Hay Testing and Ration Balancing for Your Horse

Feeding your horse is pretty basic, right?  A couple flakes of good-quality hay, a quart or two of sweet feed, a source of salt and maybe a supplement or two to make you feel good.  Easy-peasy, right?

In some cases, sure.  And if feeding your horse truly is this easy, count yourself lucky.

But what if your off-the-track Thoroughbred just isn't gaining as much weight as you'd like?  Or maybe your horse is prone to laminitis, and keeping weight off is difficult. Perhaps your in-foal mare seems to be losing condition as her pregnancy progresses in spite of increases in hay and grain.

In cases like these, the wise move would be to consult with your vet to cover any possible medical concerns, AND ask if it might be time for a hay test and ration balance.

As we've said before here on the blog, the science of feeding horses has come a long way.  Advances in equine nutrition and veterinary medicine have eliminated a lot of guess work, and shown clearer links between certain health issues and certain nutrients - for example. excessive/spiking potassium levels causing problems horses with HYPP (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis or "Impressive Syndrome"), or feeds with high starch/sugar levels aggravating PPID (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, more commonly known as Cushing's disease) or IR (Insulin Resistance).  And the first step in tailoring the best diet for your horse is to have your hay tested.

HOW TO DO IT
Poulin Grain offers a free hay testing and ration balancing service.  In a few simple steps, you can get a comprehensive analysis of your hay's nutritional value.

1. Take samples.  You can call us here at Whitman's, contact your local feed store, Cooperative Extension or Poulin Grain and ask them to take a sample with a forage probe:
   
   You can also take a sample by hand.  With small square bales, reach into the middle of 6 to 10 bales and remove a handful of hay, being as careful as possible to keep leaves intact and on the stem.  With large square or round bales, you'll also take samples from 6-10 bales, but you'll take samples from 2 or 3 different spots in each bale.  When you have your samples, cut them into 2"-3" pieces, put them in a bucket and mix thoroughly.
2. Package and mark the sample.  Fill a quart-size Ziplock bag with the mixed hay, seal it tightly, and label it with your name, contact info, date and a lot or sample name ("First cut from the North Pasture," "Second cut from Charlie" or "First cut from Ed's Upper Field").  Include Andrew Beals' name (he's Poulin's Specialty Feed Technical Manager) for sample interpretation.  Send the sample to Green Mountain Lab, 24 RR Square, Newport, VT 05855.

Keep in mind that many factors affect your hay's nutritional profile.  Type of grass/forage (such as Timothy vs. alfalfa), maturity at cutting, soil fertility, fertilizers, weather conditions during growth and harvest, storage conditions and whether it's first or second cut will have a large bearing on the hay's quality and nutrient content.  So remember that the hay you got from Ed's (unfertilized) Upper Pasture in late June 2014 after a long dry spell could be nutritionally quite different from the hay you get from Ed's (fertilized) Upper Pasture in early June 2015 after abundant rain.

WHAT YOUR REPORT WILL TELL YOU

Moisture: The amount of water in the sample.  If it's over 15%, hay is at risk for mold

Dry Matter:  Everything except water.  Usually 90% or greater.

Protein: Total amount of protein, which is used to build and repair muscle and bone.  Optimum percentages are as follows:

• Grass hay:  8%-14% 
• Mixed hay:  12%-16%
• Alfalfa hay:  >16% 

ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber):  Made of cellulose and lignin, this percentage should be below 45%; higher percentages mean the hay will be poorly digested by your horse.

NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber: The total amount of fiber (bulk) in your hay.  While fiber is necessary for your horse's digestion (and for generating heat to stay warm in the winter), a percentage over 55% means your horse won't readily eat it.

Calcium:  Essential mineral for bones and teeth, required in large amounts in growing youngsters as well as in pregnant and lactating mares.

Phosphorous:  Another essential mineral for bones and teeth.  

NOTE:  Phosphorous and calcium ratio should be approximately 1 to 1.5 parts phosphorous to 2 parts calcium to avoid osteoporosis (and early tooth loss) in broodmares and OCD/epiphysitis in growing youngsters.

Potassium:  Mineral involved in electrolyte balance.  As noted above, a critical concern for horses with HYPP.

Magnesium:  Mineral involved in nerve function, and often deficient in forages.

Fat:  Concentrated source of calories, and forages usually contain small amounts (<3%).

Ash: Measure of the total amount of mineral in the sample.

Sugar:  Simple sugars.  Combine with starch to get total starch and sugar number.

Starch:  Complex sugar molecules.  NOTE:  Sugar-sensitive horses should have less than 10% sugar, while horses with IR / EMS should have less than 8%.

Horse DE:  Digestible energy - amount of calories in sample.  Usually expressed in Mcal (Megacalorie, which is equal to 1.000,000 calories) per pound of forage.  The higher the number, the more energy per pound.  Most hay falls in the range of .8 to 1.2 Mcal/lb.

WHERE TO GO FROM THERE

The results of the hay test are your horse's nutritional baseline.  From there, you can add/modify nutrients to suit his/her individual needs based on age, size, health issues (if any) and level of work.  Some horses require little in the way of grains/concentrates to supplement their hay, while other horses (particularly breeding and performance horses) will likely require more supplementation.  Work with a nutrition professional to find the answers you need to customize your horse's diet for optimal health and performance.