Ideally, this comes in the form of fresh grass. This is a very common grass especially in dry areas and is great for horses. Keeping hay in front of horses at all times allows them to most closely mimic their natural grazing behavior. Ponies need only the fraction of the feed that horses do. Your pony probably won't need the nutrition provided by alfalfa and clovers. Is your horse living in a selenium deficient area? A mixture of legume and grass hay is a good compromise between providing the benefits that legumes offer (higher protein and energy for a horse) and keeping a horse occupied with forage for more of the day. If you want to test horse grass by using a nutritional analysis then Forageplus can answer your questions. Warm season grass At Forageplus we don't want you to waste your money or time so although we can carry out a nutritional analysis of grass for you there are a number of reasons why we think this testing is unreliable for horse owners. Typical grass forages and their characteristics for horses include: Bahiagrass. 2 – 4 oz. These fodders, which are more energy and nutrient dense than many grass hay, are often too rich for a pony. The following forage grasses are nutritionally optimal for horses. Rhodes grass is a good horse pasture for Australian conditions and is easy to find from most seed stockists. You might find yourself dealing with weight loss in an equine senior, the health hazards of too much weight gain in a pony, or trying to flesh out a rescue horse. Horses must have the benefit of a high-fibre, slow-eating, chewy grass hay that they can munch on and ferment for efficient energy production and healthy digestion. Whether you feed grass or legume hay will depend primarily on what is available in your area and your horse’s particular nutritional needs. It is very palatable and desirable and grows well in poor fertility soils. In general, grass hays are less expensive than legume hays, but because of demand by the horse market in some areas, grass hays can be more expensive. If grass is not available, free-choice grass hay is the next best choice. Warm season grass; Moderate nutritional value with ranges of crude protein (CP) 7-10% and digestible energy (DE) of 0.77 to 0.86 Mcal/lb; Nutritional value declines with maturity, mostly observed in late summer; Bermudagrass. Grass hay comes in many varieties and the best hay can vary from horse to horse. Rhodes grass Rhodes grass. Orchard Grass is the emerging super star of the horse hay world. Hay for ponies should be good quality grass hay. Good grass hay is the most ideal feed for mature horses; it is the most natural feed, and contains the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio (preferably 1:1 to 2:1). Orchard Grass is a highly palatable grass with a high nutrient content. Good Horse Grass Crested Dog’s Tail. Equine Challenge Supplements For Horses “Mind, Body & Sole Support” provides a daily vitamin/mineral equine supplement formulated for horses on grass and oat diets. Pricing is highly regional. One thing for sure is that the equine nutrition requirements for horses … type of hay for horses – Grass Hay. daily (depending on age and work load) will balance the calcium phosphorus levels … Grass hays have a lower protein content, and are suitable for easy keepers, and other horses that do not require the extra calories. The most basic requirement in a horse’s diet is long-stem forage. KEY #1—Forage is the basis of a horse’s diet. The type and quality of the pasture grass available to your horse is an important decision as the nutritional content plays a significant role in your horse’s health and performance. Orchard Grass is higher in protein (10-12%), higher in calorie content and contains the same balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus as Timothy grass. 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