WHAT IS HAY?

Hay comes in various sizes of bales and is often the single most important feed source for horses or ponies.

Hay is a mixture of grasses dried until only about 18% of the moisture remains. It is most nutritious if cut before the seed heads fully develop, and is usually baled in either small square bales preferred for stabled horses, or large square and round bales usually fed to cattle.
The mixture of grasses will depend on what is native or hardy in any given area.

Some specialist hays are imported from North America and consist of alfalfa, timothy, clovers, rye grass and marsh grasses which tend to have higher protein content.