Forages

This is comprised of grasses and its derivatives: hays, haylages, chaff and occasionally straw (not a high nutritional component but good fibre source).

Good quality grass should provide all the nutritional needs of the horse in light work or on pasture rest. Additional nutrition should be given by including good quality hays and haylages. Hays and haylage provide more concentrated higher nutritional value forage, and have the advantage of being easily stored from one year to the next.

Horses are trickle feeders and should have access to forage feed during most of their non-active hours. This may be fresh grass, hay, haylage or straw as appropriate or required.

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