
Horses are hindgut fermenters, they are built to chew on mature, fibrous grasses for 18+ hours a day. This grass feeds the gut microbes that power everything from energy production to immune function. Grass hays fall into two main types: cool-season and warm-season. Cool-season grasses — like timothy, orchardgrass, ryegrass, fescue, and meadow grass — are generally more palatable and higher in digestible energy. Warm-season hays, such as Bermuda grass (coastal) and teff, are coarser but still suitable, especially for horses accustomed to them.
So what makes a hay “good”?
- Long-stemmed, late-cut grasses — high in fiber, lower in sugar for free choice grass and easy keepers.
- Rich, green and soft — for horses with high nutritional needs
- Low NSC (<12%) — mainly for metabolic horses
- Diverse plant species — better nutrient spread, better gut support
- No mould, no dust, no mystery bales — your horse breathes it in
If your hay is too rich, too green, or too soft, it will be a higher quality which is good for horses with higher nutritional needs but can also lead you to feed less, and remember that in this page we advocate for hay being available all day… so it’s important to take that into account. And if you think “haylage is just wet hay,” we need to have a serious talk (don’t worry, we’ll get there).
Many nutritionists are starting to advocate for feeding horses in alignment with their evolutionary biology. That means:
- Prioritizing long-stem grass hay, ideally from more mature grasses.
- Avoiding legume hays (like alfalfa) or cereal hays for metabolic horses.
- Skipping haylage for gut-sensitive types and in my opinion: “for all horses”
- Ensuring 24/7 access to forage for digestive health and mental well-being in slow feeders or hay nets
This view isn’t universally held. Some vets still promote haylage for weight gain, and forget about the horse’s gut. But what matters is understanding what your horse actually needs—and how each hay type affects their specific metabolism, microbiome, and workload.
Types of Hay — And Which Horses They’re (Not) For
There’s no such thing as “one hay fits all.”
Meadow Hay (Mixed Grass Hay)
If there’s one hay that checks almost every box for a healthy equine gut, it’s meadow hay — when grown and harvested properly. Think of it as nature’s original fiber buffet: the diverse plant species means that there is diverse fiber and prebiotics for your horse.
But let’s be honest — not all meadow hay is created equal, and most of today’s so-called “meadow hay” bears little resemblance to the richly diverse, stemmy pastures our horses evolved to thrive on.
If you can get your hands on properly made meadow hay — stemmy, late-cut, unsprayed, multi-species, and tested for NSC — feed it, love it, hoard it. It’s about as close as you’ll get to the ancestral diet your horse’s gut evolved to thrive on. But if your “meadow hay” is just early-cut ryegrass and clover in disguise? Then don’t buy it.
Another approach is what I have written for the track system with buying different types of grass hay and putting it in different hay nets so the horses can choose and have diversity to eat.
Your horse’s microbiome will thank you.
Timothygrass Hay
Timothy hay has long been marketed as the “gold standard” of horse hays — and while the hype isn’t entirely undeserved, it’s not magical either. It’s a cool-season grass that’s widely grown, highly palatable to most horses, and easy to find in commercial feed stores. When harvested at the right time — ideally the early head stage — timothy can offer excellent fiber quality with moderate energy and protein levels.
It’s often mixed with legumes like alfalfa to boost nitrogen content in the soil and improve growth, but it’s also sold in pure stands. Nutritionally, well-made timothy and orchardgrass hay are nearly identical if harvested at the same stage. The difference? Timothy tends to come with seed heads intact (since it’s low-yielding if cut early), while orchardgrass is more likely to be harvested leafy and soft.
Why Horse Owners Love It
- Predictable nutrition: First-cut timothy tends to be stemmier and lower in sugars, while second-cut is softer, leafier, and a bit higher in digestible energy. This makes it versatile across a range of horses.
- Palatable (usually): Horses generally like the flavor, especially second- and third-cut timothy.
- Low calcium: Great for horses who don’t need the calcium overload that comes with alfalfa.
