Hay makes up a minimum of 80% of a horse's diet. Other livestock animals are similar and most can thrive on a 100% forage diet with added vitamins and minerals. Often when dealing with feeds we focus on adjusting the feed bags we supplement with hoping for significant changes but let’s make sure we don’t overlook the feed that makes up the vast majority of the diet and will make the most significant difference.
Pasture feeding animals can be nice. It is their natural feeding style and they can effectively graze which for horses is the healthiest feeding rate (horses should always have forage in their hind gut which means consistent feed should be available). The only downside to pasture feeding a horse is that the feed can be inconsistent and lack large amounts of nutrients. Hay is a great supplement or full forage replacement which allows the horse to get the desired grass or forage in a sure way.
The most popular types of hay in the PNW are Alfalfa, Orchard, and Timothy. These hays have different uses and benefits. Your horse may also have a preference to a certain hay type as opposed to another, but it’s important to know if that is the best option for them.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is the most prominent hay type in the world. It’s fast growth rate,long growing season, and high nutritional content makes it a first choice at a great price. Alfalfa protein content is higher than other hay types since its plant family is “legume”. It contains a high fiber content in the stems, and also a high calcium content. This feed is excellent for horses who need some extra calories or to put on weight. It supports muscle development in working horses and is also the main staple used in the dairy and livestock industry to support weight gain and milk production.
Orchard
Orchard is a grass hay that is very popular and abundantly available. This type of hay grows well in an area where snow covers the ground during the winter and gets mildly hot in the summer. High heat can cause damage to the plants and kill the grass. Orchard is a mild protein that is often at the ideal level for most pastured and stabled horses with average or low activity levels. The grass is highly digestible and soft, making less work for the horses teeth and digestive system to break down the feed. This feed is often used in high end horses tables and by top performance horses for its protein levels and balanced nutritional content.
Timothy
Timothy grows in a similar climate to the orchard but is much more delicate when it comes to growth and production. With a slightly lower protein level and a slightly higher fiber content than orchard it allows you to tailor the feed choice more specifically to your horse's needs. Timothy is a grass that has a stem. Timothy is known for its mild nutritional content in protein, fiber, and calcium.
Timothy and Orchard can be fed to all livestock animals and are the top choice for animals like donkeys and even goats. Alfalfa however is known for its beneficial nutrition levels for cattle and bovines specifically.
When switching horses you should do that very slowly and cautiously as their digestive tracts are very delicate and it could easily cause a colic. Always consult your vet before feed changes. The best way to change feed is to do so over the course of a couple weeks when you slowly start integrating the new feed with the majority of the old feed. Begin to change the ratio to increase the percentage of the new feed until your horse can get used to it. Never be in a rush to get to the switch and sometimes stopping at the 50% old and 50% new for awhile is a great option. Once they are becoming accustomed to it, continue the switch until the animal is on the new feed completely. Every animal's tolerance to change is going to be different.
Hay is a major part of the animals life so paying attention to the quality of the hay and the value of the nutritional content is going to be worth it to your animals' health as well as a better use of your money. With the right hay and the correct added supplement to finish them up is the ideal way to create a healthy horse.
A way to be able to replicate the natural grazing pattern in horses is to use a slow feed hay net. This reduces the amount they can eat by forcing them to have to work the hay out of the netting. This creates a grazing simulation that will also allow hay to be available for longer periods of time making sure to keep forage of the hind gut.
We have other supplements that make switching feed a much easier process like LMF Digest 911. Feed this to your animals while you transition their feed and it will help prevent dangerous colics and to promote overall gut health and comfort.
Dealing with bales can be a pain sometimes. They are heavy and big and using the strings can be painful and often ends in breaking the strings before you get the bales to their desired location. Check out our hay hooks in our stores! We have multiple options to fit your needs and preferences to make your time around the stable much easier!
Stop into either of ourstores and check out our hay options and talk with our staff!
We’ll see you at theCo-op!
