Keeping Your Horse Healthy with the Right Hay
When caring for your horse, the type of feed that you provide is an essential part of keeping it healthy. This includes being sure to provide high-quality hay while also offering other feeding options other than hay.
Feeding Quality Hay
As a responsible horse owner, you should never skimp on the quality of the hay that you provide. When purchasing hay, you should be sure to find a reputable grower who is known for consistently growing quality hay. Even if the hay costs a bit more than it would cost from a different grower, the extra cost is worthwhile to ensure you are purchasing quality hay that will meet the needs of your horse. Remember, your hay should be leafy rather than stemmy, as that will risk colic, and your hay should be stored on a pallet or on some other surface that will prevent it from drawing ground moisture.
Offering Variety
Ideally, your horse should eat 1 to 2 percent of its body weight in hay each day. You should also strive to offer a mixture of alfalfa and grass hay. Since alfalfa is a higher-energy option, you might want to feed this hay to your horse in the morning and then feed grass hay in the afternoon and at night.