Anyone know what type of hay this is?
- Thread starter Myotto
- Start date
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Is it this year's hay? I would definitely not be giving new hay to an EMS horse in particular.
Myotto
Well-Known Member
I've added a picture. He's been on this hay for a few weeks and has had diarrhoea, gastric discomfort and a foot abscess.
Barton Bounty
Just simply loving life with Orbi 🥰
Id soak that hay for sure
Surbie
Well-Known Member
I can only see one seed head in the pic, and that looks like rye. The hay looks pretty green - with those symptoms I would be soaking the hay for definite and switching to older hay if I could get hold of it.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
You need to find the seed heads to picture, not much can be seen from stems.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Then I would be getting him off it altogether, I wouldn't even risk it soaked. Especially if it is Rye hay. And even more so if it has only been taken this year.
Try and get hold of some of last year's crop. Or even older. I used to always keep back a few bales of old hay for any of them that were at risk of lammi or any other health issue that really doesn't want top quality rich feed of any sort,
Myotto
Well-Known Member
I've added more pics
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ILuvCowparsely
Well-Known Member
I would never give new hay to ems, lami or cushings. leave it 3 months then maybe in small quantities.
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
What difference does it make leaving it 3 months? I understand that the sugar levels don't reduce over time once it's cut and baled
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
It mat be rye if it's causing diarrhea- the higher protein content can do that.
If you can , try and get some confirmed meadow hay instead and soak it.
If you can , try and get some confirmed meadow hay instead and soak it.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
I have always believed the opposite that the sugar levels (depending on the type of sward being cut of course) do lose sugar levels at a relatively high rate in the first few weeks of being stored and continue to do so but at a much lower rate the longer it is stored?
But then we always take a later cut. That would also be courser and lower in sugar to start with over that of an earlier cut though. But I am quite happy to be corrected.Every day is a learning day as they say.
I have to add I have never taken Rye hay and I wouldn't feed it anyway.
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
I asked a farmer and he said with unwrapped hay/haylage, it is what it is once baled. The mixture content will continue to drop though.I have always believed the opposite that the sugar levels (depending on the type of sward being cut of course) do lose sugar levels at a relatively high rate in the first few weeks of being stored and continue to do so but at a much lower rate the longer it is stored?
But then we always take a later cut. That would also be courser and lower in sugar to start with over that of an earlier cut though. But I am quite happy to be corrected.Every day is a learning day as they say.
I have to add I have never taken Rye hay and I wouldn't feed it anyway.
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
That's interesting as I have always been told by farmers and old horsemen the very opposite.
Not sure what you (as in the farmer) mean by mixture content, is that nutrient content as that would surely include sugar content I would have thought?Damn. Here I am unable to sleep and hoping to drop off again soon and now I shall have to go off and do some research instead!
cauda equina
Well-Known Member
Perhaps an autocorrect from moisture contentThat's interesting as I have always been told by farmers and old horsemen the very opposite.
Damn. Here I am unable to sleep and hoping to drop off again soon and now I shall have to go off and do some research instead!
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
Moisture lol !That's interesting as I have always been told by farmers and old horsemen the very opposite.
Damn. Here I am unable to sleep and hoping to drop off again soon and now I shall have to go off and do some research instead!
winnie
Well-Known Member
I can't see any seed heads so hard to tell. The stalks are very fine which suggests a meadow hay mix but hard to tell. If your horse is very keen on it and it's giving him loose droppings it does suggest high sugar so I would def soak this hay. Even old meadow hay can be high in sugars. Sugars don't diminish with age of hay but certain nutrients/vitamins do.
MidChristmasCrisis
Well-Known Member
It might not be the hay..the excessive rain this year is causing intermittent flushes in grass growth which could be upsetting his stomach?
Orangehorse
Well-Known Member
Hay seems to "cure" in storage. Hopefully it dries out more, but it seems to come out better from the stack than when it went in.
Any June hay is going to be much richer in sugars than made in July, and ryegrass will be ready to cut in June. Whereas meadow hay, that made from older usually grazing pastures will not have the bulk until July.
I have fed hay made in June in August before now, when I ran out completely, but it was done carefully by mixing it up with what I had left with the old and the horse had no health problems.
Any June hay is going to be much richer in sugars than made in July, and ryegrass will be ready to cut in June. Whereas meadow hay, that made from older usually grazing pastures will not have the bulk until July.
I have fed hay made in June in August before now, when I ran out completely, but it was done carefully by mixing it up with what I had left with the old and the horse had no health problems.
Myotto
Well-Known Member
How long would you soak it for? About an hour?
Myotto
Well-Known Member
He only goes out on grass in the mornings, especially as it has been so rainy.
Surbie
Well-Known Member
I would yes, then rinse it thoroughly. If the symptoms continue I'd switch off it.
ILuvCowparsely
Well-Known Member
For one thing in my BHS exam we learnt not to due to it being to rich, amongst other things.
(out of my BHS notes)
- The biggest risk to your horse from feeding this year's hay too soon is colic, which can be deadly.
- The sugars have settled and are at a safe level for your horse to eat
- There might be damp areas within the bale which would ferment
- It could and does give the horse the squits.
- If there was any dampness in the bale, which would make the bale mouldy it would have formed by then.
Seen most of the above first hand, livery fed new hay straight away, and the mare had constant squits for a couple weeks.
So I won't feed new hay, instead I use up the winter hay then start the new hay by gradual introduction. Colic can and does come suddenly, I wont ut my horses at risk.
SantaVera
Well-Known Member
I thought this too the age of the hay doesn't affect the starch and sugar content.
Myotto
Well-Known Member
It’s very difficult when you are on livery and hay is provided!
Mrs. Jingle
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately that does make it rather more problematic. I was just going to say that with all the symptoms you are describing I definitely would stop feeding it immediately, even soaked.
Have you spoken to YO can they offer an alternative or would they agree to you buying in your own hay of a more suitable quality?