Best kind of hay mix??

[MiniHoofBeats]

I am sure I totally let this one go over my head, that it was just talked about but I am looking to purchase a good quality, soft, grassy hay mix for my mini's starting in March with their new feed schedule to prepare for working out and training for show. I will be feeding them Nutrena Horse Kwik grain, and then some hay...what hay mix is best? Hay with alfalfa or with timothy or ?? What will provide the best nutrients for them?

Like what about alfalfa/timothy mix..and what is treated hay??

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Please any input on this? I need to start making phone calls but I don't know what a good kind of hay is to get...all grass hay, grass/alfalfa mix, timothy/alfalfa mix, grass/timothy mix...I don't have a clue! Any insight???

 

[Meshale]

did you do a search??....there are a lot of threads on this topic..one just the other day*S*...hope that helps...Michelle...

 

[Margaret]

"Timothy and Burmuda" is my favorite Grass hay mix "when I care to offer two types of hay. I always end up buying both types seperatly and mixing it myself tho- to control the quality of it. Of course if I were doing a regular "work out" with my horses, I would most likely tend add oats to "up the protein" a tad to keep up with the energy required. I have not had the best experience with Alfalfa hay here, either mixed or straight, and have found that when premixed with a grass hay, it is unusually course stemmed. But if I were to consider using alfalfa, then I would most likely try incorperating some "presoaked" alfalfa cubes into the diet plan.. They soften up given the right amount of time, and not very many is required to boost protien levels.

 

[Ashley]

It kinda scares me the amount of questions you have, when these should have been researched and answered BEFORE you even got into minis.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Oh lord...Ashley, some of us just have questions to ask and i'll admit, yes I got into mini's before I knew much about them but then again...a lot of us do! You'll have a PM soon.

I want to thank everyone for helping me out! The person I bought hay from last summer, I just loved her hay mix and I was waiting to hear back from her what kind of mix she grows, she just got back to me this morning - timothy and alfalfa - not "sticky" at all, just lush and grassy and I loved it for my mini's!

Thanks =)

 

[Sunraye Miniatures]

Alfalfa/Timothy is good for broodmares that are about to foal IMO. Its rich in fat, protein, and calcium levels. For my other horses its either straight orchard grass or orchard/alfalfa mixed hay.

 

[anita]

I got Orchard/Alfa. Its more grassy 70-30%. The horses just love it.

Anita

Little Texas Miniature Horses

Sulphur Springs TX

[email protected]

 

[nootka]

My minis get Orchard Grass hay almost exclusively. It is soft, fresh and they eat every last blade. I have had problems in the past with horses almost choking on some of the Timothy we get around here due to the stems, I worry most about the weanies with their new teeth.

When the Orchard Grass that I buy gets a bit wet, it looks like freshly mown grass or hay and so sweet smelling, I love it.

The horses do, too, and my vet recommends it for any horses that show signs of allergies.

Good luck in your search.

Liz M.

 

[MiniHoofBeats]

Oh, well that's good to know about orchard grass maybe i'll go look that up for a while!! Thanks you guys =)

 

[Bess Kelly]

Most often I buy orchard. Lately I have gotten some timothy that is cut young is so leafy that it looks almost like orchard. Now, the thing with orchard is that it can be much higher in sugars -- so, introduce it slowly to let the gut get used to it......if any of the horses have known laminitic issues be very careful.

I am amazed as to the thought (or LACK OF) behind the growers of timothy who let it get so mature before cutting that it is extremely stemy -- which causes it to lose much nutritional value -- and they expect people to buy the "straw" looking stuff and like it. I have normally stayed away from much timothy due to the stem issues. This year my hay dealer finally came upon a Canadian farm raising the most awesome timothy hay I have seen in a long time. All leafy and it actually is so colorful it looks like it was "freeze dried" . Pricey but, wow...they don't leave a blade. Much like the good western orchard I was getting -- which lost some of the quality after a recent sale of the farm.

Like nootka says, when it gets even slightly dampened it looks like fresh mowed!

 

[CLC Stables]

I have always been a die hard, thru and thru alfalfa person, however last summer I started growing allergic so I switched to orchardgrass. LOVE IT, HORSES LOVE IT, they don't waste it, adn they look great.

I just make sure I feed Grass formula grains, which will balance what the grass hay doesn't have.