How To Use Hay Analysis To Balance a Horse’s Diet

How To Use Hay Analysis To Balance a Horse’s Diet

By Dr Duncan Houston

Hay is not just “roughage.”

For most horses, forage is the foundation of the entire diet. It provides fibre, energy, protein, minerals, gut fill, chewing time, hydration support, and the steady intake pattern the equine digestive system is built around.

But hay can be deceptive. A green bale can still be too high in sugar for a laminitis-prone horse. A stemmy bale can fill the belly without meeting energy needs. A beautiful lucerne or alfalfa hay can oversupply calories or calcium for the wrong horse. A grass hay that looks plain can be perfect for an easy keeper.

That is why forage analysis matters. It turns feeding from guesswork into a plan.

Quick Answer

A hay or forage analysis tells you what is actually in your horse’s forage, including energy, protein, fibre, moisture, minerals, and sometimes sugars and starch. This matters because horses should generally receive about 1.5% to 2% of body weight per day in forage dry matter, and that forage should be matched to the horse’s body condition, workload, age, dental health, and medical risk. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Forage testing is especially important for horses with laminitis risk, EMS, PPID, obesity, weight loss, poor performance, senior feeding issues, broodmare needs, or growing horses. You cannot balance the ration properly until you know what the forage is already providing. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Why Forage Is the Foundation of the Diet

Most horses should eat mostly forage.

That may be pasture, hay, haylage, hay cubes, hay pellets, beet pulp, or another high-fibre forage replacement when needed. Current recommendations are that horses receive at least 1.5% to 2% of body weight in forage per day on a dry matter basis. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

For a rough guide:

Horse body weight	1.5% forage dry matter	2% forage dry matter
400 kg	6 kg/day	8 kg/day
500 kg	7.5 kg/day	10 kg/day
600 kg	9 kg/day	12 kg/day

These are starting points, not automatic prescriptions.

An overweight pony, a lactating mare, an endurance horse, a toothless senior, a laminitis-prone gelding, and a growing yearling do not need the same diet. The amount matters, but the quality and suitability of the forage matter just as much.

The real goal is not just “feed enough hay.”

The goal is to feed the right forage, in the right amount, for the horse in front of you.

What Is a Forage Analysis?

A forage analysis is a laboratory test that measures the nutrient content of hay, pasture, haylage, or other forage.

A useful equine forage analysis may include:

• Dry matter

• Moisture

• Digestible energy

• Crude protein

• Acid detergent fibre, called ADF

• Neutral detergent fibre, called NDF

• Crude fat

• Starch

• Ethanol soluble carbohydrates, called ESC

• Water soluble carbohydrates, called WSC

• Non-structural carbohydrates, called NSC

• Calcium

• Phosphorus

• Magnesium

• Potassium

• Sodium

• Copper

• Zinc

• Manganese

• Iron

• Selenium, depending on the lab panel

University of Minnesota Extension notes that a hay analysis helps owners understand what they are feeding, and recommends requesting a horse analysis rather than a generic livestock analysis. (University of Minnesota Extension)

In practice, forage analysis is the nutritional equivalent of bloodwork. It does not tell you everything, but it tells you far more than looking at the bale and saying, “Seems nice.”

Why Looking at Hay Is Not Enough

Colour, smell, leafiness, texture, and cleanliness all matter.

You should absolutely reject hay that is mouldy, dusty, rotten, wet, contaminated, full of weeds, or unsafe. Mouldy hay should not be fed to horses because mould spores can cause respiratory disease, and some moulds may produce toxins. (University of Minnesota Extension)

But visual inspection cannot reliably tell you:

• The true sugar and starch level

• The digestible energy

• Whether protein is adequate

• Whether calcium and phosphorus are balanced

• Whether copper and zinc are low

• Whether potassium is too high for a HYPP horse

• Whether the hay suits an EMS or laminitis-prone horse

• Whether a poor doer can maintain weight on it

• Whether a growing horse is getting enough minerals

This is where owners get into trouble.

