How do you choose hay for your horses? Types available and their nutritional content vary by region and climate. Learn about the many different types of grass and legumes available as horse hay, including:
Alfalfa; Pasture grass; Bermuda grass; Ryegrass; Oat; Clover; Smooth bromegrass; Timothy; and more.
The grass family contains many common forages for horses. Grasses are herbaceous (not woodsy) with leaf veins and root systems and they bear seed on stalks. Grasses can be subdivided into two groups.
- Cool-season grasses – which grow best at temperatures from 60 degrees to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re prevalent in the central and northern regions of the U.S. where cool temperatures and consistent rainfall are common. Examples include smooth bromegrass, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass, and timothy. However, if harvested at an earlier stage, these grasses can also make good hay for horses and other livestock.
- Legume – Legumes have a netted vein pattern, produce seed in a pod, and usually have a taproot system (a deep, central root from which other roots sprout laterally). Legumes can also be subdivided into warm- and cool- season plants. They can interact with the bacterium Ahizobium, which converts nitrogen from the air into a usable form in the plant. This contributes to the higher protein values often seen in well-managed legume stands.