- Higher nutritional value when cut pre-bloom
Timothy is especially well-suited to:
- Easy Keepers, Maintenance and light-work horses that need steady but not excessive energy.
- Horses prone to urinary stones or enteroliths, where high-calcium hay like alfalfa may be a concern.
- Horses with metabolic issues, provided the NSC content is tested and verified below 10–12%. (Yes, timothy can go over that depending on cut and growing conditions.)
Timothy hay is a safe, respectable choice for most horses — especially when cut at the right time and tested for sugar content. But don’t fall for the marketing halo. It’s not magic. Like all hay, the value lies in the quality of the cut, the maturity at harvest, and the way it fits into the whole diet.
If your horse is thriving on a good-quality mixed or native hay, there’s no need to switch just because someone said timothy is “better.” It’s not better — it’s just another tool in the forage toolbox.
Orchardgrass Hay
Orchardgrass is also one of the most popular cool-season grass hays — and for good reason. When it’s harvested early and baled clean, it’s soft, leafy, and highly palatable to most horses. In fact, many horses happily choose orchardgrass over timothy or brome, especially if they’re used to it.
This bunch-type grass thrives in temperate climates and does especially well in mixed stands with legumes like alfalfa. It’s a common sight across the U.S., Europe, and parts of Africa and New Zealand, and has been a staple forage for horses since colonial times. Despite the marketing hype you’ll often see in classifieds (“perfect for horses,” “best hay in the tri-state area”), the truth is: orchardgrass only lives up to its reputation if it’s harvested at the right stage.
Once mature, orchardgrass turns coarse, stemmy, and less palatable. That means quality is all about timing — cut too late, and you’re left with a hay horses won’t touch. But managed right, it delivers moderate protein, digestible fiber, and good energy levels, making it an excellent base forage for everything from easy keepers to light performance horses.
It’s worth noting: orchardgrass is often more nutrient-dense (especially protein) than timothy when cut at the same stage. But it can also vary more in NSC content, so if you’re feeding a metabolically sensitive horse, a hay analysis is smart — as always.
Teffgrass Hay
Teff is a warm-season annual grass that’s exploded in popularity among horse owners managing metabolic conditions — and with good reason. Properly harvested teff hay is low in sugar, high in fiber, and surprisingly palatable despite its diet-friendly reputation.
Unlike traditional cool-season grasses like timothy or orchardgrass, teff is a C4 grass, meaning it metabolizes carbohydrates differently and tends to accumulate fewer non-structural carbs (NSC), especially under hot, dry growing conditions. This makes it an excellent choice for easy keepers, overweight horses, or those diagnosed with EMS, PPID, PSSM, or laminitis — but it’s not just for the sugar-sensitive crowd. Teff also delivers respectable energy (~0.9–0.95 Mcal/lb) and protein (11–13%) values, putting it nutritionally on par with timothy hay.
When cut at the right stage (boot or early head), teff hay is soft, fine-stemmed, and often well accepted after an adjustment period. But like all hays, quality varies — late-cut teff is lower in digestible energy and protein, and palatability drops off significantly. Some horses may initially turn their nose up at it, especially if they’re used to richer forages or alfalfa, but most will come around with a slow transition.
Other perks? Teff is drought-tolerant, typically non-GMO, hypoallergenic, and not prone to nitrate or mycotoxin accumulation. It’s also environmentally friendly to grow, requiring fewer inputs than many conventional hay crops.
The catch? Teff can have an inverted calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, so it’s smart to run a forage analysis and balance minerals accordingly — especially if it forms the bulk of the diet. Also some types of teff grass contain a naturally occuring plant chemical called synephrine. The ingestion of synephrine can lead to a positive drug test in show horses competing in FEI disciplines and racehorses, as it is a banned substance on the FEI’s Equine Prohibited Substances List.
Bermudagrass Hay (Coastal Bermuda)
Bermudagrass, especially the coastal variety, is a warm-season perennial commonly fed to horses in the southeastern U.S. It thrives in hot, humid conditions and recovers well from trampling or close grazing, making it a resilient pasture and hay crop in the Deep South. But while its affordability and availability are big wins, this is a forage that demands management — or it can become a gut health risk.
