Using and Storing Hay for Your Horse

# of bales x bale weight in lbs = total lbs / 2000 = total tons on hand

# of tons you need - # of tons on hand = amount you need to buy

Storing Your Hay

It is vital that you store your hay properly! Improper storage leads to mold, which can cause colic and even death in horses and ponies. Also, if it is hay cutting season, don't feed fresh cut alfalfa, it must cure for at least 90 days. Another alfalfa warning: crimped alfalfa that contains Blister Beetles can be deadly to equines. Have you alfalfa checked for blister beetles before you buy! The crushed beetles crystallize forming a chemical that causes horses terrible pain and even death.

Other hays to avoid: Johnson Grass - can have extremely high levels of nitrogen that can kill horses. Sudan and Improved Sudan - suitable for cows, not horses. Any hay grown specifically for cattle may have higher quantities of some nutrients that are not good for horses.

Your hay must be OFF THE GROUND, even if you have a floor in your hay storage area. Use pallets, old tires, plastic tarps or some other moisture barrier to keep you hay off the ground. Ideal would be a plastic tarp on the ground with pallets on top, then hay. You can find pallets for free in the newspaper and in industrial areas. Be sure the pallets don't have toxic chemicals on them.

For fresh cut hay, stack it with the cut sides up. This allows moisture to evaporate more easily. Leave a few inches in between bales for air circulation and stack your bales in alternating layers with bottom bales going one direction and successive layers alternating.