I hear there is going to be a severe hay shortage this winter
because of the droughts and floods and I’m very worried that my
horse will run out of food. Is there something else I can feed
him or do you have a supplement that can replace hay? Long-stem
forage is necessary for normal digestive function and normal
behavior in the horse. When horses are allowed to eat forage
(hay or pasture) free-choice, they spend 50% of their time
eating or grazing. However, if pellets (even pelleted hay) are
the sole source of forage in the diet, horses only spend 10% of
their time eating. That leaves a lot of time for behavioral
problems to develop such as wood chewing, cribbing, mane and
tail chewing, or eating dirt or feces. It may also set the horse
up for serious health problems such as colic, laminitis and
ulcers. According to the Nutrient Requirements of Horses
published by the National Research Council, horses should have a
minimum of 1% of their body weight each day in forage. I’ll use
my horse as an example. He weig