How to Inspect Hay for Your Horse

The responsibility of owning a horse is largely taken over by the need to feed this large animal. Horses have very sensitive digestive tracts and need to be fed high quality hay that has been properly harvested and stored. The time of harvest, maturity of plants, time allowed for drying and storage means all will play a large role in the quality of the hay you are feeding your horse. If you need to make a hay purchase for your horse, read on to learn what to look for and what a simple inspection of hay should include.

First of all, you need to consider the type of hay you are buying. There are two main categories all hay falls into: legumes or grasses. Legumes refer to clover type plants and include alfalfa, clover, and trefoil. Grasses include: rye, timothy, bluegrass, orchard grass, and fescue. Legumes have oval shaped leaves coming off stems with flowers. Grasses have straight leaves and have minimal flowers, but will go to seed very quickly.

A mix of grass and legumes is ideal when it comes to horse hay. Legumes are very high in protein and contain more than a pleasure horse needs. If you feed your pleasure horse high protein hay, it will only be wasted and turned into ammonia and sent out in the urine. You can feed your horse a complete grass mix of hay, however your horse will require much more hay. By mixing the two, you can create an excellent forage diet for your animal.

Once you have found a farmer that will sell you a blend of grass and legume hay, you can go on toward your purchase. The cost of hay depends highly on the supply. If the weather has been ideal and the growing season has gone well, the prices will be low. However, if there has been drought, or inclement growing weather, the hay prices will reflect the tough conditions and increase.

Only you as a horse owner can know exactly how much hay your horse will need. A small square bale of hay generally weighs between 40-60 pounds and the price may range from $1.50 a bale to $5.00 a bale, this price is constantly fluctuating. Hay is usually sold by the ton and can range from $50 a ton, up to $100 a ton.

There are many factors that are considered when pricing hay. Quality of hay depends on several conditions. The color, smell, moisture, and feel of hay can all be indicators of the hay quality.

Good hay should be bright green to a dull, soft sage color. Yellow or brown hay may indicate poor nutritional value. Bright green hay means it is very fresh and was stored quickly. Yellow and brown hay may have been left in the field too long and the essential nutrients may have been leached out by rain or the sun.

Hay should also smell fresh and slightly sweet. Never purchase hay that smells dusty or moldy. Dust and mold in a horse's hay can compromise the overall health of the animal severely. A Horse's reparatory tract is very sensitive and can be damaged by the growth of mold and the inhalation of dust. Always look for mold, and be sure to open a few bales to be sure they are mold free. If the bale creates a large cloud of dust when moved, you can almost guarantee the dust content will be too high for your horse.

Moisture in a hay bale also can be a warning sign. Hay needs to be completely dry before baling and storing to prevent mold growth. If the hay bale is very moist, it can also cause the heat to rise inside the bale. This can be very dangerous as high hay temperatures in a barn during the heat of summer can create a disaster. Moist hay will also mold very easily, so stay away from it.

The last quality condition to look for is the feel of the hay. You want the hay to feel soft and fine. Very course hay will not be easily digestible for your horse. A horse also has a very sensitive nose and mouth and will not like to eat hay that is tough and poky. Look for lots of leaves throughout the hay bale, and minimal stems. You will also want to check for flower content. Good hay should have minimal flowers in it. The flowers are ok, but excessive flowering means that the hay was not cut at the best time for nutrient placement and ease of digestion.

Hay will be your horse's primary source of energy, so the purchase is very important. It may also be one of the most expensive purchases you will make for your horse. A purchase of bad hay can lead to many problems for you and your horse, so do everything you can to inspect the hay prior to any purchase you make. Once you have found a reputable hay dealer, keep coming back each year to support their business and they will keep providing you with an excellent crop!