They buy “good hay,” but good for whom?

A rich hay may be excellent for a hard-working horse that struggles to maintain weight. The same hay may be a hoof disaster waiting to happen for an obese, cresty-necked pony with insulin dysregulation.

As Sampled vs Dry Matter: The First Number To Understand

Most hay reports show two columns:

• As sampled, sometimes called as fed

• Dry matter

“As sampled” includes the water currently in the hay. “Dry matter” removes the water so you can compare nutrients between different feeds more accurately. University of Minnesota recommends using the dry matter column when comparing values and balancing the diet, as long as you are consistent. (University of Minnesota Extension)

This matters because wet feeds, haylage, pasture, soaked hay, and dry hay have very different water contents.

If you compare one feed on an as-fed basis and another on a dry matter basis, the numbers can mislead you. That is how ration balancing turns into spreadsheet witchcraft.

Use dry matter for comparison.

Use as-fed amounts when working out what you physically put in the bucket or hay net.

The Key Values on a Hay Analysis

Moisture

Moisture tells you how much water is in the hay.

For horse hay, University of Minnesota lists optimum hay moisture at about 10% to 15%. Hay over 16% moisture has a chance of moulding without preservative, and hay over 25% moisture is at risk of severe heat damage and potential fire hazard. (University of Minnesota Extension)

High moisture hay can spoil. Very dry hay can become brittle, dusty, and less palatable.

Moisture is not just a storage number. It is a safety number.

Digestible Energy

Digestible energy, or DE, estimates usable calories.

This is one of the most important values for horses that are too fat, too thin, in hard work, pregnant, lactating, growing, or struggling to maintain weight.

University of Minnesota notes that most hays range from about 0.76 to 1.1 Mcal per pound of digestible energy, and that a horse in light work needs about 20 Mcal daily. (University of Minnesota Extension)

In practice:

• Low-DE hay may suit easy keepers and overweight horses.

• Higher-DE hay may suit hard keepers, performance horses, lactating mares, and some seniors.

• High-DE hay can be a problem for obese or laminitis-prone horses.

This is why “just feed more hay” is not always the right answer. Sometimes the hay is too rich. Sometimes it is too poor. Sometimes the horse needs a different forage, not just a different amount.

Crude Protein

Crude protein estimates total protein content.

Grass hays often range around 8% to 14% crude protein, legume-grass mixes around 14% to 17%, and legume hays around 15% to over 20%. University of Minnesota notes that most adult horses at maintenance require about 10% crude protein. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Protein matters for:

• Muscle maintenance

• Topline

• Growth

• Pregnancy

• Lactation

• Immune function

• Tissue repair

• Older horses with muscle loss

But protein percentage alone is not the whole story. Protein quality, amino acids, total intake, dental health, workload, and disease status all matter.

A horse with poor topline may need better protein quality, not just more calories.

ADF

ADF stands for acid detergent fibre.

It is linked to digestibility. The lower the ADF, the more digestible the hay tends to be. University of Minnesota notes that ADF values under 45% are generally good for horses, while values above 45% may indicate hay with less nutritional value. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Lower ADF usually means more digestible, more energy-rich hay.

Higher ADF usually means more mature, stemmy, lower-energy hay.

That does not make high-ADF hay useless. It may suit some easy keepers. But it may not suit thin horses, seniors, growing horses, or horses in work.

NDF

NDF stands for neutral detergent fibre.

It is linked to intake. As NDF rises, horses often eat less because the forage is bulkier and less palatable. University of Minnesota notes that NDF levels under 65% are generally good for horses, and horses are less likely to eat hay with NDF over 65%. (University of Minnesota Extension)

In plain English:

ADF tells you about digestibility.

NDF tells you about how much the horse is likely to eat.

If both are high, the hay may fill the gut without providing enough useful nutrition.

