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Basic horse care should begin with the horse’s diet. The normal ration for a horse should consist of mostly hay and pasture grass and possibly a small amount of pelleted feeds, grains, or sweet feeds only if they are needed. Unfortunately little importance is placed on the nutritional value of the forage we are giving our horses. We do not give our horses forage just to keep them busy. Forage is a most important calorie basis for horses that can vary greatly with the nutritional value of what horses consume. It is important that horses have hay of good quality in order to keep them healthy.
Horses usually eat greedily every last stem and leaf when they are fed good quality hay. There will not be much if any waste. Feeding quality hay is not only good basic horse care but it also will save money. Mediocre hay contains less digestible fiber so horses must consume more to obtain the same nutritional value they would receive from eating quality hay. Good quality hay normally does not go to waste. Keep in mind although you may be paying more for quality hay up front in the long run feeding your horse the right diet will save you money.
You can learn to distinguish quality hay from hay of lesser quality. Hay from different grasses will look different from each other. Developing a good eye for quality hay will take you farther in your basic horse care regimen. Look for leafiness in the hay. Most of a plant’s proteins are found in the leaves. It will make up about ninety percent of the plant’s total protein. Color is another element to consider when selecting quality hay. When selecting alfalfa look for darker green shades in the color of the hay. If you are selecting grass hays the shade to look for will be light to medium green. Although some yellowing is natural if the hay is sun bleached, too much yellow may suggest the grass was over mature when harvested. It will contain less digestible fiber for your horse and should be avoided if your goal is to feed your horse the right diet.
Poor quality hay will have coarse stems that may stab your hand when being handling. Good quality hay will feel soft when you squeeze a handful of it. It will feel soft and pliable in your hand. Another skill for horseman to learn for basic horse care is the feel of quality hay.
Good, quality horse hay will smell slightly sweet and fresh. Another skill that will work to your advantage for basic horse care is learning the aroma of quality hay. If the hay smells musty or pungent it may have mold and this is not the right hay to be feeding your horse. Pass up such hay. There have been instances where horses have died from such a diet.
When practicing good basic horse care one should learn to inspect the purity of the hay. Good quality hay will have no foreign matter, like sticks, dead insects or animals, or wire. It will also contain very few weeds.
Another practical skill for basic horse care is selecting hay that can bounce. If you drop a bale on its end does it bounce? If the hay is of good quality the bales should bounce. Good hay is springy and lightweight.
You can contact your state or county extension agent to learn where you can send a sample of hay to have it analyzed for the nutritional value. This way you can avoid an often overlooked, yet very important element of basic horse care and be assured you are feeding your horse right.
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Source by Fran Mullens
