This is not a romantic subject.

HAY

BUT we desperately need to have this conversation.

We see this and have this conversation several times a week with clients regarding horses and cattle.

Horse owners are constantly feeding hay with too high a level of sugars and starches, as well as grains, pushing their horses to becoming insulin resistant, often times resulting in laminitis and euthanasia.

On the flip side we see people keeping very poor-quality hay in front of horses and cattle 24/7 to literally be starving.

• It is IMPORTANT to know that we euthanize more horses in a year due to laminitis/founder than we do colic. Correct nutrition is very important. We have seen horses so overweight and so thin. Both are dangerous. Both are preventable.

YOU can prevent this by having your hay tested and having a simple blood test to check for insulin levels.

We need to be very aware that hay is not just hay. We can NOT look at the color or texture of hay and know what it is. THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE. That is misleading information that most people think is appropriate.

There are many nutritional factors in the hay.

The ONLY way to know what your animals are eating is to test your hay. **PERIOD**

We have put all of the testing information in this document.

At the bottom of this page, I have instructions and printable hay testing forms in a PDF.

Testing horse hay is crucial for ensuring the health and performance of your horses. Here’s why:

• Nutritional Balance: Different types of hay and how many days between each cutting of hay results in varying levels in protein, fiber, and energy content. Testing helps you know exactly what your horses are consuming so you can adjust their diet accordingly.

• Mineral and Sugar Levels: Some hay has high levels of sugar or imbalanced minerals, which can lead to metabolic issues like laminitis. A hay test reveals these risks so you can make informed feeding choices.

• Mold and Contaminants: Testing can identify mold, mycotoxins, or other harmful substances that could cause respiratory or digestive problems.

• Cost Efficiency: Instead of blindly supplementing your horses' diet, testing allows you to target deficiencies accurately, potentially saving money on unnecessary additives.

• Consistency: Hay can vary from batch to batch, so testing ensures you’re providing a stable diet that meets your horses' needs.

Daily Nutrition:

Each horse needs to be looked at as an individual and fed accordingly.

Buy a weight tape and weigh your horse. You will need this number.

• In general, tested forage “hay” should make up the bulk of the horse’s diet. Most horses do not need to be fed grain. A good basic diet is 2% of the horse’s body weight per day of tested grass hay, plus a ration balancer. The ration balancer provides the vitamins and minerals essential to their health including their hoof health.

• Horses that are exercised daily at a high level may require additional calories which can be supplied by adding grain to their hay diet or by increasing the level of hay you are feeding.

• Certain horses have special dietary considerations such as insulin resistance or PSSM which require forage testing of the hay to ensure that safe levels of sugars and starches are being fed.

• Young animals which are still growing have different nutrient requirements than adult horses. Young horses should be fed a tested high-quality hay and possibly grain. It's important to monitor their growth and adjust their diet as needed to avoid overfeeding, which can lead to developmental issues and early osteoarthritis and OCD lesions. Consulting with a veterinarian or equine nutritionist is the best way to ensure a young horse's diet is balanced and appropriate for its age and breed.

How to test your hay and where.

• Mt. Baker Veterinary provides this service, or you can do it yourself. If you want to do this yourself, we have a hay tester tool that you can rent for $25.00 and the proper bags to put the hay in.

• Call or text us to rent our hay testing tool. (360)354-5699

• Put your full name, kind of hay (such as- 2nd cutting-local hay- Roberts field) date and contact number and Equine Standard NIR test on the bag before you put the hay in it.

• Watch our video here on how to collect the hay sample and you’ll need a cordless drill gun to connect the hay sample attachment to.

  • Take the hay sample and filled out forms (forms are printable below) to: Udder Health Systems at 6775 Guide Meridian Road, Suite B Lynden, (between Pole Road and Beard Road on the west side of the Guide Meridian.) bellingham@udderhealth.com. They are open Monday through Friday 8:00 to 5:00. After hours they have an open foyer with an ice chest there. You can leave the sample and paperwork in the ice chest after hours. They will send your hay sample off to Ag Health Labs in Sunnyside Washington to be tested.

  • After you get your hay test emailed back to you, you can forward that to Mt. Baker Veterinary or your veterinarian. Then you can consult with them on any questions and what adjustments if any need to be made for your horses’ diet.

  In addition to feeding hay below is the information on the ration balancer.

• Triple Crown Ration balancer is what we recommend. It is low in sugar and starch and safe for all horses and metabolic horses. This is not a grain. It is a vitamin and mineral blend. Dr. Holt researched what the horse needs and searched all supplement products on the market. This product was the most cost effective and this particular ration balancer has everything your horse needs in it. They have two kinds to choose from.

• Triple Crown ration balancer 30% protein. This is what to feed when your hay tests low in protein. (anything 10% or lower in protein) Feed 1 pound a day.

• Triple Crown Gold ration balancer 15% protein. This is what to feed when your hay tests high in protein. (anything 11% or higher in protein) Feed 1 pound a day.

• This can consistently be found at Elenbaas Country Store in Everson.