NSC, WSC, ESC, and Starch

These are the carbohydrate numbers that matter most for metabolic horses.

NSC generally refers to non-structural carbohydrates, mainly sugars and starches. Different labs may calculate it slightly differently, so check the lab method.

For horses with equine metabolic syndrome, UC Davis recommends dietary management using NSC restriction, calorie restriction, and reduction or elimination of pasture access. UC Davis also states that NSC should ideally be below 10% of hay dry matter for horses with EMS. (Center for Equine Health)

This is critical for:

• EMS horses

• Insulin-dysregulated horses

• Laminitis-prone horses

• Obese horses

• Cresty-necked horses

• Some PPID horses, especially if insulin is high

• Some PSSM horses, depending on the specific case

The dangerous assumption is that all grass hay is safe and all lucerne or alfalfa is unsafe. UC Davis specifically notes that this is not always true, and that hay analysis is important because hays vary widely in NSC content. (Center for Equine Health)

The test beats the guess.

Calcium and Phosphorus

Calcium and phosphorus are essential for bone, muscle, nerve function, and growth.

The ratio matters. University of Minnesota notes that the adult horse at maintenance should have a calcium to phosphorus ratio between 3:1 and 1:1, while Purdue Extension lists an ideal around 1.5:1 and says the total diet ratio should generally stay between 1:1 and 3:1 for all horses. (University of Minnesota Extension)

This is especially important for:

• Growing horses

• Broodmares

• Horses on high-bran diets

• Horses on high-grain diets

• Horses eating mostly lucerne or alfalfa

• Horses with unusual forage sources

• Diets heavy in rice bran or wheat bran

The total diet matters, not just the hay.

Trace Minerals

Trace minerals include copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, iron, iodine, and others.

They matter for:

• Hoof quality

• Coat quality

• Immune function

• Bone development

• Muscle function

• Reproduction

• Antioxidant systems

• Growth

Rutgers notes that many feed analysis laboratories can provide major minerals and trace minerals, including sodium, magnesium, chloride, potassium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese, sulfur, and cobalt. (NJAES)

This is where ration balancers often help. Many horses on forage-only diets do not need extra calories, but they may need vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

That horse does not need a grain bucket. It needs the missing nutrients.

When Should You Test Hay?

You should strongly consider forage testing when:

• Buying a large load of hay

• Feeding the same hay for months

• Managing a horse with EMS, PPID, insulin dysregulation, or laminitis risk

• Managing unexplained weight loss

• Managing obesity or weight gain

• Feeding a senior horse

• Feeding growing horses

• Feeding broodmares

• Feeding performance horses

• Feeding horses with poor topline

• Using soaked hay

• Using haylage

• Changing suppliers

• Changing cuttings

• Feeding unusual forage

• Balancing minerals

• Trying to reduce unnecessary supplements

Rutgers recommends submitting a sample from each load when hay is purchased at longer than three-month intervals, and sampling every third or fourth lot when small amounts are purchased frequently from the same source. (NJAES)

For practical horse owners, the rule is simple:

If this hay will make up a major part of the diet for more than a few weeks, testing is worth it.

How To Sample Hay Properly

Bad sampling gives bad results.

Do not pull a handful from one bale and send it to the lab. That tells you about that handful, not the load.

A proper sample should represent a hay “lot.” A lot means hay from the same field, same cutting, same harvest date, and similar storage conditions. University of Georgia Extension recommends separate testing for each hay lot, because hay quality can vary even from the same field. (UGA Extension)

Best practice:

1. Use a hay corer.

2. Sample multiple representative bales.

3. For small square bales, sample from the end.

4. For round bales, core from the round side.

5. Mix the cores thoroughly in a clean bucket.

6. Place the combined sample in a labelled sealed bag.

7. Label the lot, date, forage type, field or supplier, and cutting.

8. Send to a lab that offers an equine analysis.

University of Georgia recommends sampling 10 to 20 representative round bales and collecting cores from the round side of each. Rutgers recommends using a forage sampler to core 10% of small bales in a batch or lot, with multiple cores per bale where practical. (UGA Extension)

The hay corer is not overkill.

