Forages & Hay

Purple alfalfa flowers and green foliage with the label "Alfalfa" at the bottom.
Tall, green orchard grass with seed heads against a blurred outdoor background.
Timothy grass with slender, flowering spikes and green leaves.
Purple alfalfa flowers and green foliage with the label "Alfalfa" at the bottom.
Tall, green orchard grass with seed heads against a blurred outdoor background.
Timothy grass with slender, flowering spikes and green leaves.
Purple alfalfa flowers and green foliage with the label "Alfalfa" at the bottom.
Tall, green orchard grass with seed heads against a blurred outdoor background.
Timothy grass with slender, flowering spikes and green leaves.
Purple alfalfa flowers and green foliage with the label "Alfalfa" at the bottom.
Tall, green orchard grass with seed heads against a blurred outdoor background.
Timothy grass with slender, flowering spikes and green leaves.

So you know how to feed your horse. But do you know what your feeding?

The art of hay making isn't easy, and knowing the right combination of grasses & legumes can be difficult.

Below are some good references on Forages & about Hay. Enjoy!

2011 Equine Open House - Power Point Presentation by Dave Robison, CISCO Seeds ~ Horse Pasture Mgmt.

Identifying Pasture Grasses Guide A3637 by University of Wisc Co-op Ext. - 33 pages w/ great pictures!Identifying Pasture Legumes Guide A3787 by University of Wisc. Co-op Ext. - 52 pages w/ great pictures!Establishing & Managing Horse Pastures by University of Kentucky Co-op Ext. Service - 4 pagesChoosing Hay for Horses by University of Kentucky Co-op Ext. Service - 4 pagesBuying Horse Hay A3772 by University of Wisc. Ext. - 16 pagesSelecting and Storing Horse Hay by University of Minn. Ext Service - 4 pagesPasture and Hay for Horses Agronony Facts 32 by Penn State University - 4 pagesHay Loading - Stacking Hay for a short haul - 2 page article by Equus Magazine June 2009Hay Cost Calculator Chart - pdf... find out the price of hay based on the tonnage or by the bale. Be a smart shopper!

Hay Testing Information:

Recommended Principles for Proper Hay Sampling - 3 page article from the NFTA websiteProcedure for Sampling Hay - a 1 page diagram from equi-analyticalLearn about the different types of hay testing they do: WET Chemical vs. NIR (infa-red) Hay Testing in this article 

Good References for Hay Sampling, Where to purchase a hay probe, & get your hay tested at these sites:

Holmes Lab Inc.

National Forage Testing Association (NFTA)

Cumberland Valley Anaytical Services, Inc.