What to do when horse hay is in short supply

In some years, drought or prolonged rainfall makes hay production difficult. As a result, many horse owners worry about their hay supplies as suppliers struggle to meet demand. Here are some tips to help you conserve your supplies when forage is hard to come by.

1- Prevent waste

As we all know, although horses are greedy when it comes to feed, they can be quite fussy when it comes to forage, especially when it is served to them at will. To prevent waste from trampling and selective eating, avoid providing hay freely throughout the day. For example, a 500-kg horse will normally eat 11 kg to 14 kg of hay per day, which is about 2% to 2.5% of its body weight (in dry matter). But some horses can eat up to 3% of their body weight per day if forage is readily available. The use of a hay net can also help prevent waste. Remember to tie it at an appropriate height to prevent the horse from getting caught in it and to encourage a natural drop of the neck.

2- Adjust diet throughout the day

If you are rationing the amount of hay served, divide the ration into several meals per day. For example, the same 500-kg horse could be fed hay in four meals of 2.75 kg to 3.5 kg each. Remember that horses naturally eat for about 18 hours a day, and that an empty stomach can lead to gastric ulcers or behavioural problems.

3- Replace some of the forage

You can replace some of the hay with pelleted fibre, such as EconoFoin and EquiComplete, just as you would for a horse with respiratory or dental problems. These horse products are specially formulated to replace some of the forage due to their high digestible-fibre content. It is recommended to add water to the substitute and let it soften before serving.

Example of rationing and hay/EconoFoin mixes to conserve your hay supplies:

Table 1. Kg of high-fiber feeds consumed per day (hay and substitute) – 500 kg horse

Number of hay bales of around 17 kg spared compared to unlimited consumption*

 *Calculated over a 12 weeks period

Always introduce new fibre sources gradually, over 10 to 15 days, to allow your horse’s intestinal flora to adapt.