Forage — hay, haylage, or silage — makes up by far the largest part of what a horse eats every day. Anyone caring for their own horse buys or feeds it almost daily, and that's exactly why its quality matters more than any concentrate feed: a mediocre batch of hay isn't fixed by a better bag of feed. The good news is that you can say a lot about forage without a lab — your eyes, nose, and hands get you a long way. This guide shows what to look for with hay and haylage, how to store it, and when an analysis is still worth doing.
Why Forage Is the Foundation
A horse's digestive system is built for a near-continuous supply of fiber-rich material. Everything that comes after that — concentrate feed, supplements — is an addition to that base, not a replacement for it. How that ratio works out in the ration is covered in feeding your horse well: hay, concentrate feed and supplements; the underlying principles are covered in horse nutrition: hay, concentrate feed, and how much a horse really needs.
In daily practice, this mostly means one thing: a flaw in the forage carries through into every meal, every day. Dusty hay strains the airways with every mouthful, and a moldy batch can make a horse ill long before you even get to the concentrate feed. Judging quality before you feed is therefore not a luxury, but the core of feeding well.
Assessing Hay With Your Senses
Open a bale and take your time over it. Four things together tell you the most:
| Feature | Good | Suspect |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Greenish to green-yellow | Bleached white, grey, or brown |
| Smell | Fresh, slightly sweet, grassy | Musty, moldy, or sharp |
| Feel | Dry, springy, falls apart loosely | Dusty when shaken, or damp and warm inside |
| Composition | Recognizable grass types, even | Thistles, a lot of stemmy weeds, or plants you don't recognize |
Color tells you something about the harvest and storage. Greenish hay was dried and stored properly; bleached hay has sat in the sun or rain for a long time, and brown or grey patches point to heating or mold.
Smell is the fastest warning sign. Good hay smells fresh and a little sweet. A musty or moldy smell means reject it, even if the bale looks fine from the outside — mold often sits on the inside.
Feel is tested by pulling a handful from the heart of the bale and shaking it. If a cloud of dust comes off, that's bad news for the airways. If the hay feels damp or warm, the bale was baled too wet and is heating up.
Composition takes the most practice. You don't need to be a grass expert, but check that the hay looks even and free of thistles or unfamiliar plants. Pay particular attention to ragwort (Dutch: jacobskruiskruid): this plant stays toxic even when dried, and in hay a horse will actually eat it, because the bitter taste that normally puts it off largely disappears. Which plants pose more risk is covered in toxic plants for horses.
Haylage and Silage: Benefits and Risks
Haylage and silage are grass that hasn't been fully dried but is instead baled and wrapped airtight, where it preserves through acidification. It's damper than hay and therefore almost dust-free — for horses with sensitive airways, often the reason to choose it. Many riding schools and boarding stables feed haylage for that reason.
That comes with risks that demand discipline. Once opened, a bale has a limited shelf life: as soon as air gets in, heating and mold set in, especially in warm weather. So feed an opened bale within a few days, and reject anything that feels warm, smells sour or rotten, or shows visible mold. The most serious risk is botulism: a bale containing soil residue or an ensiled carcass (a mouse or bird, for example) can harbor the bacterium that causes this life-threatening poisoning. Damaged wrap, soil in the bale, or an off smell are therefore always reasons to discard the whole bale — not just the suspect spot.
Storage: Dry, Off the Ground, Ventilated
Good quality is lost through poor storage. Three rules cover most of it:
- Dry. Hay that picks up moisture will mold; a leaking roof or rising damp can ruin an entire stock.
- Off the ground. On pallets or a raised platform, so air can get underneath and ground moisture doesn't soak into the bottom bales.
- Ventilated. A sealed, warm space traps moisture. Freshly baled hay also keeps drying out further and needs that airflow.
For haylage bales, the main rule is that the wrap must stay intact. Check bales for tears and holes on arrival, and store them where birds and rodents can't peck or gnaw their way in.
Analysis, Soaking, and Steaming
Your senses judge hygiene and general quality, but not nutritional value. That's what a forage analysis is for: a lab test of a sample, usually arranged through the supplier or in consultation with the vet. It's worth doing especially for sugar-sensitive horses — where you want to know exactly what's in the hay — and when buying a large batch that will feed the horse for months. For a few bales from a trusted supplier, it's usually unnecessary.
If the hay is otherwise fine but a bit dusty, you can soak or steam it briefly. Soaking binds the dust to water; don't leave the hay sitting for hours, especially not in warm weather. Steaming goes a step further and also tackles mold spores as well as dust, but requires a hay steamer. Both are a fix for borderline cases — hay that's persistently dusty or musty should be replaced, not treated.
A Trusted Supplier and Testing Batches
The most reliable route to good forage is a regular supplier who understands what horse hay is — grass grown and cut for horses, not leftover batches from another purpose. With a new supplier, ask for a few bales as a trial before ordering a winter or full-year supply: that way you can judge the batch using the checks in this guide and see how your horse responds to it. Every cut and every field is different, so repeat this assessment with a trusted supplier too whenever a new batch comes in.
In Short
- Forage is the foundation of the ration; its quality matters more than any concentrate feed.
- Assess hay with your senses: greenish color, fresh smell, a dry and dust-free feel, and no thistles or unfamiliar plants — ragwort stays toxic even when dried.
- Haylage and silage are low-dust but have a limited shelf life once opened; soil residue or damaged wrap means discarding the whole bale because of the botulism risk.
- Store hay dry, off the ground, and ventilated; check haylage bales for intact wrap.
- A forage analysis is worth it for sugar-sensitive horses and large batches; arrange it through your supplier or vet.
- Choose a regular supplier and trial a new batch with a few bales before buying in bulk.
See also: Feeding your horse well: hay, concentrate feed and supplements · Horse nutrition: hay, concentrate feed, and how much a horse really needs · Toxic plants for horses · Glossary: haylage · Level: Considering Your Own Horse