Providing Forage vs. Premium Forage: Why the Difference Matters for Your Horse
Believing that all hay provides the same basic nutrition is one of the most common assumptions in the horse world. It is also one of the most expensive assumptions to hold onto. Every horse owner provides forage in some form. That might mean a flake of hay tossed over a fence or a carefully sourced supply delivered by the ton. Far fewer horse owners are feeding a true premium forage program built...
Forage for Performance Horses: Building a Strong Nutritional Foundation
When feeding a performance horse, it is tempting to begin with what goes into the feed bucket. Which feed supplies the best fuel? What supplements are needed to maximize performance? Those are reasonable questions, but they are not a good starting point. Before deciding on anything that comes in a scoop, horse owners should start by evaluating what makes up the largest proportion of the diet....
Why Forage Should Be the Foundation of Your Horse's Diet
Equine nutrition starts with forage. Horses never truly left their grazing roots behind, even after centuries of domestication. Their teeth, stomach, and entire digestive tract are built for processing a steady intake of fibrous plant material. Feeding programs that treat forage as an afterthought work against that biology. Forage-based diets work with it, providing a strong foundation for nearly...
Top 5 Places to Get Your Hay and Forage Tested
Every feeding program starts with forage, but not all hay is created equal. Weather, maturity at harvest, growing conditions, and storage can all impact forage quality, meaning two bales that look nearly identical may provide very different nutrition. While color, smell, and leafiness can offer clues, they can’t tell you what’s actually inside the bale. That’s where forage...
How to Extend Your Hay Supply When Hay or Pasture Is Limited
Hay shortages tend to happen more often than many horse owners expect. Forage production depends heavily on weather and growing conditions, and factors like drought, wildfires, flooding, or extended winters can significantly limit what’s harvested and when it’s available. Add in transportation delays or regional supply disruptions, and even barns that plan ahead can find their hay supply running...
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