October 2003

When Hay’s Hard To Find

We don’t advocate skipping hay, but when push comes to shove, you can maintain a healthy diet for your horse without it.

Your horse must have at least five pounds a day of a long-fiber source in order to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Real hay, chopped forage and cubes will do it.

Hay can be aggravating to find, especially if you only have a horse or two. Hay availability depends upon the year’s weather, as quality hay is scarce in wet or dry years. It can also be rare if you live in an area where farmers prefer to make labor-saving large round bales. Maybe your storage and/or budget force you to purchase a few bales at time, leaving you to hope the feed store isn’t sold out when you arrive.

No matter how you look at it, hay is a necessity, though. Its long fiber is crucial to your horse’s health. Most horses eat 15 to 25 lbs. of hay (or good…