Horse Q&A: Sufficient Forage. Is the forage high quality and available in sufficient quantities? Many horse owners struggle with this question. Understanding the nutritional value of your forage is critical for maintaining your horse’s health and performance.
It is not uncommon to find that hay and pasture that appear to be of good quality are actually poorly digestible or low in certain nutrients. Looks can be deceiving. Green color doesn’t always equal high nutrition. By having your hay and pasture grass tested you can assess the nutrient content and digestibility of your forage source. This simple step gives you the data you need to balance your horse’s diet correctly.
Feeding by volume instead of weight is a common mistake. Additionally, most people feed hay by the flake and do not weigh it. There is a lot of variability in the weight of a flake of hay that can be dependent on hay type and the way it was baled. A light, fluffy flake might weigh half as much as a dense one. Which leaves your horse underfed. Weighing hay is a good way of determining that you are feeding enough.
Managing pasture intake requires a different approach. While it is not possible to weigh the grass your horse is taking in while grazing, careful inspection of pastures to ensure that there is an adequate quantity of edible grass present is a good idea.
Here are a few tips to ensure your horse gets the best:
- Test Your Hay: Know exactly what nutrients you are providing.
- Weigh Your Feed: Use a scale to ensure consistency.
- Monitor Pastures: Walk your fields regularly to check grass levels.
Stop by Steinhauser’s today for help with forage testing or to pick up a hay scale!
Source: Purina Mills Equine Specialist