What Does Hay Provide The Horse With?

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).

What nutrients do horses get from hay?

Forages make up a large portion of a horse’s diet, and contribute significantly to the horse’s nutritional status, a factor that is often overlooked. Good quality grass hay may provide all of the energy, protein, calcium, and phosphorus most horses need, depending on how much of it they eat.

What nutrients is in hay?

Hay drying
Living pasture grasses and alfalfa are rich in fat and water-soluble vitamins, essential fatty acids, minerals, carbohydrates, and protein. But once they are cut, dried, and stored as hay, many nutrients that were once plentiful begin to dwindle. Fat-soluble vitamins. These include vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Does hay give horses energy?

Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.

Why do horses have hay?

Feeding enough hay is essential
Like all animals, horses need energy to survive and that energy is provided as calories from the foods they eat. The primary energy or calorie source for horses is hay or pasture (i.e. forage and fiber sources).

Do horses get protein from hay?

Many mature horses get all the protein they need (about 10% of the diet, on average) from grass or hay. Owners can confirm that this need is met by having pastures and hay analyzed.

Why do horses like hay so much?

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.

What protein is in hay?

Protein Content of Hay
Tall fescue grass has a protein content of between 5 and 9 percent, orchard grass hay between 7 to 11 percent and red clover hay between 13 to 16 percent crude protein.

What is the function of hay?

Feeding hay to livestock is the number one use for hay. Almost any animal on the farm – horses, cattle, sheep, goats, etc. – will eat hay. Hay is usually fed to livestock when they cannot graze or be in a pasture, either because it is winter or because of drought.

Is hay a protein source?

Crude Protein (CP): Protein levels in hay can vary widely, depending on the type of hay and when it was harvested. The younger the hay is when it was cut, the higher the protein level will be. Protein levels can range from 8% to 14% in grass hay, and 15% to 22% in legume (alfalfa) hay.

Why do horses eat hay?

Hay or haylage – keeps your horse full and its digestive system working, particularly in the cooler months from autumn to early spring when pasture isn’t available.

What gives a horse energy?

Carbohydrates provide the primary source of energy in the horse’s diet. A horse should receive at least 1% of its body weight in forage. Most horses will eat 1.5–2% of their body weight in forage to safely meet their energy needs. Carbohydrates such as forage and energy grains make up the base of the horse’s diet.

Can a horse survive on just 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 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.

Do you need hay for horses?

Clare adds: “If stabled for more than four hours, they will need some forage provided, even if they are overweight, in order to avoid stomach problems. Use the ‘four hour fast’ rule as a guide. “Feeding hay can also help horses who suffer from digestive disturbance on too much or rich grass.

Is hay better for horses?

Hay is therefore an excellent choice for good-doers, natives and horses at maintenance or in light work, but for horses with higher energy requirements it may need to be supplemented with extra feed. Hay is great for feeding ad-lib to most horses, without the worry of potential excess weight gain.

What is the best protein for horses?

Table 1 lists the protein, lysine, methionine and threonine content in common feedstuffs for horses. High quality protein includes legumes, young grass pastures, soybean meal, canola meal, and linseed meal.

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 are horses so strong without protein?

Horses get all the protein they need for muscle growth and strength from plants. The secret lies in their digestive system. Horses have a single-chamber stomach where bacteria break down cellulose from grass to release nutrients like protein and sugars.

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 grass or hay?

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.