Soaking horse hay safely should be as easy as washing your hair, right? Lather, rinse, repeat. But, alas, no.

Like many horse-keeping chores, soaking hay requires equal measures of finesse and know-how. Done improperly, soaking can result in complete nutrient washout. This leaves horses at risk for excessive weight loss and nutrient deficiencies, including insufficient crude protein and amino acids.

“Previous studies show that soaking hay removes water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), which is desirable for horses with metabolic syndrome or overweight horses on calorie-restricted diets,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

In addition to WSC, other nutrients, such as these essential minerals: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, and iron, are leached from the hay when it is soaked.

Observations:

One recent study found that, in addition to trace minerals, crude protein and amino acid levels also diminish rapidly after just 15 minutes of soaking.* The researchers soaked hay for variable periods of time, ranging from 15 minutes to 12 hours, followed by a 20-minute draining period. Important observations included:

• As expected, soaking hay decreased WSC and other important nutrients, such as water-soluble minerals;
• Metabolizable energy decreased by 5-15%. This indicates the forage will not provide as much energy as expected, potentially resulting in weight loss;
• Crude protein and amino acids decreased by up to 17% and 35%, respectively; and
• Nutrient and energy losses were appreciable after 15 minutes of soaking. Longer soaking durations did not enhance the washout effect.

“To compensate for energy losses, owners should offer up to 15% more calories in the ration, as long as weight loss is not one of the desired effects. Additional forage would not, however, compensate for the 35% amino acid loss. If a horse owner was to add 35% more forage to account for amino acid losses, then the horse’s ration would be too rich in energy. Therefore contributing to weight gain, if the horse could even eat that much” explained Crandell.

Instead of compensating for amino acid losses by offering more soaked forage, Crandell recommends supplementing with a high-quality ration balancer that contains a full complement of amino acids. A ration balancer would also make up for any vitamin or mineral shortfalls caused by soaking.

Many horses benefit from hay soaking, including those with metabolic syndrome, chronic laminitis, and asthma. Soaking hay without an understanding of nutrient losses may result in caloric and nutrient deficiencies. According to this study, these losses occur quickly. After only 15 minutes of soaking, suggesting that soaking hay longer is unnecessary.

J & J Hay is here to help you find and maintain the most quality hay!

Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Don’t flake out: feed horse hay by weight, not by flake! Whoever invented modern hay-baling equipment garners far too little praise from horse owners. In other words, the concept of dividing unwieldy bales into flakes, or biscuits, qualifies as sheer genius.

Despite off-the-chart convenience, conscientious horse owners maintain a niggling uneasiness about feeding hay by the flake. What is it that bothers them?

Feeding aficionados probably hit on the problem quickly. It is another case of feeding by volume, not by weight, akin to feeding a scoop of this feed or a dipper of that feed, rather than a specific quantity based on weight.

Measuring:

“To maintain body condition, horses typically consume about 1.5-2% of their body weight on a dry matter basis each day in concentrates and forage, with the forage component accounting for 1-1.5% of body weight for most horses,” said Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., nutrition advisor at Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Example: a large pony weighs 800 lb (365 kg) and could be expected to consume 12-16 lb (5.5-7 kg) of feed per day, with 8-12 lb (3.6-5 kg) of that forage.

With those calculations in mind, how many flakes of timothy hay would the pony require daily? Two or three? Five or six? Half a bale? Furthermore, can a reasonable calculation be made with only this information?

The missing factor in this feeding puzzle is an estimation of how much each flake weighs. As anyone that’s unloaded wagons of hay can attest, weight of hay varies, sometimes a lot!

Some hay is fluffy and light, and weighs little; other hay is densely packed. For instance, it weighs more than expected. So, it’s best to find a portable scale of some kind—a fishing scale is an easy-to-find solution—and measure several flakes from different bales, carefully noting each weight. An average of the weights provides a representative estimate that can be used to determine consumption.

Assuming the orchardgrass/timothy hay in our scenario weighs 3 lb (1.4 kg) per flake, it is easy to calculate how much the pony requires daily: three to four flakes.

This provides a sound basis for forage consumption. However, factors may change this allotment. For example, time on pasture, amount of work, or desired body condition changes.

In conclusion, J & J Hay can answer questions about appropriate hay-based diets and how to feed horse hay by weight, not by flake.

Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Beware of beetles in Alfalfa Hay for horses! Most horse owners make a visual scan of the hay they feed their horses. Always be on the lookout for mold, wafting dust, unusual plants, and even unidentifiable debris. If feeding alfalfa (lucerne), horse owners should be aware of another potential danger: blister beetles.

