Draft Horses and Mules by Gail Damerow

Author:Gail Damerow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781603420815
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Published: 2008-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

WHAT IS HORSE HAY?

You’ll hear folks refer to horse hay and cow hay. Horses tend to have pickier palates than cows. Their digestive system is also more sensitive than that of cows. Good hay is the result of a combination of factors, all of which are important to your equine’s health. Here are some factors to consider when buying hay:

Color. Green hay is better than brown hay. Green means the nutritive value (particularly vitamin A) is still high, while brown indicates leaching has occurred, usually as a result of rain.

Mixture. The percentage of grasses to alfalfa in your hay is not set or critical, although 50 to 60 percent alfalfa is just about ideal for a hard-working draft equine. If your animal is not exercising vigorously every day, is an exceptionally easy keeper, or is prone to founder, the percent alfalfa should be 20 percent or less.

Quality. Fine stems indicate the hay was not overly mature when cut. Leaves are more nutritive than stems, thus you want a high percentage of leaves.

Cleanliness. Dust and mold can contribute to respiratory problems and colic in your animal.

Weeds. Unless the hay is certified weed free (as required by many Forest Service lands and wilderness areas), it probably contains a few weeds. Weeds have little nutritive value and some are toxic. Look carefully at the hay to ensure there are as few weeds as possible.

Beetles. Blister beetles, (Epicauta pennsylvanica, E. malculata, E. immaculata, and E. lemniscata) can cause serious gastrointestinal and urinary tract irritation in equines, leading to severe colic. This problem is typically associated with semiarid and arid regions. The only way to be sure hay does not contain the beetle is to walk the field before it is harvested and check for beetles.

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