Effects of soaking hay fodder for horses on dust and mineral content. The mycotoxins from mold can be toxic to horses. Reynolds et al. Probably the very worst way to store hay is in a steel container. Most horses tolerate more than 20% NSC without adverse effects, and most grass hays, especially those from the Eastern states, contain only 7-18% NSC, with an average of … During this time, if the moisture content is too high, the risk of spontaneous combustion within the hay stack is also high if the moisture content is over 14%.  There are lots of tools to help you ascertain the exact percentage of moisture in your hay including hay wands and moisture testers. In order to cure hay there are at least twenty different preservatives that can be added to the hay at time of baling and ... 3. Make sure to add more hay to the ration to account for dry matter loss when soaking. We ask a lot of our performance horses and this is an area of concern and long term health too, as young horses are particularly susceptible. best hay for horses First Cut Hay. 2. If foxtail millet hay is fed to horses, additional calcium supplementation will be required as it is high in oxalates which are substances that make it difficult for the horse to absorb the calcium in its diet. The idiom uses a pun on the words “hey” and “hay,” which are “homophones” or words that sound alike. In order to manage lamintic horses and reduced amounts of carbohydrates in harvested forage, horse owners have resorted to soaking hay. This is a very common grass especially in dry areas and is great for horses. Copyright © 2020 After 12 hours of soaking, a deficiency in P was observed for a 500 kg horse in light work according to the National Resource Council. Alfalfa hay is leafy, significantly higher in protein, depending on the hay maturity usually lower in fiber, and more easily digested than Bermuda grass hay. This may be relevant if you run a horse rescue and have horses that are not used to richness in hay where it might make them sick, or for horses suffering from Cushings or other metabolic disorders.  Just as when you shop for your own food, you hopefully are aware of its provenance as much as possible, it pays to apply the same rule for your horse hay. It is important that you check the quality of hay you use in your horse’s diet by core sampling and sending out for testing so you know what its protein content is and value to your horse’s overall nutrition. Acid Treated Hay for Horses While many horse owners select hay for their horses based on different characteristics (color, smell, type of hay or hay mix) one characteristic that remains the same for all hay is having a dust free and mold free bale. Borgia L, Valberg SJ, Watts K, Pagan J. Glycemic/insulemic response to feeding hay with different water soluble carbohydrate content in healthy and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy-affected horses. Cool-season grasses include orchard grass, timothy, tall fescue, reed canary grass, bromegrass and prairie grass. Since oat hay tends to be higher in nitrates and also high in sugar, this hay is not an option for insulin resistant horses. In groups of horses, offering various piles of hay will also ensure all horses have access to the forage. Just remember, if you are throwing hay away because of poor quality, you will not be saving money because you found a cheap product price. Oat grass is a common forage in the Western United States. The longer the soaking, the more Ca leached from alfalfa bud and vegetative orchardgrass hays. Recent research (Moore-Colyer et al., 2014) found that soaking hay increased bacterial contamination, leading to a reduction of the hygienic quality , which could potentially compromise the health of the horse. Add a layer of tarp and shavings on top to prevent this. The front doors may be open but it won’t be enough to help maintain hay quality. Information provided by TheHorseStudio.com The International Equestrian Shop. Some types of mold may cause colic or can cause a pregnant mare to abort. It’s leaching appears to depend on hay maturity. Oat grass. In this region, oats are dry-farmed for use as a cattle and horse feed. Feed soaked hay right away to avoid mold growth. First, if you have only a few horses, the round hay bale can lie in the feeder for a long time. Hay cubes and pellets may have a greater risk of choke in some horses and are typically recommended to be soaked in water before feeding. All horses need carbohydrates in their diet. Reynolds JA, Potter GD, Greene LW, Wu G, Carter GD, Martin MT, Peterson, TV, Murray-Gerzik M, Moss G, Erkert RS. it can cause colic, ulcers, respiratoy infection etc. clovers, and legume grasses such as alfalfa and more. Animal Feed Sci. I don’t think so! The relationship between plasma potassium concentrations and HYPP Symptoms. Although soaking hay longer further reduced NSC content, we don’t recommend it. Equine Vet J 1995; 27:86-91. Good quality hay is soft, green and pleasant smelling. Each of these elements play a role the diseases mentioned above. Horses consume 2-2.5% of their body weight in dry matter daily. Dispose of water in random grassy areas that horses can’t access. There are a lot of resources out there to further advise you and with the internet many options for supply. Oat hay has thick tougher stalks that some horses will not eat. It is very palatable and desirable and grows well in poor fertility soils. The English idiomatic phrase “hay is for horses” is a specific idiom with a particular meaning and use; at its core, the phrase is really a remonstration for someone