1. Area Extension Agronomy Specialist
Horse Healthy Hay
Bob Woods
Area Extension Agronomy Specialist
NE Oklahoma
2007 Arkansas Hay Day July 12, 2007

2. Horses Need Forage ¾ to 2 pounds per 100 pounds of body weight
Prevent acidosis, colic, ulcers
Reduce crib biting, wood chewing

3. Hay for Horses Fits the Nutrient Requirement Palatable (they like it)
Free of dust and mold (avoid mycotoxins and respiratory problems)
Free of foreign material and objectionable weeds (avoid injury and trips to the vet)
Color (bigger effect on price than quality)

4. Fits the Nutrient Requirement
Nutritive Value determined by forage maturity at the time of harvest
Fertilizer increases yield and allows harvesting at an earlier stage of growth
Lab analysis is the only sure way to determine nutritive value

5. Effect of Stage of Maturity on Yield and Forage Nutritive Value
Boot Stage to early heading, or bud to early bloom
Forage Yield
High
Fescue 8 months
Multiple Harvests or
Rotational stocking
Nutritive Value
Bermudagrass 4 Weeks
Low
Stage of Maturity

6. Effect of Nitrogen Fertility and Maturity on Crude Protein in Bermudagrass
Lbs. of N/A O 50
100
Stage of Maturity
4 weeks
6 weeks
8 weeks
Estimated CP % 7 6 5 9 12

7. The percentages and ranges of CP and TDN of Arkansas Hays
Alfalfa
Bermudagrass
Bluestem
Fescue
Ryegrass
Sudangrass
Wheat CP
Avg (Range)
18.5 (6.1 – 33.1)
12.4 (3.7 – 23.7)
9.4 (2.6 – 15.6)
11.2 (3.9 – 22.4)
11.8 (3.9 – 26.7)
11.6 (2.5 – 20.2)
11.3 (4.4 – 19.4)
TDN
Avg (Range)
61 (37 – 78)
60 (40 – 81)
56 (37 – 71)
54 (42 – 70)
56 (45 – 68)
62 (42 – 83)
55 (38 – 68)
Arkansas Publication MP434

8. Fertilized Hay For Sale
Harvest for Quality
Fertilize for Quantity

9. Effect of Rainfall on Hay
Reduces nutritive value
Potential Leaching Dry Matter 20 to 40%, Crude Protein 20%, Non Structural Carbohydrates 35%
Increases shattering losses
Increased rejection
Greater effect if rain is late in the drying process
Delayed harvest and resulting increased maturity also reduces nutritive value

10. Effect of Nitrogen Fertility and Maturity on Crude Protein in Bermudagrass
Lbs. of N/A O 50
100
Stage of Maturity
4 weeks
6 weeks
8 weeks
Estimated CP % 7 6 5 9 12
22%
25%

11. Palatable Palatability – How well the horse likes it!
Soft texture, fine stems, leafy
Heavily dependent on maturity of the forage when harvested
Preference
Weathering can increase rejection

12. Free of dust and mold
Moldy Hay May contain mycotoxins or fungal spores
Can cause respiratory problems (horse and human)
Reduced palatability (increased rejection)

13. Mold Prevention Most mold occurs before harvest
Adequately dried before baling
20% moisture (or less in high humidity)

14. Free of foreign material and objectionable weeds
Avoid injury, rejection, importing weeds
Thistles
Horse nettles, blackberry Mature foxtails, dallisgrass
Excessive undesirable broadleaf forbs (ragweeds, bitter sneezeweed, ironweed)
Poisonous plants

15. Free of foreign material and objectionable weeds
Blister Beetle
Mostly associated with Alfalfa
A Swarming insect
Earliest found in OK – May 14 often mid June before active

18. Alfalfa Buyer Inspect closely before feeding
1st cutting and after September cuttings usually safe
Know your supplier

19. Color
Bright green color has little to do with quality and a lot to do with marketing.
Mostly and indicator that hay was harvested and packaged during good drying conditions.
Weathering and sunlight will bleach the hay both before and after baling.

20. Forages for Horse Hay Bermudagrass Native Alfalfa Tall Fescue
Small Grains
Ryegrass
Crabgrass
Sorghum/Sudan
Cool season legumes
Sericea lespedeza
Old world bluestems

21. Cool Season Grasses
Fescue, Ryegrass, small grains, orchardgrass, timothy, bromes
Harvest in boot stage (April-May)
Weather?
Fescue (endophyte)

22. Legumes
Red Clover Mold can cause slobbering Harvest in April, May, June Tends to turn black
Alfalfa
Sericea lespedeza
Annual lespedeza

23. Warm Season Grasses Native Hay typically low nutritive value
Bermudagrass fertilized and multiple harvests for high nutritive value
Crabgrass, Sudangrass Test for nitrates

24. Practical Guide to Hay Selection
Ask for a quality analysis
Avoid dusty, moldy, musty smelling hay (Does it make you sneeze?)
Fine stemmed (soft) and free of objectionable weeds (should not stab you!)
Immature (few seed heads)
Bright green color? (premium price does not mean premium quality)

25. Summary for the Horse Hay Producer
It’s not all horse hay!
Horse hay requires extra effort Weed control Time to dry
Provide what the customer needs
Ask a fair price for the effort

26. Summary for the Horse Owner
Know your supplier
Expect to pay more for horse hay!