8/ JULY/AUGUST 2024 THE RIDER What You Need to Know About New Hay


over 15% moisture, there are a plethora of issues that can occur and as a horse owner, it is in your best interest to avoid this hay.


Preservatives & Mold When purchasing hay, my first


An Equine Nutrition Series by Madeline Boast,


MSc. Equine Nutrition Hay season can be a stressful time


for many, from the farmers harvesting it, to the horse owners purchasing it. With the variety of variables that influence the nutritional quality and safety, there are many considerations to be made. During this time of year, I receive tons of ques- tions about new hay. Is it safe to feed right away? Does it need time in my barn to cure first? When is the ideal testing time? – You get the idea. Let’s dive into these burning questions and provide you with some knowledge to help you better navi- gate hay season.


Moisture Content Producing hay is a science, an art


and requires a good amount of luck as well. My partner is a farmer and harvests many acres of hay each year, sometimes unexpected rain occurs and there is noth- ing he can do to remedy the situation. It just is what it is. However, as a horse owner, is it important to understand the quality of the hay you are purchasing, particularly the moisture content is criti- cal to be aware of in regards to safety. When hay is cut, it must spend time


drying in the field. Additionally, it will be raked to rotate the plants to ensure that it is uniformly dry prior to baling. Hay that is destined to be baled dry will be left in the field until it reaches about 15% mois- ture. This can take multiple days of air drying in the field. When hay is baled at


priority is that it is safe for my horse to consume. Moldy hay should never be fed to horses. During wet


seasons, hay producers may consider treating their hay with preservatives if weather does not allow for adequate dry- ing time. These products allow the forage to be baled at a higher moisture content. There are two common types of


preservatives used, mold inhibitors or those containing acid (e.g., propionic acid). The preservatives will be applied to the forage when it is baled, and this al- lows for the hay to be baled at 15-30% moisture which provides more flexibility to the producer during wet years. Organic acid (preservative) treated hay is safe for horses. Research has shown that during preference tests, the horses did prefer the non-treated hay, but when only given treated hay, their forage consumption did not decrease.


Feeding & Fire Safety Hay that is too wet is a very serious


safety issue. Every year we hear about barn fires that are traced back to the spon- taneous combustion of hay. ‘Sponta- neous’ is not truly the correct term in my opinion, as it is not random, but actually quite predictable. This combustion is driven by the moisture and biological ac- tivity within the hay bale. If the plants are not dry enough


when baled, they will respire and as the sugars continue to break down, they re- lease moisture and heat. When the heat increases within the bale it can begin to smoke and eventually burst into flames. The safety range varies, but above 20% moisture is when you may begin to see these issues. This range does vary de- pending on bale type, for example, round


bales tend to be a greater risk as they have the longest distance from the center of the bale to where moisture is able to be re- leased into the air.


How soon after baling can you feed new hay safely? There is a prevalent myth across the


industry that all hay needs to be cured for weeks, or some horse owners even say months, before it is fed to horses. This is simply not true, as any hay that has been properly dried prior to baling can be fed to your horse as soon as it is required. Hay that has excess moisture when


baled will ‘sweat’ after it is put in the barn. This depends on a variety of factors such as the moisture level, the species of grass/legumes, and how dense the bale is. During this process heat is produced as fermentation is occurring within that bale. This is hay that should not be fed to horses. If you open a bale and feel heat, then


it should not be fed to horses. This is where the ‘curing’ myth comes into play as many owners believe that all hay must ‘sweat’ for multiple weeks prior to feed- ing or testing. Unfortunately, if the hay was not cured properly in the field prior to baling, it may not even be safe to feed after allowing it to cure further in the barn as too much moisture increases the risk of mold. Additionally, these bales are at a greater risk of spontaneous combustion causing barn fires. One consideration that is frequently


overlooked when discussing new hay safety, is the transition period. Almost every horse owner that I encounter under- stands that any change in concentrate feeds must be done slowly over the course of 7-14 days. However, the typical management of forage is to abruptly switch from one batch to another. This is a serious management issue, as hay is the majority of the horse’s diet. Therefore, when that fibre switches it shocks the mi- crobes in the hindgut and can cause seri- ous gastrointestinal upset.


So, when managing your hay, ensure


that you have a minimum of 14 days of crossover between your hay batches. When I purchase hay for my horses, I en- sure that I have about 6 weeks of crossover which allows ample time for testing and a transition period of a few weeks.


When can you test your hay? It is impossible to talk about hay


feeding safety without mentioning test- ing. As an owner of a very easy keeper and a horse that has PPID (Cushing’s dis- ease), I never feed them any untested hay. If your hay has been cured properly and baled at an acceptable moisture content, then you can test it right away! If the hay is too wet, you’ll want to


wait until the ‘sweating’ has subsided. The length of time this takes varies greatly. For my clients, I normally recom- mend trying to wait about 2 weeks to test the hay as that provides some time for sweating if there is excess moisture, but still ensures that the hay can be tested prior to feeding. When you purchase hay, talk to your


producer and ask them about their process. An experienced hay producer will understand the importance of prop- erly cured hay, and therefore, the hay will likely be safe to feed and test right away.


Take Home Message Hay is the majority of what we feed


our horses, so ensuring safety and nutri- tional quality is critical to opti- mal equine management. With hay season being here, taking the time to understand forage safety and when you should be testing your new hay batches is impor- tant. Producing hay is both a sci- ence, an art and just plain luck, so take the time to work with your hay producer in choosing a forage that works well for your herd, but also approach each sit- uation with empathy as produc-


ing quality hay has numerous challenges outside of the control of the producer. If you have any questions about


your hay or want some assistance in get- ting it tested feel free to send an email to balancedbaynutrition@gmail.com. Hay testing is so immensely critical, that Bal- anced Bay provides free hay testing in- structions via email to anyone who would like them!


References: Battle, G. H., Jackson, S. G., & Baker, J. P. (1988). Acceptability and digestibility of preservative-treated hay by horses.


By: Madeline Boast, MSc. Equine Nu- trition About the author: Madeline Boast


completed her master’s in Equine Nutri- tion at the University of Guelph and started an independent nutrition company known as Balanced Bay. She has worked with a variety of equids – from miniature ponies to competing thoroughbreds. Through Balanced Bay she designs cus- tomized balanced nutrition plans that pri- oritize equine well-being. This includes diets for optimal performance as well as solving complex nutritional issues and everything in between. For additional in- formation see www.balancedbay.ca


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