1. Forage Quality II: Quality of Horse Hay C. Norman McGlohon Program Development Coordinator ANR NE District

2. Quality: Horse or Owner????

3. Owner Limiting factor: –Perception –Knowledge –Experience Intelligence is normally not a limiting factor.

4. Where do buyers of horse hay get their information? Friends Veterinarian Farrier Trainer Boarding Stable Operators TV Shows Popular Press Articles published outside the SE.

5. State of Mind Anthropomorphism = to ascribe or give human attributes If you take a horse out of it’s natural environment and treat it like a human, then it creates stress, illness, unsettledness …..

6. What are the owners looking for? Color Odor Texture Variety Alfalfa vs Grass Fescue vs Bermuda Weeds Price

7. What Mistakes Do They Make? They smell it, taste it, touch it and don’t know what is in it.

8. Approximate digestible energy values of hays for horses HAYCRUDE PROT. % NDF %CRUDE FIBER % DIGEST. ENERGY MCAL/LB DIGEST ENERGY KCAL/LB Alfalfa  20 < 30< 231.21200 Alfalfa16-1830-4724-281.11100 Alfalfa< 15  47  28 1.01000 Bermudagrass  12 < 65< 300.9 900 Bermudagrass8-1266-7231-350.8 800 Bermudagrass< 7  72  35 0.7 700 Fescue  12 < 65< 260.95 950 Fescue7-1266-7027-300.83 830 Fescue< 7  70  30 0.75 750 Orchardgrass  12 < 60< 260.99 990 Orchardgrass7-1260-6526-300.85 850 Orchardgrass< 7  65  30 0.75 750

10. What is the horse looking for? Quality: Based on their activity or maturity class Quantity: Based on their size and age.

11. Is it good enough? http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/ Animal Requirements Dietary Supply

12. Quantity CLASS OF HORSEDAILY FEED INTAKE (% OF BODY WEIGHT) RELATIVE FORAGE QUALITY (RFQ) Maintenance1.5-2.0%75 or greater Gestating mare1.5-2.0%80 or greater Lactation2.0-3.0%90 or greater Growing (weanlings)2.25- 3.25%100 or greater Work (performing)1.75- 3.25% 100 or greater Stallions (non breeding)1.5-2.0%75 or greater Stallions breeding1.75-2.5%80 or greater

13. Other Issues A Producer Can Address Seasonal Sales –They don’t think about buying it ‘till they need it –They have limited storage. –Delivery Bale Size

14. One point to remember: Stage of maturity at harvest –Colic –Behavior –Palatability –Quality –Price