Horse Hage Review

As you know I have been soaking or steaming Basil's hay for a long time now.  Although hay never really seemed to set off his COPD (or RAO, Recurrent Airway Obstruction as it is now known) I have always tried to support his respiratory system by feeding soaked or steamed hay.  I have often thought about trying haylage but it has generally been difficult to get hold of where I live.  It also mostly seems to be in big round bales which would have become mouldy before I had used half of it -  even when I still had Chesney!

I have always felt the cost was really high for HorseHage in the past but now that I only have 2 horses the costs are lower.  I also feel that as Basil is getting older I need to ensure he has the best possible option as his RAO is likely to continue to get worse.  

Another problem I had over last winter (and to some extent the winter before) was that both Basil and Tommy were really fussy about the hay.  Having sourced it from the same farmer for many, many years they were refusing to eat some of the bales which I was opening.  They were also building up big piles in their stables of hay they would not eat.  I was wasting so much that I decided it would be cheaper to buy HorseHage.

What is HorseHage?
HorseHage is made from grass or alfalfa that is specifically grown for the purpose of cutting for HorseHage.  Fields are reseeded every 2/3 years which makes sure that the nutrient content and fibre levels are consistent.  The moisture content is also carefully controlled before the grass/alfalfa is bagged.  This minimises any bacteria or mould growth which would be harmful to horses.

It is dust free and because it is low in sugar and starch but high in fibre it is good for horses or ponies prone to Laminitis.

My Boys and HorseHage
There are 4 different types of HorseHage produced by the company Marksway which is stocked at my local horsey store!  I chose the High Fibre version because it has higher fibre but is lower in protein and energy.  Obviously Tommy, as a companion, does not need any more energy or protein than is contained in this.  Basil, who has plenty of energy, does not work hard and the High Fibre version is said to be suitable for veterans.

The boys have been keen on it from day 1, which was not really a surprise.  I did not notice that they ate significantly more  in the first week - which apparently can be a problem.  The bales are easier to handle than hay bales and lighter.  I do find it quite heavy in the nets though and have to split Basil's between 2 nets so that they are easier to handle.  I did initially try to use the small holed nets but now don't bother.  This is partly because poor Basil struggled with his teeth to pull it out the small holes.  He has worn his front teeth down quite a lot with this windsucking and does not have the longer front teeth which most horses have. 

Although I much preferred steaming the hay to soaking it this is even better.  I always had to make sure I had at least an hour for steaming the hay, then had to let it cool before I could give it to Basil.  Now I can fill the nets and put them in the stables in the morning and not worry, it is also much tidier!

One thing I have noticed though is that the bales do vary in look, weight and smell,  I was expecting every bale to be the same.  However, some are lighter and some smell much sweeter and the grass is sometimes coarser.  I assume that the difference is due to the time of cutting and the weather that has preceded it affecting growth etcetera!

I have not fed it over a winter yet, but I feel that I am wasting much less than I was hay (horses will always be fussy) and the quality is significantly better.  So far I am really pleased with the change.

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Until next time!   

Jo