The big question.. Hay or Haylage?

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Turtlebay69

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I have a 14.3hh 20 year old TB X Gypsy Vanner.

He has lost weight over the past few weeks, to the point where I can now see ribs. He is on the correct hard feed, in which I am now feeding Linseed - yet to see any difference due to only starting this 2 days ago. He has had Laminitus once at 10 years old.

I am wondering what to do about hay or haylage. He has always been on hay, soaked, unsoaked, either, but a few weeks ago I tried a few slices of haylage and he loved this. A few at my yard feed this and I am thinking whether this will be more beneficial for him, being older and underweight?

His workload is 3-4 3 hour hacks a week, off road and on road plus cantering through fields ect so he works relatively hard. Do I swap to haylage? THEN THE NEXT QUESTION is how the hell do I work out how much to feed him? He has ad-lib hay. Do I weight this - in what? Grams? And how do people do this, on normal scales? Or do I just feed ad-lib, so his usual (lets say its around 4 large haynets per night hes currently eating in hay).

Very confused about this, I was thinking it may help with his overall condition, cough and some weight gain?
 
Haylage will be more calorific, but it can be quite acidic and upset some horses. If he's had laminitis in the past I'd be wary of feeding it too as some can't tolerate it. Personally I'd stick with hay, soaked if he has a cough, and add in something like Dengie Alfa-beet. It might be worth considering whether cushings could be an issue too.
 
Hi Touchstone. Cushings definitely not an issue, but just weight gain needed due to severe lack of grass! His lami is controlled - it was 100% too much summer grass whilst on loan, he has not had any problems since. First signs of barralage when summer comes and he is stabled and muzzled whilst out! Confused!
 
I would put him on some haylage, you need to change over slowly anyway so just giving him one net each night may be enough to help his weight, you could then up it gradually as required, haylage varies some is fairly dry and less acidic, especially this year as it was so dry when they made it, mine is dry and I do not restrict it anymore than I would hay, most get adlib and eat what they want.
 
Technically you need more haylage gram per gram to get the same fibre as hay. It is very moisture rich so it's deceiving how much you actually need.

I'd be looking as to why he is dropping weight on hay. How are his teeth? Has he got trouble with his gut?
 
I think it depends on the quality of the haylage or the hay. I make my own haylage, it's cut late and i have it dried a bit more than is usual. My TB who used to be a bit coughy on hay (even soaked hay) hasn't had a problem since we changed to haylage. However, when I took my other horse to Somerford and used their haylage, he was a bit turbo charged and had a bit of the runs. Generally you have to feed more haylage by weight as it contains more water, but it can be higher in sugars. why not start off by mixing both together and see how your horse is coping (if you can do this) Frankly, I wouldn't feed hay again as I think haylage is less dusty and if you have to soak hay, you are taking most of the value out of it. But that's just my preference.
 
A lot of horses do better on grass than on hard feed.

I agree with Tallyho - firstly if you are going to feed haylage, you need to feed more weightwise thanyou would hay as it has more moisture in it.

Once any tooth issue has been resolved, I think I would feed him grass nuts - I fed mine the blue bag grass nuts from Simple Systems which is the equivalent of summer value grass.

I would also feed sugar beet or unmollassed sugar beet - Simple Systems do Purabeet.

Two days on linseed won't show much difference yet.

I would keep it simple.
 
His teeth have just been checked, and she said they were great for his age, so no worries there. Vet seems to just think due to no grass, the field is literally mud - and no hay allowed in the field (grr )- so the only time he eats is when I bring him in - stabled at night from 4pm-7.30/8am with ad-lib hay and his hard feed. He would happily stay in 24/7 right now (which is not like him) because he is hungry, so something needs to be changed.

However, I am moving to a new field in 2 weeks time which seems to have alot more grass than where I am currently, so shall I still try maybe one haynet of haylage with his hay or mixing although he may be OK once moved onto his new land? I could maybe continue with this along with the better grass on his new land?
 
Turtlebay69 said:
His teeth have just been checked, and she said they were great for his age, so no worries there. Vet seems to just think due to no grass, the field is literally mud - and no hay allowed in the field (grr )- so the only time he eats is when I bring him in - stabled at night from 4pm-7.30/8am with ad-lib hay and his hard feed. He would happily stay in 24/7 right now (which is not like him) because he is hungry, so something needs to be changed.

However, I am moving to a new field in 2 weeks time which seems to have alot more grass than where I am currently, so shall I still try maybe one haynet of haylage with his hay or mixing although he may be OK once moved onto his new land? I could maybe continue with this along with the better grass on his new land?
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So hang on, you're saying he's been on hay and also turned out on no grass, right? When does he get hay? How much?
 
Turtlebay69 said:
the field is literally mud - and no hay allowed in the field (grr )- so the only time he eats is when I bring him in - stabled at night from 4pm-7.30/8am with ad-lib hay and his hard feed. He would happily stay in 24/7 right now (which is not like him) because he is hungry, so something needs to be changed.

However, I am moving to a new field in 2 weeks time which seems to have alot more grass than where I am currently
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I take it that your yard imposes the no hay in the field rule :confused3:. Is there any negotiation on this? He'll be much better off when he's moved to the field with more grazing. No horse, particularly a skinny oldie, should have to be without any forage for 8 hours a day. I'm afraid that I would be voting with my feet.
 
Is stick with hay - it's a falicy that haulage has more calories... But you could try readigrass - according to my cob ( who drops weight like a stone at this time of year) it's the most yummy thing in the world. He also gets 2 hard feeds a day just to keep some conditions on.
 
He is stabled 4pm-7.30am with ad-lib hay. when turned out after hard feed at 8am he does not seem to eat in the field due to most of it being mud. so he is just standing at the gate waiting untill 4pm feed and stabling. Yes my hard enforces the 'no hay in field' rule which is annoying but like I said I am leaving in 2 weeks time to a new yard that has plenty of grass. So just unsure as to whether I should continue as I am and wait and see if the grass in the new yards fields help or switch to some haylage to assist what he already gets.
 
Turtlebay69 said:
He is stabled 4pm-7.30am with ad-lib hay. when turned out after hard feed at 8am he does not seem to eat in the field due to most of it being mud. so he is just standing at the gate waiting untill 4pm feed and stabling. Yes my hard enforces the 'no hay in field' rule which is annoying but like I said I am leaving in 2 weeks time to a new yard that has plenty of grass. So just unsure as to whether I should continue as I am and wait and see if the grass in the new yards fields help or switch to some haylage to assist what he already gets.
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Thats why he is losing weight then. Nothing to do with the hay. I would give him more hay. Hard feed is a tiny factor in the daily requirements. If he's not eating for such a large chunk of time in the day, that will be the reason. No hay in the field? No good, I would be moving.
 
Think I will just wait until we have moved yards then and see how he gets on then once in a whopping great big field with plenty of grass (no more miserable staring at me through the gates to come in 5 minutes after being turned out), but for now I will continue with lots of hay and his hard food. Thankyou for your opinions everyone. x
 
I prefer hay due to less risk of lami, gastric upsets and colic. I dont really trust haylage.
My poor doer got teeth checked and fed adlib hay in field and stable plus oil based feed.
adlib forage is a must!
 
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