When harvested early and frequently (about every 3 weeks), coastal Bermuda can offer decent digestible energy and protein levels. But let it overmature, and the fiber content skyrockets — especially lignin and hemicellulose — reducing digestibility and increasing the risk of impaction colic, particularly in stalled horses on limited movement. (Hart et al., 2024)
One key concern is the fine stem size of Bermuda hay. While it may look soft and appealing, fine-stemmed hay isn’t always chewed as thoroughly. Poor mastication means less saliva (which buffers stomach acid and lubricates the bolus), leading to drier manure and greater colic risk — a pattern repeatedly noted in horses fed coarse or poorly chewed Bermuda hay.
That said, not all Bermuda is bad. Well-managed Bermuda is low in fructans, making it a smart option for laminitis-prone horses needing a low-NSC diet. It’s also drought-resistant and holds up well in rotational grazing systems.
Sainfoin Hay
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), sometimes called “holy hay,” was once the go-to forage for horses before the rise of industrial farming pushed it aside in favor of fast-growing, fertilizer-hungry crops like alfalfa. But this pink-blossomed plant is making a comeback—and for good reason.
Sainfoin is naturally high in condensed tannins, a rare and valuable trait. These tannins not only limit gas production during digestion—potentially reducing the risk of gas colic—but also stabilize the gut environment where parasites like strongyles often take hold. It has already been proved sainfoin fed to horses showed an inhibitory effect on the motility of strongyle infective larvae, “which suggests that it might have the ability to disturb the strongyle at different stages of the lifecycle” (Grimm et al., 2022)
Nutritionally, sainfoin checks all the right boxes. It’s high in highly bioavailable protein (up to 76%) where most horse feeds have a protein bioavailability of less than 40%, making it ideal for maintaining muscle mass, topline, and hoof quality—especially in performance horses or those struggling to hold weight over winter. It is also low in sugar and starch, making it safe for horses with metabolic conditions.
- High-quality, highly digestible protein— Up to 76% bioavailable, compared to <40% in many commercial feeds. Supports topline, hoof quality, and recovery in performance horses.
- High in Omega-3 fatty acids — anti-inflammatory properties
- Naturally low NSC— Safe for metabolically sensitive horses; low in sugars and starch.
- Gut-friendly condensed tannins— Reduce gas formation, stabilize pH, support hindgut health, and may offer natural parasite resistance.
Sainfoin is also non-bloating, more palatable than alfalfa (yes, picky eaters actually prefer it), and promotes longer chewing time, more saliva production, and increased water intake—all critical for gut health and ulcer prevention.
Environmentally, sainfoin earns bonus points for fixing its own nitrogen, thriving in poor soils, supporting pollinators, and sequestering minerals like phosphate. It’s a regenerative agriculture darling and a functional powerhouse for equine health.
In short: if you can find it, feed it. Sainfoin offers all the benefits of alfalfa—but is more adequate to feed. It’s time we bring this ancient forage back into the spotlight where it belongs.
Alfalfa / Lucerne
Alfalfa is a high-protein, high-calcium forage that can be useful — or problematic — depending on the horse.
It works well for horses with high nutritional demands, like performance horses, lactating mares, growing foals, and underweight seniors. These horses benefit from the extra energy, protein and minerals alfalfa provides.
But for easy keepers or horses with IR, alfalfa can be too rich. Even though it’s low in sugar and starch, research shows it can still spike insulin (Loos et al.) — especially in insulin-resistant horses — due to its high protein and leucine content. This makes it a potential trigger for laminitis or hoof sensitivity, even when NSC levels seem safe.
Alfalfa contains high levels of crude protein, but only about 21% of it is digested in the small intestine — where amino acids are absorbed. The rest is fermented in the hindgut, producing ammonia, which the horse must excrete through urine. This increases the burden on the kidneys and can lead to strong urine odor, dehydration risk, and urinary sludge, especially if water intake is low.
Compared to higher-quality protein sources, alfalfa’s usable protein is relatively limited — especially for growing horses who need targeted amino acids like lysine.