It is the difference between a useful result and a decorative PDF.

How To Use the Results To Build the Diet

1. Start With the Horse

Before looking at supplements, define the horse.

You need to know:

• Body weight

• Body condition score

• Age

• Workload

• Pregnancy or lactation status

• Growth status

• Dental health

• Laminitis history

• EMS or PPID status

• Insulin results if relevant

• Choke or colic history

• Current pasture access

• Current hay intake

• Current grain or concentrate intake

• Supplements

• Salt and water access

The same hay analysis can lead to different recommendations for two different horses.

That is not inconsistency. That is medicine.

2. Calculate Forage Intake First

Work out how much forage the horse should eat per day.

For many adult horses, 1.5% to 2% of body weight in forage dry matter is a sensible starting point. More or less may be needed depending on body condition, workload, medical risk, and veterinary advice. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

For weight loss, be careful. UC Davis recommends that overweight EMS horses initially be fed around 1.5% of ideal body weight in forage per day, with possible reduction to 1.25% after 30 days if necessary, while avoiding sudden feed restriction. (Center for Equine Health)

Do not crash diet horses, ponies, donkeys, or obese equids.

The hooves may be the obvious concern, but the metabolism can also cause trouble.

3. Match Energy to Body Condition

If the horse is overweight, the hay may be too energy dense, the amount may be too high, pasture may be contributing too much, or the horse may have insulin dysregulation.

If the horse is thin, the hay may be too low in digestible energy, too mature, too stemmy, too low in protein, or the horse may have dental disease, PPID, parasites, ulcers, chronic pain, or another illness.

Do not simply add grain because a horse is thin. Merck notes that many horses fed good-quality forage need little or no concentrate supplementation, and that ration balancers can be used for low-concentrate or forage-only diets to ensure nutrient intake without unnecessary calories. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Calories are not always the missing piece.

Sometimes the missing piece is teeth. Sometimes it is protein. Sometimes it is minerals. Sometimes it is diagnosis.

4. Check Protein and Amino Acid Support

If crude protein is low and the horse is losing topline, growing, lactating, pregnant, old, or in work, the ration may need higher quality protein.

Options may include:

• Better quality hay

• Lucerne or alfalfa added strategically

• Soybean meal where appropriate

• A ration balancer

• A complete feed for seniors or poor dentition

• Specific amino acid support under nutrition guidance

Do not fix protein by adding random calories.

A horse with a poor topline does not always need more feed. Sometimes it needs better protein quality and a better training or medical plan.

5. Review NSC for Metabolic Horses

For EMS, insulin dysregulation, obesity, PPID with high insulin, or laminitis history, NSC is one of the most important numbers.

UC Davis recommends hay NSC below 10% dry matter for horses with EMS. If hay analysis is not possible, soaking may be recommended to lower water-soluble carbohydrates, but the reduction is variable and not a reliable way to guarantee low-NSC forage. (Center for Equine Health)

If the horse is actively laminitic or high-risk, do not guess.

Test the hay, control pasture, weigh intake, and involve your vet.

6. Balance Minerals

Once forage energy, protein, and NSC are understood, look at minerals.

Common issues include:

• Low copper

• Low zinc

• Low selenium in some regions

• High iron

• Imbalanced calcium and phosphorus

• High potassium for HYPP horses

• Low sodium if salt is not provided

This is where a ration balancer or custom mineral supplement can be useful.

The mistake is adding five separate supplements because one number looks low. Minerals interact. The total diet matters.

Balance the ration, not your anxiety.

7. Decide Whether Concentrates Are Actually Needed

Many horses do not need grain.

