Hay testing – Can you detect 11 different minerals with your nose?
Does the usual forage test of sight and smell really work?
Consider the delicate mineral balance that must exist within your horse and it doesn’t seem enough.
Is your horse’s forage delivering the right mineral balance? Are supplements aiding or harming your horse? How much of your money is wasted on supplements?
Quite frankly you’ll only answer these questions with a laboratory analysis. Hay is too unpredictable for anything else – for all sorts of reasons.
Its nutritional values depend on the amount of fertilization, whether it has grown in a high or low-lying area, and even the time of cutting (not just the time of year, but also the time of day). Hay cut in the morning contains less sugar than hay cut in the afternoon.
To deal with this horse forage expert Katy Watts suggests mixing samples from at least 15 different bales in your stack. Take your samples from the centre of the bale using a hay corer.
These measures may seem drastic. But remember, you’re searching for your hay’s content of crude protein, sugar, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum and sulphur. Too many factors can throw off your accuracy.
You may also wonder how beneficial such a test is to your horse’s health and your finances. Just see the sensible approach to supplements. You’ll soon wonder why so many are spending hundreds and thousands, blindly stocking up on mineral supplements – especially when laboratory tests are so affordable.
The UK’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute offer a hay analysis for £20.98. The value is astounding when weighed against the benefits. You’ll only ever give your horse the supplements it actually needs.
And now onto Mark.
Hay Testing: The Secret to Smarter Feeding
“Let’s chat about hay testing—because not all hay is created equal, and your horse deserves the best. Sure, hay might look green and smell great, but do you really know what’s in it? That’s where hay testing comes in, giving you the inside scoop on what your horse is munching on.”
“Hay testing is super simple and totally worth it. You send a small sample of your hay to a lab, and they analyze it for things like protein, fiber, sugar, and mineral content. Why bother? Because guessing isn’t the best feeding strategy. Hay testing lets you know if your hay is too rich, not nutritious enough, or perfectly balanced for your horse’s needs.”
“Here’s why it’s a game-changer: If your horse has special dietary requirements—like being prone to laminitis or metabolic issues—hay testing can help you avoid hays that are too high in sugar or starch. On the flip side, if your horse is a hard keeper, you’ll know if the hay provides enough energy or if you need to add a little something extra.”
“Hay testing is especially useful if you buy hay in bulk. A few bucks spent on testing can save you a fortune in unnecessary supplements or vet bills. Plus, it’s great peace of mind knowing you’re feeding your horse exactly what they need—not too much, not too little.”
“So, how do you start? Grab a hay probe or scissors, take samples from multiple bales, and send them off to a reputable lab. Once the results come back, you can tweak your feeding program to match.”
“Hay testing might sound geeky, but it’s one of the smartest moves you can make as a horse owner. After all, happy horses start with healthy hay! Mark”
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Very good video full of useful information. Our farm is located in Oregon, where could we purchase the stainless steel hay sampler shown? The sampler shown would work well with our cordless drills. Fred and Joan.