If you choose to feed alfalfa:
- Monitor body condition, hoof health, and behavioral changes
- Mix it with grass hay to dilute calorie and mineral density
- Use a ration balancer to correct calcium-to-phosphorus ratios
⚠️ Use With Caution In:
- Easy keepers — calorie overload can lead to weight gain and behavioral issues.
- Insulin-resistant (IR), EMS, or PPID horses — research shows alfalfa can spike insulin due to its amino acid profile, even when sugar and starch levels are low. This may trigger hoof pain, laminitis, or flare-ups in sensitive horses.
- Horses with compromised kidney function — due to the high calcium and nitrogen load.
Alfalfa can be a good and useful forage for the right horse — but it’s not “safe for all” just because it’s low in sugar. Understand its strengths, watch for early signs of intolerance, and use it with intent. For horses with metabolic or renal issues, grass hay may be the safer choice.
Rhodes Grass Hay
If there’s a hay that consistently checks all the boxes for gut health, metabolic safety, and slow, natural feeding patterns — it’s Rhodes grass.
Native to warm climates, Rhodes is a subtropical C4 grass that has a huge nutritional advantage: it doesn’t accumulate high levels of sugars or starch. With non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) levels typically below 12%, it’s one of the most consistently safe hays for laminitic, insulin-resistant, or easy keeper horses. Unlike teff, which can spike higher depending on conditions, Rhodes grass tends to stay reliably low.
Why Nutritionists Love It
- Moderate energy and protein make it a strong foundation for nearly any diet — from easy keepers to working horses.
- It’s low in oxalates (2.5–3 g/kg), meaning you don’t have to worry about Bighead Disease like you do with high-oxalate hays like teff. You’ll still want to balance the diet, of course, but Rhodes gives you a cleaner slate to work from.
Why Horses (Sometimes) Don’t
Rhodes hay has a mild flavor and a coarser texture, which means it’s not winning any taste tests with picky eaters. But that’s exactly what makes it great for extending chewing time — and that’s good news for ulcer-prone horses or those on calorie-restricted diets. Horses nibble it slowly, producing more saliva, which helps buffer stomach acid and support digestion.
Cereal Hays (Oaten, Wheaten, Barley)
Cereal hays are made from the stems and leaves of grain crops like oats, wheat, and barley harvested before the grain fully develops. When cut early—ideally at the soft stage—these hays can be leafy, green, and surprisingly palatable. But once the grain matures and is harvested, what’s left behind is no longer hay, but straw: low in nutrition and high in indigestible fiber.
Good quality cereal hay can provide a decent base forage for many horses, offering plenty of chew time and moderate calories with lower protein than alfalfa. Oaten hay in particular is a common favorite among horses due to its sweetness and soft stems.
However, the big caveat with cereal hay is its unpredictable sugar and starch content. Some batches—especially those cut too late or with heavy grain heads—can contain non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) levels over 30%, making them completely unsuitable for horses with insulin resistance, laminitis risk, or metabolic syndrome. High-fructan cereal hays can also disrupt hindgut microbes, contributing to gassiness, loose manure, or even mild colic.
Long-term use of high-NSC cereal hay may even impact dental health, as seen in studies linking oaten hay to peripheral dental caries in horses exposed to it for extended periods. (Jackson et al., 2021)
If you do choose cereal hay, it’s critical to get it tested before feeding, especially for horses requiring low-NSC diets. And do not use it as the only hay you are feeding.
Straw
Should you feed my horse straw? You can. But very cautious, and if I were you, I would feed mature grass instead and have straw as bedding (although I prefer to muck out shavings). While straw is often promoted as a low-calorie filler for easy keepers, I don’t think is it that simple—and not always safe.
There is a bit of disparity among researchers where some (P. A. Harris, et al) personally recommend that not more than 30% of the forage DM ration should be straw (other than for donkeys). Others (A. Jansson, et al) found that 50:50 did not create any problem and led to weight loss providing the straw is of a good hygienic standard and the overall ration is balanced for protein vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
What Is Straw, Nutritionally?