Blister beetles produce a chemical called cantharidin, a toxin they use as a defense mechanism against predators.

“Horses have an intense reaction to cantharidin, often causing harsh blistering when it comes in contact with sensitive tissues such as those of the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth,” explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER). “Based on observations by veterinarians, the intensity of the reaction depends on the amount of cantharidin in every mouthful—the more swallowed, the more severe the reaction.”

Signs associated with cantharidin toxicity, or blister beetle poisoning, include irritation of the oral cavity, including the tongue and mucous membranes, colic, and frequent urination. Cantharidin overload can cause death.

Responsible hay producers, like J&J Hay Farms, understand the dangers of blister beetles and implement procedures to avoid problems.

Prevention:

Firstly, inspecting alfalfa fields for swarms before harvesting. Secondly, timing harvest intervals to steer clear of blooming stages of the plant. Flowers attract beetles.. Lastly, avoiding crushing of hay during harvesting. It pulverizes beetles and releases cantharidin, a stable toxin that stays active even after beetles die.

Often, alfalfa hay is transported long distances. In the case of the United States, sometimes coast to coast. Blister beetles might not be indigenous to the part of the country where horse owners live. However, the hay may nevertheless be contaminated.

“The onus of hay quality ultimately lies with the horse owner, so taking the time to examine hay prior to feeding is prudent,” Whitehouse said. Horse owners may be unable to dodge trouble during the purchase of hay, no matter how selective they are, as beetles like to swarm and often cannot be seen on the outside of bales. This makes inspection prior to feeding essential.

In conclusion, beware of beetles in Alfalfa Hay for horses!

Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Need guidance figuring out how much when buying hay for horses? Fun with math! Sharpen your pencil, and grab a notepad. What is this, retro math? Let me rephrase: grab your cellphone, hit the utilities icon, employ the calculator function.

Here’s the puzzle: if you own two horses, both about 1,100 lb (500 kg) and both eating about 1.5% of their body weight of hay each day, how much hay will you need for 200 days of winter?

Go!

Based on these figures, you’d need about 6,600 lb (3,000 kg) of hay to get from one end of winter to the other. If the average square bale from your supplier weighs 50 lb (22 kg), that works out to a minimum of 132 bales.

Tips for Hay Buyers

Provided a horse owner has access to enough hay storage space, it is sometimes more economical to purchase an entire winter supply of hay at one time. Hay producers will often sell hay less expensively when large orders are placed.

Not enough room in the loft? Some hay producers will allow you to keep the hay stored on their property. Normally so long as it is already purchased. These arrangements allow horse owners to pick up hay as needed.

If you’re shipping hay from a faraway region, considering gathering a group of horse owners and splitting one large shipment into manageable quantities. This spreads transportation costs over multiple horse owners, making it more affordable.

Scout hay sales! Scan classified ads in local newspapers and agricultural publications, and peruse bulletin boards at tack shops for hay suppliers. Baled hay purchased at feed stores is usually more expensive than hay found elsewhere.

Err on the side of surplus. Not all bales in the original lot might be usable, so it’s always advantageous to have more hay than necessary. As long as older hay is stored in optimal conditions, it can be used without detriment to your horses.

Are you feeding your horse an all-hay diet? The nutrient content of fresh and preserved forages differs somewhat, so if you are feeding an all-hay diet, your horse will require vitamin and mineral supplementation for optimal health. You may choose a balancer pellet, usually available from your feed store!

The five most common forage forms are pasture, hay, cubes, pellets, and haylage. Although, long gone are the days of wide-open pastureland for domesticated horses and ponies. Forage remains the primary constituent of most well-balanced equine diets, but nowadays it can be proffered in a multitude of forms, from traditional long-stemmed hay to symmetrical cubes.

Pasture:

Pasture is an incredibly underutilized source of forage. Volitional grazing is by far the most natural way for horses to ingest forage. Horsemen often lose sight of the fact that well-tended summer pastures with minimal stocking rates (number of horses per acre) supply adequate nutrition. This is the case for most classes of horses.

Proof of this lies in wild herds, for these multi-aged horses sustain themselves year after year on all-forage diets. Astute weed and insect control, fertilization, seeding, optimal grazing time (when plants are immature and most nutritious), and population control are essential considerations in using pastures efficiently. Conversely, poorly maintained pastures can offer little or no nutrition to horses and are often ideal environments for internal parasite propagation.

