Learning how to identify good and bad hay.

Hay is a fundamental part of a horse’s diet, especially in the winter, and knowing how to distinguish between good hay and bad hay can prevent the onset of potential health problems for your horses while also having a positive impact on their mood.
Those with lots of land can produce their own hay, but those that have to buy hay have to take great care when it comes to the product quality. Even the packaging for instance can have hidden defects such as mould. Needless to say, mouldy hay cannot be fed to horses and can cause colic, like a fresh hay.
Therefore we have to be thorough with our checks, especially if the supplier is different from where we usually purchase and is not our usual source. Even the dust must be removed from the hay and can cause respiratory problems. For this reason, vets often recommend feeding horses hay which has been moistened first with water to stop any dust from flying in the air and going into the lungs.
Bales of hay should be checked for weight, colour and texture and monitored up close: if the fibres are not of the right quality, they can cause bloating or alternatively may not even be digested. The ideal hay is slightly unrefined, with few wood pieces and brambles, weeds and leaves. If the field from which the hay comes from is fertilised with pig-manure, it in turn produces a smell and taste that is unpleasant to the horse.
Good hay has a colour ranging from pale green to pale gold. If there are opaque or brown shades, it is a hay that has been affected by rain-fall, but if it is too golden it is the opposite and means it has been dried too much. The best area to check the colour of the hay is in the heart of the bale. The ideal amount of water meanwhile in a good hay is between 15% and 17% humidity of the total weight. If there is too much moisture it’s likely that there is mould.
Once you buy the hay, especially if it is bought fresh, it’s good to keep it for at least one month: the ideal place to preserve the hay is outdoors, sheltered to avoid rain and not in contact with the ground from which it could absorb the humidity. Oil lamp hay is the most rich in proteins, 15% – 18%, and the preferred choice for horses. Having said that, it could be too much for a horse and is ideal when used as a food supplement or in the diet of mares and foals.