Grass for hay and silage: Horse Master Hay

A Horse Master Hay pasture yields hay with an excellent effective fibre content and a good feed value. The grasses contained in Horse Master Hay were specifically selected for use by horses. Horses must chew their roughage well to ensure optimum performance of their stomach and intestines. That’s why Horse Master Hay consists of grass species with a high effective fibre content, such as cocksfoot and tall fescue. The grass species timothy contained in the seed mixture makes the grass extra palatable. Horse Master Hay yields the healthiest, most palatable roughage for horses.

Fructan is a sugar (a carbohydrate) that is produced by grass plants under the influence of sunlight. Especially in the case of cold nights and intense sunlight grass plants produce a lot of fructan. That’s because it works as antifreeze for the grass. Fructan is one of the main causes of laminitis. It is only partly digested in the small intestine, resulting in high sugar levels in the hind gut that disturb the bacterial balance in the intestines. This leads to the formation of toxic substances that may cause laminitis.

Barenbrug has done a lot of research into the fructan (sugar) contents of different grasses. Some grass species are known for their low fructan contents, but even within a species, some varieties contain more fructan than others. The Horse Master Hay varieties of course all have a very low fructan content.

The roots of the varieties contained in Horse Master Hay can reach depths of up to 90 cm. In this respect they differ substantially from cow grass varieties, whose roots reach depths of up to 25 cm. A great advantage of deep rooting is that minerals and moisture can be taken up from deep down in the ground. Even in dry periods, a Horse Master Hay pasture will produce large amounts of grass - up to 30 percent more than cow grass. Another advantage of the grasses in Horse Master Hay is that they dry quickly after mowing, preventing the risk of mould and decay and ensuring fresh, healthy roughage.

Horses obtain energy from roughage. Horses with an intensive training programme need more energy than horses with a lighter training programme or retired horses. With Horse Master Hay you can determine the energy content of your horse’s roughage yourself. If you mow your grass before it flowers, you will obtain roughage with a 20% higher energy content. Horses that are fed high-energy roughage need less concentrated feed. If you mow your grass after it has flowered, you will obtain low-calorie roughage with a maximum bite, preventing boredom and overweight in your horse. A hay analysis will give you a proper understanding of the feed value of your hay. That’s ideal in composing your horse’s total ration. Do bear in mind that hay of spring cuts has a different feed value than hay of autumn cuts.

Advantages of Horse Master Hay

• High production of hay and haylage
• Grasses with a low fructan content
• Grass with a high effective fibre content for healthy intestinal digestion
• Low-calorie roughage to prevent boredom and overweight
• High yields of 10 to 12 tonnes of dry matter per hectare
• Dries very quickly outdoors; will contain 80% dry matter after four days of sunshine

Horse Master Hay is not suitable for grazing; use Horse Master if you want grass for grazing.