Horsehage ryegrass

[Caol Ila]

Asking for a friend, a Ukrainian living in Glasgow, who's asking on behalf of friends in Ukraine.

Obviously things are tough in the Ukraine, and friend of my friend is struggling to source hay for her horses. She managed to request humanitarian aid for horses and received 1200kg of HorseHage ryegrass from the UK. Apparently she's been told it's fine as hay replacement but she's never come across it in Ukraine (nor have I, anywhere), and she can't find much information on how to feed it. She has no choice but to feed this stuff or let the horses loose. Does anyone know anything about it?

I'm hoping someone on here knows something. You guys know stuff about everything.

 

[Palindrome]

They have the info on their website:
https://www.horsehage.co.uk/horse-feeds/horsehage-range/horsehage-ryegrass/

It's simply haylage, Horsehage is the brand.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Yes, just haylage. Feed like hay.

 

[milliepops]

Its the original horsehage. I am surprised you haven't come across it, all the feed shops round here stock it as standard. It's a fairly high spec haylage.

 

[PurBee]

They do a high fibre later cut ryegrass, so its lower sugar and ive in the past due to supply issues had to switch to it pretty rapidly and my horses fared well.
Their high fibre rye is a blue lettering bag.

They also do a green lettered bag of ryegrass - thats earlier cut, higher energy - whenever ive fed my 2 good doers on this type of haylage its fizzed them up somewhat. I’d not like to do an immediate switch to this type of ryegrass.

But, if your Ukrainian pal has the green bag and that is literally all she has to feed, she has no choice…but id try to introduce slowly, rather than suddenly give kg‘s per day.

 

[spotty_pony]

Just feed as normal hay/haylage.

 

[Caol Ila]

The Ukrainians will be happy to hear this.

My friend says it's the green bag. Her friend is concerned that it's not okay for horses with laminitis and sugar sensitivity but her sources seem to have mixed information about how risky it really is. I've asked if she can introduce it slowly but Ukrainians might not have much choice.

 

[Laurac13]

The blue horsehage is for laminitis not the green bag

 

[PapaverFollis]

There's nutritional analysis on the website linked above. Might need to be fed more sparingly to any fatties as is fairly high energy but sugar and starch is low (less than 10% combined) across the whole range.

 

[Caol Ila]

There's nutritional analysis on the website linked above. Might need to be fed more sparingly to any fatties as is fairly high energy but sugar and starch is low (less than 10% combined) across the whole range.

Cool. Have passed info and website on. I know beggars can't be choosers but beggars also don't want to give their horses laminitis. Tough choices. But it sounds as if this will be fine.

 

[claret09]

feed like hay. remember the ryegrass one is high protein.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Horsehage is a highly respected brand which has been around for donkey's years.

The rye grass haylage is like rocket fuel, though, it's more for working horses.

 

[ycbm]

The Ukrainians will be happy to hear this.

My friend says it's the green bag. Her friend is concerned that it's not okay for horses with laminitis and sugar sensitivity but her sources seem to have mixed information about how risky it really is. I've asked if she can introduce it slowly but Ukrainians might not have much choice.

Tell her to soak it to get the sugar out. It's a myth that you can't soak haylage, I have soaked it for up to 24 hours for many years and never had an issue.
.

 

[cauda equina]

My vets are fine with haylage being soaked too