Forage-Based Alternatives to Long Stem Baled Hay

Triple Crown Premium Grass Forage
Triple Crown Premium Chopped Grass Forage

High-quality forage is essential for the overall health and wellness of your horse. Evolving as grazing animals, horses are designed to have grass moving through their digestive tracts at all times. Typically, equestrians provide pasture and hay as forage options for their horses; you can learn more about long-stem hay in our blog post, Your Guide to Buying and Storing Hay. The term “long stem” refers to hay that is 2” or more in length, which is necessary to keep the digestive tract functioning well. However, the weather conditions combined with the cost of gasoline and fertilizer have made hay an expensive and difficult-to-procure commodity in many areas of the country. Additionally, some horses, such as those with respiratory ailments, dental issues, or insulin resistance, may struggle to eat traditional hay sourced from the field. Fortunately, there are a number of forage products that can be used to supplement or even replace hay in your horse’s diet.

Chopped Forage

Alfahay Probiotic Chopped Alfalfa

Dried in high temperatures and chopped into 2-3 inch lengths prior to bagging, chopped forage is a popular hay supplement and replacement. It offers consistent high-quality hay, with no weeds, dust, or mold. Available in legume hay (Lucerne Farms Alfa Supreme), grass hay options (Lucerne Totally Timothy), and forage blends, chopped forage is available with no additives, such as Triple Crown Premium Grass Forage. Other formulations are mixed with molasses or oil to eliminate the mold and dust content in the forage. The manageable length of the chopped forage makes it easy to feed and chew, but it still requires the same chewing action as traditional long-stem hay and reacts the same way as grass pasture in the digestive system (particularly the hindgut); this makes it an excellent forage replacement if you do not have access to any hay.

Many horses are candidates for chopped hay, particularly those with increased caloric needs, such as breeding stock and performance horses, as well as horses with certain health issues, such as respiratory ailments and metabolic concerns (look for a molasses-free option for these horses). You can learn more about horses who benefit from chopped hay in our blog post, Discover the Benefits of Chopped Forage. Chopped hay is one of the best options for completely replacing your horse’s forage requirements. To feed the chopped hay, put it in a large feed pan or feed bin, it should not be fed on the ground because it can easily mix with the dirt and bedding.

Hay Pellets

Semican Alfalfa Pellets
Semican Alfalfa Pellets

Hay pellets are made from finely chopped forage which has been highly compressed into easy-to-feed pellets. Ideally, the pellets will not have any fillers and will be completely forage-based. Pellets can be fed as a pound-to-pound replacement for forage, making it a convenient way to extend your hay supply. The pellets contain uniform nutrition content from bag to bag and are very easy to measure. Additionally, there is virtually no waste and no dust when you feed hay pellets. Many equestrians like to use hay pellets as a way to encourage their horse to consume their supplements if they are on a forage-only diet. Hay pellets can be soaked if you have an aggressive eater or if you would like to increase your horse’s water intake.  Be aware that choke is a concern if feeding any amount of hay pellets, especially if a horse bolts their feed. Consider utilizing a slower feeder, like the Drop ‘N’ Slow Equine Slow Feeder, when feeding hay pellets.

You can purchase hay pellets made from a variety of legumes and grasses.  However alfalfa pellets, like the Kalmbach Feeds Dehydrated Alfalfa Pellets, or timothy pellets, such as the Semican Timothy Pellets, tend to be the most popular. Some horse owners use alfalfa pellets as a way to increase their horse’s overall caloric intake, especially if they are hard keepers or if they need to gain weight. Consider adding a few pounds of pellets into your horse’s daily rations if you need to extend your hay supply through the winter months.

