Why Do We Feed Horses Hay?

Feed Hay to Horses Often Horses need to graze on small amounts of forage almost constantly. Hay, which provides fiber, nutrients and vitamins in a relatively low-calorie dose, can be fed in this manner all year round, allowing even horses with zero turnout time a chance to eat like their ancestors.

Do you have to feed horses hay?

Many pleasure and trail horses don’t need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn’t enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse’s calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.

Why do horses have hay?

Hay and other roughages provide nutrients and satiety for your horse. On average, a horse must consume about two percent of dry matter of its bodyweight per day (A 1000 lb horse will need to consume 20 lbs of feed on a dry matter basis).

Can a horse live without hay?

Horses can adapt to balanced rations that do not contain hay or pasture, but the absolute minimum of fiber necessary has not been established. However, low fiber/high concentrate rations have been documented to increase the risk of colic, gastric ulcers, and wood chewing behavior of horses.

What is the old saying about hay is for horses?

Hay is for horses, better for cows, pigs don’t eat it ’cause they don’t know how.

What can horses eat instead of hay?

Six Hay Alternatives for Horses

• Bagged chopped forage. It can replace all of your horse’s hay, if necessary.
• Hay cubes. Chopped cubed hay (usually alfalfa or timothy or a combination) is another 100-percent replacement.
• Hay pellets.
• “Complete” feed.
• Beet pulp.
• Soybean hulls.

How long can horses go without hay?

Ideally, horses should go no longer than 4 hours between forage meals and be fed on a consistent schedule. However, it’s hard to predict when, or if, an extended time period without forage will cause health issues like colic and ulcers.

Do horses prefer hay or grass?

While most horses do well and thrive on a grass hay diet, other horses with different needs and medical conditions are better suited to being fed a diet of grass/alfalfa mix, or an exclusively all alfalfa.
Feeding Grass vs Alfalfa Hay.

Why do horses like hay so much?

It’s one of the most common — and easiest to obtain — sources of forage and, when fed correctly, can also do a world of good to support horses’ digestive systems. That’s because hay can closely mimic the natural feeding and digestive patterns of horses. Horses need to graze on small amounts of forage almost constantly.

Why is hay so important?

The nutrition from hay is vital to keep the animal healthy, and to protect its digestive health. Poor quality hay could lead not only to digestive trouble, but also respiratory problems or toxic contamination.

Can horses just live on grass?

Most horses and ponies thrive on being kept out on grass for as much time as possible. However, keeping a horse permanently on grass can be as time consuming for the owner as it is to keep a horse partly housed.

What can you use instead of hay?

10 Forage Alternatives to Hay in a Drought Year

• Beet Pulp. Beet pulp is an alternative that makes sense if the price is right.
• Almond Hulls. Almond hulls are another feed that can replace forage and will also provide good NDF digestibility.
• Cottonseed.
• Bran.
• Wet Feeds.
• Grain Hays/Silage.
• Wheat Straw/Barley Straw.

Why do horses need hay in winter?

Hay is an extremely important part of your horse’s winter diet. It is an important source of calories and the internal heat of fiber fermentation helps to keep your horse warm when it’s cold outside.

Why do you rub a horse down with hay?

The horse is rubbed or “curried” to help loosen dirt, hair, and other detritus, plus stimulate the skin to produce natural oils.

Why is hay better than grass for horses?

And sure — it’d be nice to have access to green pastures year-round, but feeding your horse hay is nearly as good (and sometimes better) than feeding grass. It’s convenient to feed, helps your horse maintain a healthier digestive system, and can help keep him happy and occupied if he does have to be stall-bound.

How did they cut hay in the old days?

By hand: For thousands of years, hay was cut with hand-held tools like a scythe. By horse-drawn machine: In the 19th century, many machines that could cut hay were invented that could be pulled with horses. Many hay mowers were invented in the 19th century.

Do horses need hay if they have grass?

A horse’s digestive tract is designed to consume foods 24/7; therefore, it is essential to provide hay to a stalled horse.

Do horses enjoy hay?

Horses love treats and snacks, as well as grass and hay. But make sure you don’t overdo it.

Do wild horses eat hay?

Wild horses eat a little differently than domesticated horses. Instead of carefully cultivated pasture, hay, or pelleted feed, wild horses eat what they can find, when and where they can find it. That means sometimes grass, but also sometimes a variety of weeds and even shrubs.

What do horses do at night?

Instead of falling into a deep sleep every night, horses typically spend their nights alternating between rest and activity. They might take a short snooze standing up, graze for a while, and then stretch out on their side to get a few minutes of deep sleep.

Should horses be stabled at night?

Horses are all different, so some may prefer stabling more than others. However, whatever your horse likes, or dislikes are, stabling is a requirement – particularly during the night. Horses need stables during the night to protect them from bad weather such as rain and snow.