Is Chopped Hay Good For Horses?

Hay can be chopped to a length of about one inch for easier feeding and digestibility. Study results have shown there is no difference in daily intake between long-stemmed hay and chopped hay forms. Chopped hay can benefit older horses or horses with poor teeth because it is easier to chew.

Should you soak chopped hay?

Be sure to wet hay cubes, pellets, and chopped forage before feeding to prevent the risk of choke and increase the ability of your older horse to chew and swallow.

Is chopped hay good for senior horses?

Easy Chewing for Seniors
Older horses need highly digestible sources of protein and calcium to make up for these losses. Short chopped forage fills this need by making it easier to chew and digest than common long stem hay.

Can horses choke on chopped hay?

Often horses will choke on hay, pasture, or beet pulp. These chokes are not as easily resolved and require medical intervention. The most commonly seen cases of choke are food obstructions. Anything that interferes with the horse’s ability to chew or swallow predisposes for choke.

Which cutting of hay is best for horses?

The first cutting usually has a higher weed content, and quality decreases after the second cutting, so the second cutting is usually the best to feed.

How soon should hay be turned after cutting?

After cutting the crop should be left in the swath for one or two days and then turning should start using a “hay-bob” type machine, or tedder.

What hay is best for older horses?

Alfalfa hay and good quality grass hays are preferable to stemmy and mature hays that have tougher fiber to ferment. The small intestine loses some function – Older horses find it harder to digest protein in the small intestine.

What hay should horses not eat?

Types of Hay for Horses—What to Avoid

• Perennial ryegrass and rye.
• Dallisgrass.
• Argentine bahiagrass.
• Johnsongrass, Sorghum grasses/Sudangrass.
• Switchgrass, which causes photosensitivity, peeling skin, mouth ulcers and liver disease.
• Foxtail Millet (aka German Millet) and Meadow foxtail.

What is the most digestible hay for horses?

Timothy hay is a popular choice because of its easy digestibility and may be more suitable for certain life stages. However, alfalfa hay has a higher calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which makes it unsuitable for younger horses. Timothy hay has a balanced calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

What is the best hay to put weight on a horse?

Alfalfa
Alfalfa is higher in calories and protein than grass hays, which makes it an excellent choice to help to add weight to a thin horse. If your horse tends to be wasteful with his hay, he may eat more when offered alfalfa hay cubes or pellets.

Should horses eat hay off the ground?

If the ground is grassy and relatively dry, consider feeding hay on the ground to mimic the way a horse naturally grazes. However, if your soil is sandy or gravelly, elevate hay off the ground when feeding via a hay net or manger, as horses can ingest sand or gravel which can lead to impaction colic.

Is it OK to feed horses grass clippings?

Feeding lawn clippings will dramatically upset the balance of microbes in the hindgut, potentially leading to colic or laminitis, as the amount of highly fermentable carbohydrates in regularly clipped lawns is dangerously high. Excessive intake results in a high rate of fermentation in the hindgut.

Can too many carrots harm a horse?

All treats should be fed to horses in moderation. Horses notoriously have a sensitive digestive system and too much of certain foods can cause them severe gastrointestinal issues. Feeding too many carrots in one day could also cause your horse to not eat their normal food, which is essential for proper digestion.

How many bales of hay should a horse have a day?

A horse can eat anywhere from 15-25 pounds of hay a day, which generally equates to a half of a 45/50-pound square bale of hay per day (~15-30 bales per month).

Which is better 1st cut or 2nd cut hay?

IT MIGHT BE ABOUT THE CUT
The first cutting in any cut will have thicker stems, perhaps have flowers (usually called tassel), and is the highest in fiber of any cut. The second cutting is softer, greener, has a higher protein but lower fiber than first cutting.

What hay has the most protein for horses?

Legume hays such as alfalfa and clover are members of the pea family. These hays are high in energy, protein, and calcium and can be used to boost the nutritional value of a grass-hay-based diet. It is not recommended to feed horses a diet solely consisting of legume hays.

What happens if it rains after you cut hay?

Hay that has been cut and then rained on can lose quality in four ways. These include: 1) leaching of soluble carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, 2) increased and prolonged plant respiration, 3) leaf shattering, and 4) microbial breakdown of plant tissue.

What time of day is best to cut hay?

Though starches and simple sugars accumulate during the day, a substantial amount of these carbohydrates are used up during the night for growth and maintenance (via the processes of respiration). Therefore, cutting the crop at night will likely maximize the sugar in the crop, at least at the time of cutting.

What happens if you wait too long to cut hay?

What many producers fail to realize is that cutting their hay too late, by only a week or so, can have a great effect on quality. By waiting to cut to get a few more bales, they risk a big reduction in the protein and nutrient levels in the hay.

At what age is a horse considered a senior?

By age definition “senior” horse has been defined as 15+ years of age. Due to improvements in veterinary care and nutrition, horse routinely live 25-30 years of age, some into their 40’s. It is not uncommon to see horses in late teens and twenties performing at high levels.

Should horses have hay at all times?

Because we like to think our horses follow the same schedule that we do, many people think that horses need less hay at night because they’re asleep (and therefore, not eating). However, that’s a myth. Horses need access to forage at all times of the day.