have heard that horses need hay kept in front them all the times, but also that they don’t need 24-hour access to hay. I feed my 20-year-old horse 8 ounces of protein feed in the morning with two to three flakes of hay, and then turn him out on the pasture in afternoon until it gets dark.

How to bale hay for horses without killing them?

Raking while the hay is still moist (about 40 percent moisture) and baling before it is too dry (below 15 percent moisture) will help reduce leaf losses. Hay baled at higher moisture levels will heat up and bind nutrients making them unavailable for horses to digest.