What Are The Types Of Horse Hay?

Hay can be classified into three general types: legume, grass, and mixed. Mixed hay is usually defined as a blend of grass and legume plants, though some hay producers and horse owners may define it as a combination of several grasses. Like most horse owners, Kathleen Crandell, Ph.

What is the best type of hay for horses?

Alfalfa, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil are common types of legumes, with alfalfa being the most popular choice. Benefits: Legumes are higher in protein and calcium than grass hay, and may also provide more energy and a higher level of total digestible nutrients, such as vitamin A.

What is the best hay blend for horses?

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.

What are types of hay?

The two main types of hay: grass and legume. Legume hay includes alfalfa and clover, whereas grass includes bromegrass, fescue, orchardgrass, ryegrass, timothy, Bermuda, and bluegrass. There are also cereal grain hay types such as oat, wheat, and barley, which can be fed as a forage if it is cut young.

What type of grass hay is best for horses?

Alfalfa: is a legume that is low in sugar, moderately high in protein, high in calories and digestible fiber. This forage is ideal for horses and other livestock that are growing (rapid growth when young), underweight, those sensitive to carbohydrates, in late pregnancy or lactation and for horses with gastric ulcers.

What are the 4 categories of hay?

Hay falls into several categories: grass, legume, mixed (grass and legume) and cereal grain straw (such as oat hay). Some of the more common grass hays include timothy, brome, orchard grass and bluegrass. In some parts of the country fescue, reed canary grass, ryegrass and Sudan grass are common.

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 Premium hay for horses?

At Standlee Premium Western Forage, we utilize the term “premium forage.” Premium forage is a term to indicate high-quality plant material (e.g., alfalfa, timothy grass, orchard grass, teff grass) that is harvested at the optimal stage of maturity to maximize nutrient content and then properly stored to prevent

What is a good hay mixture?

Some of the more popular combinations are orchardgrass/alfalfa and tall fescue/alfalfa. These mixed hays are readily eaten and healthy for all types of livestock.

Should horses eat hay or alfalfa?

Tradition holds that timothy hay and oats are the best feeds for horses, and that alfalfa and corn spell disaster. Alfalfa hay may not be the best feed for all horses in all situations, but it contains nutrients needed for many classes of horses.

What is horse hay called?

Alfalfa: This is by far the most common legume used as hay for horses. The best alfalfa is cut more on the early side, and horses LOVE to eat it! Alfalfa has lots of nutrients, so many people feed a mix of alfalfa and a grass hay.

What is the most popular hay?

There are quite a few different types of hay that people feed to horses, but hay generally falls into one of two categories – legumes and grasses. Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices.

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.

Can horses eat all types of hay?

It is as nutritious as timothy hay, and its value can be increased by growing it with a legume. (Left: Bermudagrass Hay). Any of the common hays discussed above can be fed to horses, but what’s most important is nutrient value in relation to the cost of the hay.

What are three types of grass hay?

Various Types of Hay and Their Specific Benefits

• Alfalfa Hay. Alfalfa is a legume hay that is very nutrient-dense, offering your livestock a significant source of protein and energy, as well as vitamins and other nutrients, like calcium.
• Orchardgrass.
• Timothy Hay.
• Orchardgrass/Alfalfa Mix (O/A) Hay.
• Smooth Bromegrass.

Can a horse just eat grass 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.

What is regular hay called?

For hay, there are different ways to classify them. The types of hay we work with that are the most common are: Grass hay and legume hay. Grass hay is a long hollow stem that can grow up to 60 inches tall with leaves that can grow up to 17 inches long.

What type of hay is alfalfa?

legume hay
Alfalfa is a legume hay in the pea family and is sometimes called “lucerne”. These hays are higher in protein and minerals and are more palatable than grass hays. Alfalfa in particular is high in energy and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

What hay has the most protein?

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 are 3 things horses should not eat?

Here are eight foods you should never feed your horse:

• Chocolate. ©russellstreet/Flickr CC.
• Persimmons.
• Avocado.
• Lawn clippings.
• Pitted fruits.
• Bread.
• Potatoes and other nightshades.
• Yogurt or other milk products.

Should horses eat hay all day?

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.