Straw is the leftover stalk after cereal crops like wheat, barley, rye or oats are harvested, that is typically used as bedding or feed for farm animals. It’s high in indigestible fiber (especially lignin), very low in protein (around 5%), and has little nutritional value. As Dr. Eleanor Kellon notes, “You’re better off double netting your hay, or investing in a slow-feeder system.
⚠️ Key Risks of Feeding Straw
- Impaction colic is the biggest red flag. Straw’s high NDF (65–80%) and lignin make it hard to chew and digest, especially for older horses or those with dental issues.
- Hyperlipidemia risk increases if a horse receives too little digestible energy and starts trying to find energy resources from protein and fat. This can become fatal, because it will create abnormally elevated levels of fats/lipoproteins in the blood.
- Nutrient imbalances: Straw lacks protein and key minerals like phosphorus and magnesium, so it requires serious supplementation (therefore you will have to spend more money).
- High NSC variability: While straw is often assumed to be “safe” for insulin-resistant horses, Dr. Juliet Getty warns that NSC can range from 1.7% to 17% depending on growing conditions. Without testing, you’re guessing.
What Does the Research Say?
- A UK study (Dosi et al., 2020) showed that supplementing poor winter pasture with a mix of 50% of barley straw and 50% hay led to weight loss, without any episodes of colic or laminitis.
- In a 2010 study (Werhahn et al) recommends the use of straw as bedding, being okay if the horses ate a bit from time to time, to fulfill behavioural needs. Because if a horse is fed restrictively, then the straw as a bedding will help soothe him and prevent dietary deprivations.
- A 2021 Swedish study (Jansson et al.) found that 50% wheat straw in the diet and 50% grass forage did not increase gastric ulcers, but did lower insulin levels and prolong eating time—both positives for metabolic horses. However, straw had to be soft, hygienic, and carefully introduced over 2–3 weeks.
- No colic cases occurred in these trials, but sample sizes were small. Use caution.
When Straw Might Be Useful
- You’re managing an easy keeper or insulin-resistant horse who needs more chewing time but fewer calories.
- You’ve tested the straw for NSC (preferably ESC + starch <11%) and nitrates.
- You’re blending it with hay (no more than 50%) and meeting all protein, vitamin, and mineral needs.
- You’re using soft barley or oat straw—not harsh, bedding-grade wheat straw.
- For bedding
When to Avoid Straw
- As the sole forage.
- In horses prone to colic, with poor dentition, or without access to plenty of water.
- If the straw is dusty, moldy, contains grain heads, or hasn’t been tested.
Straw isn’t evil, but it is also not what horses are meant to eat. Talk to your veterinarian and nutritionist, to develop a good plan for your horse. For some metabolic horses, it can extend forage time and reduce calorie load. For others, it’s a colic risk wrapped in wishful thinking. Test it, blend it, and supplement wisely—or skip it as feed entirely and opt for slow feeders and low-NSC hays instead.
Haylage
Haylage is often marketed as a convenient, dust-free alternative to dry hay — but before you wrap up your forage plan in plastic, let’s look at the science and what it really means for your horse’s gut health.
Haylage is semi-fermented grass — typically ryegrass — baled at higher moisture and sealed in plastic to preserve it through lactic acid fermentation. This preservation process invites lactic acid bacteria (LAB) into the mix — and while LAB are great for silage, they’re not a recognised colony member in the equine gut biome and they are pro-inflammatory.
These bacteria thrive on sugar and protein, producing lactic acid as waste. Once they reach the hindgut (especially in sensitive horses), they can disrupt the microbial balance, lower pH dangerously from 7 to 2-3, and trigger hindgut acidosis. The result? Inflammation, gas, loose manure, poor energy metabolism, and even leaky gut. And yes — symptoms often show up years later, making it hard to connect the dots.
Compounding the issue is the fact that haylage is frequently made from high-sugar ryegrass, which can test up to 35% NSC. Rye is ideal because it grows fast, it was designed so farmers would get a big dairy and meat production, and it is highly resistant to chemical sprays like fungicides, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. It can also contain endophytes, an equine toxin, that has been shown to trigger laminitis and foal abortion.