Merck states that concentrates or grain may not be necessary if sufficient good-quality forage is available and the horse has normal dentition, unless extra calories or nutrients are needed. It also states that grain and commercial concentrates should be measured by weight, not volume. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Concentrates may be appropriate for:

• Hard-working horses

• Lactating mares

• Growing horses

• Poor doers

• Seniors with poor teeth

• Horses unable to maintain weight on forage alone

• Horses needing a complete feed due to dental disease

They are often unnecessary or risky for:

• Easy keepers

• Overweight horses

• Laminitis-prone horses

• Insulin-dysregulated horses

• Horses with low workload

• Horses already meeting energy needs from forage

The question is not “What hard feed should I add?”

The question is “What is missing after forage is accounted for?”

Risk Framework: How Worried Should You Be?

Low Risk

This is usually lower risk if your horse:

• Maintains ideal body condition

• Has no laminitis history

• Has no EMS or PPID signs

• Has normal manure

• Has normal appetite

• Has good teeth

• Has clean, mould-free hay

• Eats a consistent forage source

• Receives a balanced mineral source

• Is not gaining or losing weight unexpectedly

This horse may not need a complicated ration, but hay testing can still fine-tune the diet.

Moderate Risk

This becomes more concerning if your horse:

• Gains or loses weight seasonally

• Is fed untested hay from changing suppliers

• Has poor topline

• Has dull coat or poor hoof quality

• Is a senior

• Is in regular work

• Gets grain because “they need something”

• Has no clear mineral plan

• Has inconsistent manure

• Eats hay that varies bale to bale

This horse needs a forage test and a diet review before small issues become bigger ones.

High Risk

This is high risk if your horse:

• Has laminitis history

• Has EMS

• Has insulin dysregulation

• Has PPID with laminitis risk

• Is obese or has a cresty neck

• Is a growing horse

• Is pregnant or lactating

• Is a performance horse losing condition

• Is a senior losing weight

• Has repeated colic or choke issues

• Needs soaked hay

• Has suspected HYPP and potassium intake matters

These horses should not be managed on guesswork. Forage analysis and veterinary or nutrition guidance are strongly recommended.

Critical

This is urgent if your horse:

• Develops laminitis signs

• Has colic signs

• Has choke signs

• Refuses feed suddenly

• Has severe diarrhoea

• Has sudden severe weight loss

• Shows breathing difficulty after dusty or mouldy hay

• Has eaten mouldy feed

• Has broken into grain or concentrate

• Is weak, depressed, sweaty, or unstable

This is not a ration-balancing problem for next month. This is a veterinary problem now.

When Is This an Emergency?

Call a vet urgently if your horse has:

• Sudden lameness or pottery gait

• Heat in the hooves

• Strong digital pulses

• A rocked-back stance

• Reluctance to turn or walk

• Pawing, rolling, flank-watching, sweating, or repeated lying down

• Feed or saliva coming from the nostrils

• Repeated coughing while eating

• Difficulty swallowing

• Severe diarrhoea

• Depression or weakness

• Laboured breathing

• Sudden refusal to eat

• Suspected grain overload

• Multiple horses becoming unwell after the same feed or hay

Diet-related laminitis can occur with excessive non-structural carbohydrate intake, including grain overload and pasture-associated carbohydrate intake, especially in horses with obesity and insulin resistance. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Large grain-based concentrate meals also increase risk. Merck states that horses should not receive more than 0.5% of body weight in grain-based concentrates in a single feeding, and that more than this increases the risk of laminitis and digestive upset. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

If the horse is painful, footsore, colicky, choking, or struggling to breathe, do not wait for a hay analysis result. Call the vet.

What Else Can Look Like a Ration Problem?

Not every feeding problem is caused by hay.

Important rule-outs include:

• Dental disease

• PPID

• EMS

• Insulin dysregulation

• Parasites

• Gastric ulcers

• Chronic pain

• Lameness limiting movement

• Poor water intake

• Kidney or liver disease

• Chronic infection

• Cancer

• Poor saddle fit affecting topline

• Inadequate exercise

• Overtraining

• Feed competition in groups

• Another horse stealing feed

• Poor hay storage

• Mould exposure

• Toxic plants

• Sand ingestion

• Medication effects

This is why ration analysis is powerful but not magical.

