Roughage for Horses: Understanding Hay, Haylage & Silage and Using Them Effectively

What Counts as Roughage – and Why It’s So Important

Roughage includes pasture grass as well as its dried forms: hay, haylage, and straw. The basis of the feed should always be high-quality hay or haylage. A pasture is considered valuable not just when it contains the commonly known ryegrass, but when it is diverse and includes herbs. Biodiversity is key: species like quaking grass, sheep’s fescue, sweet vernal grass, various fescues, meadow-grasses, crested dog’s-tail, meadow oat grass, and timothy all offer particularly high value for horses. Horses should consume as much pasture grass as possible throughout the year.

Hay – The Trusted Standard in Horse Feeding

Hay is cut shortly before, during, or just after the flowering stage of grasses. The later the cut, the higher the raw fiber content. The cutting height should be at least five to seven centimeters to reduce the risk of foreign materials ending up in the hay. Under normal conditions, the drying phase takes just under a week, during which the hay is turned several times. After drying, the residual moisture must be below 15 percent. To test this, twist the hay as if wringing it, if the stems snap, it's dry enough. One major advantage of hay is its high raw fiber content, which is ideal for horses when the quality is good. This content typically ranges from 23 to 30 percent and has a particularly positive effect on intestinal activity.

Smaller bales are generally preferable to oversized ones, as they reduce the risk of mold formation.

Haylage – A Low-Dust Alternative with Special Requirements

When producing haylage, farmers are far less dependent on the weather than when producing hay. Although it's still best to harvest the grass during a stretch of consistently warm weather, the drying time is much shorter, since the final moisture content of haylage can remain between 40 and 50 percent. The cutting time for haylage usually occurs earlier than for hay. While this results in a lower raw fiber content, it also makes the dried grasses less bulky and more manageable for the next step in processing. After drying for about two to three days, the cut grass is tightly wrapped in special plastic film to seal out air completely. Before wrapping, the material is heavily compacted to remove any air pockets.

Allergic coughing in horses can be triggered by hay dust or pollen in pasture grass. For horses with chronic respiratory issues, haylage is usually a good alternative to hay. One additional benefit is that, due to its higher protein content compared to hay, haylage can help reduce the amount of concentrate feed needed.

Haylage is also often used due to limited storage space. Hay requires a large, dry barn for storage, while tightly wrapped haylage bales can be stored outdoors. However, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight, which can lead to fermentation. Ideally, they should be stored on the north side of a building or in shaded areas. It’s also important that no moisture accumulates around the bales, as standing water—like with hay—can promote mold growth.

Handling and Feeding Haylage Properly

It is extremely important to check for proper conditions with haylage. It should never feel unusually warm. The term botulism often arises in connection with haylage. While Clostridium botulinum is rarely found in hay, the risk increases significantly if haylage is produced improperly. However, there are no reliable statistics indicating how frequently botulism is actually involved when horses die from colic.

Proper transport of haylage bales is essential, as the plastic wrapping must not be torn beforehand. Although the bales can be stored outdoors, it's crucial to ensure they are not damaged by playing children or animals, which could allow air to enter and trigger spoilage or bacterial contamination.

Silage for Horses – Why It Doesn’t Belong in the Stable

Silage is classified based on its dry matter content: haylage contains 50 to 60 percent, grass silage contains 30 to 50 percent, and wet silage contains 20 to 30 percent dry matter. The latter must never be used for horses, and even grass silage is not recommended. In general, horses do not readily accept silage. Moreover, its nutritional composition is unsuitable for horses and can lead to digestive disturbances and other health problems.

Straw – Only Bedding, or Also a Feed Option?

Feeding quality can be maintained even in poor hay years by supplementing with straw. To a certain extent, straw should be included in the ration anyway, especially when horses are kept in shavings boxes or other bedding alternatives that are not edible. However, hay or haylage must never be omitted, as they are essential for healthy feeding practices.

Up to one-third of the horse’s roughage needs can be covered with straw. Common types used include wheat, rye, and oat straw. Horses tend to find rye straw less palatable than oat straw. Wheat straw is the most commonly used, as it absorbs moisture well and has a relatively neutral taste. Straw is quite prone to mold. If it feels damp, it should not be used as bedding, as it may already be contaminated. Black or grey patches also indicate mold. When shaken out, straw should release only a minimal amount of dust, this signals good quality.

In general, high-quality straw, when fed in moderation, has a positive effect on digestion due to its high fiber content.