using the word “hey” as a verbal opener, to address someone or start a sentence. Humid weather can also cause the rapid onset of mold. Other problems can occur when grass is extremely mature at baling. Oat hay, like all grass hays, meets the nutritional needs of herbivores that need high fiber and low protein." Most people can start to detect mold around 500,000 cfu/g. But grass hays had good Ca:P ratios during all soaking lengths. You can buy out of the wagons and will usually receive a discount from the farmer for doing this, as it saves double handling. Are Hay Preservatives Safe for Horses? Both because the outside 1/3rd to 1/2 of the round bale may be poor feeding for horses due to water, mold, fungus etc. Rely on forage tests before and after soaking to decide which type of hay is best for your horse especially with a horse that has laminitis, PSSM, HYPP or COPD. Ideally, Ca:P ratios should range from 1:1 to 3:1 (up to 6:1) in horse rations. Simply put, it saves time waiting for Mother Nature to dry the hay, will reduce dust in the hay which will result as hay ‘sweats up’ then cools down if it baled with too much moisture. From what I see, read and hear, the hay is so so, IF you get it baled properly. In order to cure hay there are at least twenty different preservatives that can be added to the hay at time of baling and cutting by the farmer. When hay is in short supply, owners may have to resort to alternatives. So we won’t. They also develop urinary incontinence and an atonic rectum that becomes impacted with feces. © Technol. When grass is not available, hay may make up the largest part of a horse's diet. Too much protein is not necessarily good for horses, while for dairy cows it is beneficial. The grass is often softer too depending on the types of grass. Dispose of water in random grassy areas that horses can’t access. Hay with 500,00 to 1 million cfu/g is relatively safe, while hay with over 1 million cfu/g of mold should not be fed to horses due to the risk of respiratory issues. Sign In 1996; 57: 357-358. The farmer and his help will notice an off smelling bale and discard it. Be careful of cattle feeders. The stems are thin and flexible, and it has a high fibre content. Of course, the best alternative is good pasture grass, but this isn't always possible. Before doing it, there are some things you should know. Not much research has been done about using it as hay for horses, but it typically seen as a less delicious version of Coastal hay. Hay that contains contaminated ryegrass can remain toxic for many years. Just be sure to check the moisture and follow the storage rules below. Hay needs air circulating to keep it healthy. Grass hay is also a good hay choice for “easy keepers”, meaning horses that easily gain weight or struggle to keep their weight down, especially ponies or miniature horses. Feed soaked hay right away to avoid mold growth. Cattle aren’t as sensitive to moldy hay, but certain molds can result in mycotic abortions or aspergillosis. Hay can be soaked so that the dust spores stick to the hay and are no longer airborne, but this means that they are swallowed instead of inhaled, and the quality of the hay is reduced. This hay had already started to seed, and it was past cutting prime. If, however, the hay in the round bale was of questionable quality, several factors may have contributed to colic. That is a topic for a whole article. Learn which factors can impact hay quality and nutrient content. Leave a minimum of half inch gap between and around every bale on the layer. Once hay is cut, it will ‘sweat up’ for approximately two to three weeks. And remember, always make a change in hay slowly with your horses to avoid colic. Because of the high fiber content, grass hay is a convenient solution for these easy keepers since it can satisfy the horse’s appetite, without adding extra calories and protein. When hay is on the ground, the horse eats with his head and neck in a natural grazing position. They most certainly won’t smell significantly enough for detection for a handler to notice, if baled in the center of a round bale. Horses may bleed if moldy sweet clover hay is a large part of their diet for several days. Some people let their horses in the field after the harvest and its pretty bad, and if you have pasture in an old soy bean field, the horses usually wont eat it. The first cut of hay is the first hay harvested from a field for that year. If you don’t consider dry matter loss, this may lead to unwanted weight loss or poor horse behaviors. The digestive system of a horse needs time to adjust to changes whether it be grain or hay, so be sure to add just a little bit of new with the old and switch over slowly. Oat hay is high in fiber and the oats are already included in the feeding. Mouth ulcers, also called hay blisters, can be caused when horses ingest foxtail (Setaria species).Foxtail seedheads are green to light green in color, and resemble a bottle brush or a fox tail. We always sell the bottom of the stack out for mulch hay and never feed it, but then depends on turnover and storage conditions. Most of these have been tested for safety with cattle, but may or may not have been tested on horses. Short-Stem Situations Many horse owners appreciate the management benefits of hay cubes and pellets because they take up … But looking at the stalk in my hand, she was partially correct: this was in fact BAD horse hay! After 12 hours, Ca:P ratios ranged from 8:1 to 10:1 in alfalfa hays. Grass hays differ by region, depending on what grows best in the area. Soaking didn’t affect Ca leaching