Hay Cubes

Triple Crown Timothy Cubes
Triple Crown Timothy Cubes

Made from chopped and compressed high-quality hay, hay cubes can be fed as a hay replacement or supplement on a pound-per-pound basis. Typically, cubes are made from alfalfa hay, such as the Semican Alfalfa Cubes, or grass hays, like the Triple Crown Timothy Cubes, so that you can customize the forage intake that is most suitable for your horse’s body condition and dietary needs. Much like feeding chopped forage and hay pellets, there is minimal waste and practically no dust when you feed hay cubes.

Because of their size, some horses also “bolt” their hay cubes (i.e., eat them very quickly). Often, it is recommended that you soak the hay cubes in water prior to feeding. Soaking softens the hay cubes and breaks them into shorter pieces of forage, which helps to minimize the risk of choking while also providing your horse with additional hydration. The wet hay cubes also take longer to consume, which means that your horse has access to forage for an extended period of time.

Fun Fact: Hay cubes also make great horse treats! Be sure to break them apart to avoid any kind of choke. When fed to your horse on an individual basis, they do not need to be soaked.

Complete Feed

Triple Crown Complete Horse Feed
Triple Crown Complete Horse Feed

Complete feeds are feedstuffs that combine grain and hay into one easily digestible pellet. These feeds contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals that your horse needs to thrive, while also providing them with their fiber needs. Senior horses who have difficulty chewing hay or performance horses without consistent access to quality hay are often prime candidates for complete feeds. There are a number of different complete feed formulations available for all of life’s stages, from the active horse, like ​​Triple Crown Complete Horse Feed, to the senior horse, such as Purina Equine Senior and Tribute Seniority Pellet.

According to Sarah L. Ralston, VMD, PhD, dACVN, of the Department of Animal Science, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, “Usually 12 to 15 lbs of a complete feed are needed to meet the average 1000 lb horse’s daily needs, which, if split into only two feedings, will overwhelm the horse’s digestive capacity. Feeding smaller amounts (2 to 3 lb per feeding) more frequently will not only optimize digestion but will also keep the horse more occupied. Complete feeds should be used instead of, not in addition to, a horse’s regular grain ration.” If possible, consider feeding another forage product in addition to a complete feed to satisfy your horse’s need to chew.

Beet Pulp

Midwest Agri Beet Pulp Shreds
Midwest Agri Beet Pulp Shreds

Beet pulp is the fibrous shell that remains when all of the liquids and sugar have been removed from sugar beets—a plant that is grown for sugar production in the United States. Beet pulp is extremely high in fiber and has fewer calories than grain (but more than most hays). While beet pulp can not replace your horse’s forage requirements like the other products on this list, it can be used as a fiber supplement to extend your existing hay supply. Dr. Ralston explains, “Up to 10 lbs (dry) can be fed to the average adult horse, but it will need to be supplemented with a balanced vitamin/mineral supplement and perhaps protein. It should not be fed as the sole source of nutrition.”

Raw, shredded beet pulp, like Midwest Agri Beet Pulp Shreds, should always be soaked for several hours prior to consumption- meanwhile,  beet pulp pellets, Kalmbach Beet Pulp Pellets, for example, typically do not need to be soaked (although, they certainly can be in order to increase the volume and water content). Again, be aware of the possibility of choke with the beet pulp pellets. Slow the eating down for those greedy horses!  Other beet pulp products, such as Emerald Valley Speedi-Beet and Emerald Valley Fibre-Beet, are processed in such a way that they can soak for a much shorter amount of time. Speedi-Beet has no sugar, making it ideal for insulin-resistant and laminitis horses. Consider your feeding practices when you select a beet pulp product to feed your horse.

When it comes to proper horsekeeping, a large portion of their diet should come from forage-based products. Whether you choose to supplement your horse’s long-stem hay intake with these products or use them as a complete hay replacement, it is important to understand how they can fit into your horse’s daily intake.

Do you have questions regarding the alternative hay products that we carry? Our friendly and highly trained sales staff is always available to answer any questions and help you select the best forage products for your horse. Contact us today to set up an appointment for a complementary equine nutrition consultation.

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