If the numbers look correct and the horse still looks wrong, investigate the horse.

What Should You Do Next?

1. Weigh the Horse or Estimate Body Weight

Use a scale if available.

If not, use a weight tape or body weight equation. Track the same way each time so you can monitor trends.

You cannot calculate forage intake accurately if you do not know the horse’s weight.

2. Body Condition Score the Horse

Look at the ribs, neck, withers, shoulders, back, and tail head.

Do not judge only by the belly. A horse can have a hay belly and still be under-muscled. Another horse can look “solid” but carry dangerous fat pads and a cresty neck.

3. List Everything the Horse Eats

Write down:

• Hay

• Pasture access

• Haylage

• Hay cubes

• Hay pellets

• Beet pulp

• Grain

• Concentrates

• Ration balancer

• Supplements

• Treats

• Salt

• Electrolytes

• Medications

• Access to bedding or straw

Include amounts by weight, not scoops.

4. Test the Main Forage

Use a hay corer and sample the lot properly.

Do not mix different cuttings, fields, or suppliers in one sample. If the forage is different, it needs a separate test.

5. Read the Dry Matter Column

Use dry matter values when comparing nutrient levels.

Use as-fed values when calculating the physical amount you will feed.

6. Balance Forage First

Before adding concentrates, answer:

• Is the forage safe?

• Is it clean and mould-free?

• Is the energy level suitable?

• Is protein adequate?

• Is NSC safe for this horse?

• Are calcium and phosphorus balanced?

• Are copper, zinc, selenium, and other minerals covered?

• Does the horse need a ration balancer rather than grain?

Always fix the foundation before decorating the feed bucket.

7. Add Only What Is Missing

If the hay is low in protein, add protein.

If the hay is low in minerals, add minerals.

If the horse needs calories, add calories safely.

If the horse is metabolic, control NSC and total energy.

If the horse is obese, do not add a sugary supplement because the label says “wellness.”

Supplements should solve a defined gap. Otherwise, they are expensive confetti.

8. Make Changes Slowly

Sudden diet changes can disturb the hindgut microbial population and increase digestive upset risk. Merck recommends dietary changes occur slowly over about 10 to 14 days to reduce disruption of microbial balance. (Merck Veterinary Manual)

Change hay gradually where possible. Blend old and new hay over several days to two weeks.

The equine hindgut is not emotionally prepared for surprises.

9. Recheck the Horse

After changing the diet, monitor:

• Body condition

• Weight

• Topline

• Coat

• Hoof quality

• Manure

• Water intake

• Energy

• Appetite

• Performance

• Recovery after work

• Signs of laminitis

• Signs of colic

• Feed refusal

A ration is not finished when the spreadsheet balances. It is finished when the horse responds appropriately.

Common Mistakes Owners Make

Judging Hay by Colour Alone

Green hay can still be too high in NSC. Pale hay can still be useful. Colour helps, but it is not a nutrient analysis.

Taking a Handful From One Bale

That is not a representative sample. Use a hay corer and sample multiple bales from the same lot.

Mixing Different Hay Lots in One Test

One lab result cannot represent three suppliers, two cuttings, and a mystery bale from the back of the shed.

Ignoring the Dry Matter Column

Comparing feeds using mixed as-fed and dry matter values leads to bad decisions.

Adding Supplements Before Testing Hay

You may be supplementing something the horse already has enough of, while missing the real deficiency.

Assuming All Senior Feeds Are Safe

Some senior feeds are suitable for metabolic horses. Some are not. Check the starch, sugar, calories, and feeding rate.

Forgetting Pasture

Pasture counts as feed. For laminitis-prone horses, it may be the biggest risk in the diet.