in the more mature hays. Horses are impacted the most by moldy hay and can lead to respiratory and digestive problems like colic or heaves. In Current Therapy in Equine Medicine. Equine Chronicle ® All Rights Reserved. Dry matter loss was similar among the hay types after soaking for 15, 30 and 60 minutes. If you have horses and a garden, you'll have to be careful that you do not have certain plants on your property. Mold-infected clover can cause slobbers, liver damage and bleeding in horses. In Proceedings, ENSP Annual Symptoms. But there was greater dry matter loss after 12 hours of soaking compared to the other soak times. Three types of plants are used to make horse hay: - Grasses. Horses that have allergies and are sensitive to the natural dust and particles in hay can benefit significantly from wetting or soaking hay. Privacy Policy | Questions, please contact The Equine Chronicle Hay can also be useful when keeping horses indoors, and while transporting them. While soaking reduces K, neither alfalfa or orchardgrass is a good option for HYPP horses. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Personally, unless it is a thoroughbred mare in foal or a high performance thoroughbred cross, I rarely use second cut for horses. Moore-Colyer MJS. Hay should be dry to the touch. Good Horse Grass Crested Dog’s Tail. Affected horses show weakness and any unsteady gait of the hind legs. Time of Cutting/Types of Grass  and Know the Provenance Krook L, Maylin GA. Fractures in Thoroughbred race horses. Hay Preservatives Spreading the hay on the ground or in the stall can promote the drainage of mucus from horses’ airways. We all know the real hazards to horses of dusts and molds in hay. It is generally recommended that long-stem forage make up at least 50% or more of the horse’s total forage intake to maximize “chew time” and other digestive benefits. Low NSC is common in alfalfa since legumes store carbohydrates as starch. It's a handy system, and a very common one for horses in my part of the West. All rights reserved. Genetic-Diet interactions in the Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis Syndrome in Quarter Horses fed varying amount of Potassium: III. Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes is a good way to manage these horses, but only soak hay if your preferred hay isn’t available. Taking the horse off the hay is the best treatment. Round bales are hard to handle in the barn, though they can be easily taken to the field with a tractor with the right fork or blade and are often used for outside feeding. Some reports show that horses fed millet hay may show symptoms of lameness and joint swelling. Newly cut hay is going to be much richer than last years cut, and if it comes from a different source/field will also have a different make up to the previous hay you have fed. Wet hay or hay stored in damp conditions can lead to the growth of mold. First Cut Versus Second Cut. 2. Both of these forages are naturally high in K. Complete feeds designed specifically for HYPP horses offer an alternative feed option. Horses fed on moldy hay can suffer from colic, or in severe cases, die from the toxins called mycotoxins. Due to a bad hay crop, University of Missouri-Columbia veterinarians are reporting an increased number of horses with chronic selenosis and vitamin E deficiency, problems that can be fatal. It also allows farmers to bale with more water content in the hay, which means if they sell by the ton they will receive a higher price. COPD or Heaves is an allergic reaction to dust and mold in the airway. Checking hay in bright light should reveal if it is edible for horses. 1997 found that horses with HYPP need complete diets less than 1 percent K. Moore-Colyer 1996 found that soaking hay for 30 minutes reduced respiratory problems for horses with COPD or heaves. Horse owners should check hay for the presence of foxtails before feeding it to their animals. Tifton: This is actually a type of Bermudagrass. But just be aware when you are buying hay, it is not all about the weight. First Cut Versus Second Cut Farmers receive a higher price for 2nd cut hay. 7. Hay with less than 500,000 cfu/g of mold is considered good quality. 2009; 727-740. 1997; 18:11 731-735. Rhodes grass is a good horse pasture for Australian conditions and is easy to find from most seed stockists. Which Hay? … McGreevy PD, Cripps PJ, French ND, Green LE, Nichol CJ. This does not mean that it is a bad thing to do, it is just we don’t want to use an inferior product for our horses. Moldy hay also puts ranchers at risk. Animal Sci 1996; 63: 337-342. Many of these situations are avoidable, so here are, in my opinion, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Horse Hay Making,” in no particular order. it will runin your horses lungs and everything else. An additional benefit to grass hay is that is easier on the kidney's due to it's lower protein content and it tends to have finer stems, making it easier to chew and digest…..nice for senior horses. Store it with string side on the vertical to facilitate good drainage of any moisture to the bottom bales on the stack. High fiber and very low NSC content in hay soaked for greater than 1 hour could reduce palatability and nutrients available in hay soaked longer. For these horses NSC, P and mold content are key. Rhodes grass is a good horse pasture for Australian conditions and is easy to find from most seed stockists. Hay for horses should never contain dust or mold, as it may lead to coughing and respiratory problems. 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