Despite marketing claims, haylage does not provide superior energy or protein. The high protein valuse is from the bacterial protein from LA bacteria, and is not an equine-appropiate protein for the digestive enzymes to be able to break down to be utilized. Horses prone to laminitis, metabolic dysfunction, or faecal water should especially avoid it.
One of the most serious risks? Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria behind botulism, which can proliferate in haylage if a dead animal (like a field mouse) gets baled and ferments. In contrast, a mouse in dry hay simply decomposes — unpleasant, yes, but far less likely to trigger a deadly neurotoxin.
As bluntly put by Ontario’s Government: “Haylage is not recommended when feeding horses due to the danger of botulism.”
If you’re feeding haylage and your horse seems “fine” — be cautious. Gut dysbiosis can build silently over time. For the metabolic horse, the sensitive horse, or frankly, any horse with a microbiome worth protecting, well-made hay — not haylage — should be what you feed.
What you are feeding your horse deserves to be thought thoroughly, choosing the right forage isn’t about picking the prettiest bale or whatever’s the cheapest at the feed store. You have to understand the actual nutrient content, how it affects your horse’s digestive system, and what your individual horse needs.
- Analyze your hay or ask your suppliers if they have a hay analysis
- Investigate a little bit about the different types of hays (if you’re in this post, that means you are being proactive)
- Then supplement your horse adequately basing off in what hay you are feeding him
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References
- “Botulism in Horses and Haylage | Ontario.ca.” Www.ontario.ca, www.ontario.ca/page/botulism-horses-and-haylage.
- DeBoer, Michelle L, et al. Glucose and Insulin Response of Horses Grazing Alfalfa, Perennial Cool-Season Grass, and Teff across Seasons. Vol. 68, 1 Sept. 2018, pp. 33–38, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2018.04.008.
- Dosi, Miranda Carlotta Maria, et al. “Inducing Weight Loss in Native Ponies: Is Straw a Viable Alternative to Hay?” Veterinary Record, vol. 187, no. 8, 3 May 2020, pp. e60–e60, https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.105793.
- EquiNatural. “Supercharge Your Horse’s Health Naturally | EquiNatural.” Equinatural.co.uk, 2025, www.equinatural.co.uk/straw. Accessed 20 July 2025.
- FEI. FEI Warning Regarding Synephrine.
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- Getty, Juliet M. “Feeding Straw to the Insulin Resistant Horse May Be a Mistake.” Getty Equine Nutrition, LLC, 2025, gettyequinenutrition.com/pages/feeding-straw-to-the-insulin-resistant-horse-may-be-a-mistake. Accessed 20 July 2025.
- Grimm, Pauline, et al. “Inclusion of Sainfoin in the Diet Might Alter Strongyle Infection in Naturally Infected Horses.” Animals, vol. 12, no. 8, 7 Apr. 2022, p. 955, https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12080955. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.
- Hall, Marvin. “Orchardgrass.” Penn State Extension, 2000, extension.psu.edu/orchardgrass.
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- Hart, R., et al. “Chewing Analysis of Horses Consuming Bermudagrass Hay in Different Styles of Slow Feeders as Compared to Loose Hay.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, vol. 140, Sept. 2024, p. 105133, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105133.
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- Kentucky Equine Research Staff. “Timothy Hay for Horses.” Kentucky Equine Research, 10 Nov. 2015, ker.com/equinews/timothy-hay-horses/.
- Leng, Joy, et al. “Hay vs. Haylage; Forage Type Influences the Equine Urinary Metabonome and Faecal Microbiota.” Equine Veterinary Journal, vol. 54, no. 3, 26 Apr. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13456.
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- Werhahn, Hanna, et al. “Effects of Different Bedding Materials on the Behavior of Horses Housed in Single Stalls.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, vol. 30, no. 8, Aug. 2010, pp. 425–431, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2010.07.005. Accessed 11 May 2020.