Horse owners have found that Timothy hay promotes a shiny coat, good digestion, bowel regularity, and a healthy weight. It is also
excellent for colic prone
, protein-sensitive, and obese horses.
What kind of hay is bad for horses?
Some hay types are particularly prone to high nitrate levels and should be avoided if there are options. These include:
Sorghum, Sudan, Johnsongrass and Pearl Millet
. High levels of simple carbohydrate (sugars, starch) are an issue for horses with insulin resistance and can occur in virtually any type of hay.
What is better for horses timothy or alfalfa?
Generally speaking,
grass hay such as Timothy has less nutrition than alfalfa
, and that can be a good thing for a grazing animal. Remember that horses are supposed to nibble continuously for good digestion and general contentedness. For this reason, it is better for forage to be lower calorie and less rich.
What is the healthiest 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.
Can horses eat timothy hay?
Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to
horses
. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content.
Can horses with Cushings eat timothy hay?
While cool-season grasses, such as orchard grass or timothy, are typically higher in NSC.
Alfalfa
averages 10-15% NSC, and oat hay is very high, averaging 22%. Alfalfa can be a good option for a horse with Cushings if they are a hard time holding their weight because it is more calorie-dense than grass hay.
Is Timothy Hay fattening for horses?
Timothy Hay: A Popular Feed for Horses
Horse owners have found that Timothy hay promotes a shiny coat, good digestion, bowel regularity, and a healthy weight. It is also excellent for colic prone, protein-sensitive, and obese horses.
What is the best grass hay to feed horses?
There are two primary types of horse hay: legume and grass. Alfalfa is the best variety of legume hay, and
Orchard grass
is the grass hay I recommend; however, Timothy, bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and Kentucky bluegrass are also excellent choices.
Should horses have hay all time?
For the healthiest digestive system and the happiest horse, it is
best to have hay available all the times
. Most horses are self-regulating, but there are many that are not. These horses will need their hay diet restricted to prevent obesity. Feeding these horses means small, more frequent portions.
Which cutting of hay is best for horses?
The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but
first cutting is
also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.
Is alfalfa bad for draft horses?
The following are general feeding guidelines for mature draft horses. Idle Horses: can maintain body condition on good quality forage such as grass pasture, grass hay, alfalfa hay or grass, alfalfa mixed hay. This is typical when horses aren’t being worked between seasons.
Why is alfalfa bad for horses?
The
high calcium content of alfalfa causes an imbalanced calcium/phosphorus ratio
if not corrected by other feeds or supplements. Most adult horses seem to tolerate this, but it’s not ideal for pregnant mares and growing horses.
Is timothy or orchard grass better for horses?
Orchard Grass
is higher in protein (10-12%), higher in calorie content and contains the same balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus as Timothy grass. … This helps ensure your horses always have a high quality grass forage option to utilize.
What is good quality horse hay?
Horse hay needs to be of good quality. Horse hay should be
bright green, leafy and fine textured
, with a fresh, pleasant aroma. Musty hay or other indications of mold or heating, and dust, weeds and other foreign material in hay can be unhealthy for an animal.
Can a horse gain weight on hay?
You want to choose the highest quality hay you can find for your thin horse. …
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.
Are round bales bad for horses?
But it’s a myth that horses should never be fed round hay bales. In truth,
properly stored and handled round bales are perfectly safe for horses
and may actually be a smart addition in many feed management situations.
