Evaluating Horse Hay

Selecting the best hay for your horse

Hay and grain quality

Careful evaluation of equine feedstuffs results in fewer colics, allergies and respiratory problems.

Selecting the hay source that best meets the nutritional requirements of the individual horse, based on age, activity level, and production status, is not always an easy task.  While a horse with a high activity level might benefit from high quality hay, an adult horse at the maintenance level might do just as well on a moderate quality hay.  

When deciding which hay to purchase, evaluate the hay by using the following questions and point system to determine which hay will work best for you and your horses:

What Is the Stage of Harvest? (add 10 - 30 pts

Before blossom or heading: 26 - 30
Early blossom or early heading: 22 - 25
Mid-to-late bloom or head: 15 - 20
Seed stage (having distinct stems): 10-15

Your score:__________

How Leafy Is the Hay? (add 10 - 30 pts)

Very leafy: 26 - 30
Leafy: 21 - 25
Slight stems: 16 - 20
Distinct stems: 10 - 15

Your score:__________

What Color Is the Inside of the Bale? (add 0 - 10 pts)

Natural green color of crop: 9 - 10
Light green: 7 - 8
Yellow to slightly gray-brownish: 5 - 6
Brown or blackish: 0 - 4*

Your score:__________

Does the Hay Have a Fresh, Pleasant Aroma? (add 0 - 15 pts);

Clean crop odor: 13 - 15
Dusty: 10 - 12
Moldy, mousy, or musty: 7 - 9*
Burnt: 0 - 6*

Your score:__________

Will Your Horse Like the Texture? (add 0 - 15 pts)

Very soft and pliable: 13 - 15
Soft: 10 - 12
Slightly hard: 6 - 9
Hard and brittle: 0 - 5

Your score:__________

Grand total:__________

Total the scores for these five items. Then, consider this final question:

How Much Foreign Matter Is in the Hay? (subtract 0 - 25 pts)

Do you see trash, weeds, dirt, and other foreign material? Use your best judgment regarding the degree of contamination and subtract this score from the total for the first five items.

*Note that hay that contains mold, that is extremely coarse, or that contains toxic plants is not suitable for horses and would earn a -25 score on those items alone.

Results

A score of 90+ indicates high quality hay; 80+ indicates very good hay; 70+ indicates moderately good hay; 60 or lower indicates hay that is most likely not the best value as far as palatability and nutrition for your horse.