Hay or Haylage, which to feed my Horse?
As with many aspects of horse ownership, the decision to feed hay or haylage has long been a subject of contention. We at Discount Equestrian are sharing the pros and cons of each type of forage, in the hope of helping you make the best decision for your horse. If you’re aware of any pros or cons of hay or haylage that aren’t included here, please let us know!
Hay – Pros:
* Low-calorie, so it is safer to feed good-doers.
* Long-lasting when stored appropriately.
* Cheaper than haylage.
* Sweet-smelling hay is a delightful perk of horse ownership!
Hay – Cons:
* Must be stored under cover, meaning you need access to a barn, some form of covered shelter, or a lot of tarpaulin.
* Some hay can be dusty, and filled with spores, which can cause your horse to develop respiratory issues.
* Poor quality hay has no nutritional value.
* Soaking hay can be time-consuming and labour-intensive.
Haylage – Pros:
* Possesses a high nutritional value, so it is cost-effective.
* Offers more digestible energy than hay, so it is suitable for horses in work.
* Not dusty.
* Tends to have fewer mould spores, owning to its cutting, drying, and wrapping processes.
* Higher moisture content replicates your horse’s natural grass-based diet.
* Due to being wrapped, it can be stored outside, so is more convenient if your yard has limited storage space.
* The grasses used for haylage production tend to be specifically grown crops such as Timothy Grass (more suited to good-doers) and Rye Grass (more suited to horses in harder work), meaning it is easier for horses to digest.
Haylage – Cons:
* Some horses can become excitable when fed haylage.
* It is not suitable for horses prone to weight gain, laminitis, or metabolic issues.
* Must be used within days of opening because it expires quickly.
* Expired haylage smells absolutely disgusting!
Hay is best bought locally, whilst haylage is easier to store and transport. So here at Discount Equestrian, we do stock different types of haylage including Equilage® Original Ryegrass, Equilage® Timothy & Ryegrass, Harpington® Haylage Premium Ryegrass Hi Fibre, and Silvermoor® Veteran Haylage.
Many of the differences between hay and haylage are due to the way grass is grown and cut to produce them. Here is a brief explanation from Dengie®:
“The fundamental difference between hay and haylage is the way that the grass is conserved. Hay is cut when grass is mature and left to dry in the field before being baled and stored. To conserve hay and prevent it from spoiling or going mouldy, the grass needs to be sufficiently dry before baling. Typically hay will be 85% or above dry matter which relies on good weather conditions to achieve – not always easy in the UK! Hay of insufficient dry matter will not store well and will be very likely to go mouldy making it unsuitable to feed.
Haylage tends to be cut earlier in the season and is left to wilt for a shorter period of time in the field before being baled and wrapped in several layers of plastic. The difference between haylage and hay is that, whilst the conservation of hay relies on the removal of moisture, the conservation of haylage relies on the exclusion of oxygen which prevents mould growth. Haylage is typically between 50 and 70% dry matter.”
Further in-depth advice about the pros and cons of feeding hay and haylage can be found on the Dengie® website: https://www.dengie.com/news-articles/feed-advice/hay-vs-haylage/
As horse owners ourselves, we realise it isn’t always possible to feed your horse hay or haylage. Veteran horses, for example, often struggle to chew due to age-related dental issues, some horses are just fussy eaters, and those with metabolic issues may have specific dietary requirements not fulfilled by hay or haylage. In many case you may need to supplement your Horses diet with the use of the appropiate feed balancer supplements.
and general supplements ranges.
Developed to provide full or partial replacement when neither hay nor haylage can be fed, there are many options of hay-replacer available. A sample of hay-replacers on the market today is as follows…
(Please note, some hay-replacers require soaking!)
Horse Feed to replace Hay and Haylage
Examples of Full Hay-Replacers from our Horse Feed category:
* Dengie® Hi-Fi Lite
* Dengie® Hi-Fi Senior
* Dengie® Hi-Fi Good Doer
* Baileys® Light Chaff
* Rowen Barbary ReadyFibre Mash®
* Friendship Estates ReadiGrass®
* Spillers® High Fibre Cubes
* Spillers® Speedy-Mash Fibre
* Spillers® Happy Hoof
* Spillers® Happy Hoof Molasses Free
Examples of Partial Hay-Replacers:
* Dengie® Hi-Fi Molasses Free
* Dengie® Meadow Grass with Herbs
* Dengie® Alfa-Beet
* Dengie® Hi-Fi Apple
* Dengie® Alfalfa Pellets
* Allen & Page® Fast Fibre
* Baileys® Alfalfa Blend
* Baileys® Alfalfa Plus
* Baileys® Speedi-Beet
* Baileys® Fibre-Beet
* Baileys® Ultra Grass
* Baileys® Fibre Plus Nuggets
If you require advice about feeding a hay-replacer, please contact a qualified, experienced equine nutritionist. Many major feed companies have their own team of nutritionists available to help – if you would like us to direct you to them, please get in touch.