Feeding Grain When a Ration Balancer Would Do

If the horse needs vitamins and minerals but not calories, a ration balancer is often more logical than a concentrate.

Not Rechecking After Hay Changes

A new hay batch can change the whole diet.

How To Prevent Ration Problems

The best prevention is consistent measurement.

Focus on:

• Testing major hay lots

• Buying enough of one consistent hay source when possible

• Labelling hay by supplier, field, cutting, and date

• Storing hay dry and well ventilated

• Rejecting mouldy or dusty hay

• Weighing hay and feed

• Body condition scoring every 2 to 4 weeks

• Tracking weight trends

• Reviewing diets when workload changes

• Testing insulin or ACTH when clinical signs suggest EMS or PPID

• Controlling pasture for easy keepers

• Providing salt and clean water

• Making feed changes over 10 to 14 days

• Using a ration balancer when forage is adequate but minerals are not

• Working with a vet or equine nutritionist for high-risk horses

Forage analysis is not just for elite performance barns.

It is for anyone who wants to stop guessing.

Will My Horse Be Okay?

Most horses do very well once the forage is understood and the ration is balanced around it.

If your horse is bright, eating, drinking, passing normal manure, maintaining ideal condition, and performing well, a forage analysis may simply help fine-tune the diet and remove unnecessary supplements.

If your horse is obese, thin, cresty, footsore, losing topline, dull, coughing on hay, colicking repeatedly, or struggling with performance, a forage analysis may reveal part of the problem.

But remember: hay analysis is a tool, not a diagnosis.

If the horse looks wrong, investigate the horse as well as the feed.

FAQs

How often should I test my horse’s hay?

Test each major new hay lot, especially if you are buying enough to feed for weeks or months. For high-risk horses, such as EMS, laminitis-prone, PPID, obese, senior, growing, broodmare, or performance horses, testing is much more important.

What is a good hay analysis for horses?

There is no single perfect result for all horses. As a general guide, horse hay should be clean, mould-free, appropriately dry, palatable, and matched to the horse’s needs. University of Minnesota lists ADF under 45% and NDF under 65% as generally good for horses, but metabolic status, workload, body condition, and protein needs still matter. (University of Minnesota Extension)

What NSC level is safe for laminitis-prone horses?

For horses with EMS, UC Davis states that hay NSC should ideally be below 10% of dry matter. Laminitis-prone horses should have the full diet reviewed, including pasture, hay, concentrates, treats, and body condition. (Center for Equine Health)

Can a hay analysis tell me if hay is mouldy?

A standard nutrient analysis is not the same as a full mould or mycotoxin test. You still need to inspect hay for smell, dust, mould, moisture, heat, and contamination. Mouldy hay should not be fed to horses. (University of Minnesota Extension)

Do I need an equine nutritionist?

Not always, but it is wise for high-risk horses. Get help if the horse has laminitis, EMS, PPID, unexplained weight loss, poor topline, growth needs, pregnancy, lactation, performance demands, recurrent colic, or a complicated supplement plan.

Final Thoughts

Forage analysis is one of the most useful tools in horse nutrition.

It tells you what the horse is actually eating, not what the hay looks like, what the seller said, or what the feed room has always assumed.

The best ration starts with the forage. Once you know the energy, protein, fibre, NSC, minerals, and moisture, you can make intelligent decisions: add what is missing, remove what is unnecessary, protect metabolic horses, support poor doers, and avoid throwing random supplements into the bucket.

The goal is not to make feeding complicated.

The goal is to stop guessing.

Test the hay. Feed the horse in front of you. Adjust based on results.

That is how nutrition becomes clinical management, not stable-yard folklore.

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If you are unsure how to read your horse’s hay analysis, balance minerals, manage NSC for laminitis risk, or decide whether your horse needs a ration balancer, concentrate, or different forage, ASK A VET™ can help you work through the results and decide what needs to change.