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As September approaches, the quality and nutritional composition of pastures and forages change, which directly impacts your horse’s well-being. This makes it the perfect time to adjust their diet.
Summer hay: what makes it different?
1. Decreased Protein and Energy Content
Late-cut hay tends to contain less protein, especially if harvested after flowering and seed formation. Along with the drop in protein, there’s also a decrease in digestible energy (DE), which is the energy your horse actually gets from digesting the hay.
Why does this happen?
Mature hay is generally “woodier” because the plant develops more indigestible structural fibers, like lignin, which worsens the overall digestibility and palatability of the forage. It’s not surprising, then, that even if a horse consumes the same amount of hay, their physical condition may decline. This is also because the horse may eat less due to the less pleasant taste.
2. Reduction in Essential Vitamins and Nutrients
Hay harvested under stressful conditions, such as drought or excessive heat, loses essential nutrients, especially vitamins, but also minerals and trace elements. You’ll see a significant drop in Vitamins A and E, and a notable decrease in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. For this reason, mineral and vitamin supplementation should never be skipped in the diet of hay-fed horses.
3. Different Appearance and Sensory Perception
Mature hay looks more “yellow,” dry, with thick stems and a stale smell, resembling straw. Dustiness also generally increases, which is a particular problem for horses with heaves. These sensory clues often reflect a low energy value in the hay.
PRACTICAL TIPS
1. Analyse your summer hay
Send a sample to a specialized lab to evaluate its protein, energy, fiber, and vitamin content. This will help you understand how to best balance your horse’s diet, using specific supplements if needed.
2. Supplement protein
Add a protein source like alfalfa, amino acid supplements such as R-Aminoacid, or protein balancers like Racing Feed.
3. Compensate for lower digestibility
Enrich the diet with sources of easily digestible, fermentable fiber, like beet pulp and mashes such as Unika Mash. It can also be useful to add a source of fat, like vegetable oils, which provide energy without increasing the starch content of the diet. This is especially important for horses with metabolic conditions like Cushing’s or if the diet is already high in starch.
4. Restore Vitamins
In a diet with mature hay, specific products like Complete Vitamin and Elyte C+E are essential for restoring vitamin and mineral levels.
Hay harvested in late summer almost always requires an additional nutritional strategy. Analysis, targeted supplements (proteins, vitamins, minerals), and diet enrichment make all the difference in keeping your horse in shape during this seasonal transition.
Interested in nutritional advice?
At Unika, we develop personalized nutritional solutions every day for athletic horses of all disciplines. Contact us for free advice and to create the perfect plan for your horse
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