Hay:

Hay is the most common feedstuff harvested for horses. Ascertaining moisture content is critical during haymaking. Too much moisture may lead to mold formation and excessive heat production (possibly causing spontaneous combustion), and too little moisture may increase leaf disintegration, particularly in legumes. Leaves contain more nutrients than any other plant part and preservation of leaf integrity is critical. Hay is typically stored in small square bales (45 to 100 pounds) or large round bales (500 to 2000 pounds). Small bales are usually stored in covered sheds or buildings to prevent weather damage.

Large round bales are typically kept outside. Some round bales are wrapped in plastic or sprayed with tallow in an effort to shield the forage against inclement weather, allowing the hay to retain more vital nutrients. Hay subjected to adverse weather is far less nutritious than well-preserved, dry hay.

Cubes and Pellets:

Doling out hay cubes and pellets is an acceptable way of supplying forage to horses. Despite their nontraditional form, cubes and pellets provide adequate fiber to horses, allowing the gastrointestinal tract to function uninhibitedly. Hay to be made into cubes or pellets is sun-cured and ground before being mixed with a binder and forced into a cube or pellet die. Hay intended for pellets is subjected to more intensive grinding than hay intended for cubes.

In comparing cubes and pellets to baled hay, advantages. Like other processed feeds, cubes and pellets must have guaranteed levels of protein, fat, and fiber printed on the bag or feed tag. Therefore, the level of nutrition remains consistent. This is not the case with baled hay, as forage quality can differ from field to field, or even from one area to another within the same field. In addition, cubes and pellets are easier to measure, feed, and store than baled hay. Minimal dust in cubes and pellets makes them ideal for horses with respiratory problems.

On the downside, however, purity of cubes and pellets can be difficult to decipher. Weeds are readily visible in loose hay but impossible to pinpoint in cubes and pellets. Purchasing processed forages from a reputable dealer is the best way to avoid quality issues. Horses may consume cubes and pellets more rapidly than long-stemmed hay. This leaves more downtime to involve themselves in boredom-induced vices such as wood chewing. A small amount of long-stemmed forage, perhaps one-half to one pound daily, should be offered to horses on completely cubed or pelleted forage diets.

Haylage:

A high-moisture forage stored in airtight containers and allowed to ferment is called Haylage or silage. Cattlemen and other stockmen have used ensiled forage as a staple in livestock rations for decades, but this preservation technique is relatively new to the horse industry. Elevated retention of protein, carbohydrates, and key minerals are primary benefits of haylage over sun-cured hay.

Haylage also has a high moisture content, which makes the feed appropriate for horses with compromised breathing. One potential hazard in feeding haylage is the risk of botulism. When inappropriately stored, proliferation of Clostridium botulinum may occur in haylage. Horses that consume haylage teeming with these bacteria may become severely ill or die. Therefore, any horse being fed haylage should be vaccinated against botulism.

Advances in feed processing have given horsemen choices in feeding forages. Regardless of how it is fed, horsemen should remember that forage is a critical element in the diet of horses and in the health of the gastrointestinal tract.

Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Can freshly-baled hay be fed to horses immediately? Must there be a curing period following baling and before feeding? Horse owners know that hay is often least expensive when it has been baled recently. Some people get an even deeper discount if they haul the bales from the hayfield themselves.

Hay cultivation, like so many specialties within crop production, has been fine-tuned in recent decades. When done well, it is as much art as science. Specifically, producers are able to accurately gauge moisture content and choose the best time to bale hay.

“If hay is baled with a low moisture content, less than 12%, it can be fed right away, and horses shouldn’t have any problem with it,” said Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., longtime nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

The notion of a “curing” phase is not a new one, and Crandell pinpoints its origin easily:

“Some traditional horsemen believe that fresh-baled hay should ‘sweat’ for two to four weeks before feeding,” she says.

“This allows the hay to cure, which might be important if the hay too wet when it was baled. Wet hay typically goes through a fermentative state, of sorts, and it would not be good for the horse to eat it while this was happening,” she continued.

Caution should be used in purchasing hay that was wet when baled. Too much moisture affects the quality of baled hay.

“If the hay is put up with too much moisture, there is risk for mold and dust proliferation. Hay with severe ‘water damage’ can be discolored, usually yellow or brown, and can be nutritionally empty for horses,” Crandell explained. “From a safety standpoint, these bales may get too hot and catch on fire.”

For these reasons, in addition to nutritional quality, it is better to find hay that has been properly dried in the field and baled.

In choosing to feed current-season hay, be sure to take the time to acclimate the horses to it gradually, as with all new feedstuffs. Horses on all-forage diets do not receive all of the nutrients they need for optimal health.

J & J Hay Farms sells only first quality hay period. You can see it, smell it and touch it in every bale we sell. We care about your horse’s health!

Article source: KER.