Roughage comes in various types and sizes. For horses, hay is the most suitable, preferably unpackaged. Many horses in large stables receive pre-dried hay, packaged in large bales. Additionally, there is silage, which is more suitable for dairy cows.

Meadow Hay

What most people understand as hay is technically called 'meadow hay'. This is the hay that comes from 'normal' grasslands, with a small variety of grass and clover species. Most Dutch meadow hay comes from pastures with grass and clover, dominated by English Ryegrass. For many horses, this hay is rich in sugars and slightly lacking in fiber (structure).

Grass Seed Hay

In addition to meadow hay, there is also grass seed hay. This comes from pastures where grass seed is cultivated. It is made from the remaining grass after the seed has been harvested. Grass seed hay always consists of only one type of grass but is available in various varieties. For example, Red Fescue or Cocksfoot. Grass seed hay is very dry and stemmy, so structurally good for horses. They need to chew on it longer, and there is less sugar in grass seed hay than in regular hay. If you want to give grass seed hay to your horse, choose a grass species suitable for horses, such as red fescue, cocksfoot, or timothy. Horses often find this very palatable. Grass seed hay from English Ryegrass is less suitable for horses due to its high sugar content. For sport horses or broodmares, grass seed hay may contain too few proteins. It is also wise to supplement a grass seed hay diet with a vitamin and mineral balancer. However, the main issue with grass seed hay is that it can contain mycotoxins: waste products of fungi that coexist with the grass. These fungi are also known as endophytes. Fortunately, grass seed hay without endophytes is also available, so pay attention to this when purchasing.

Natural Hay and Herbal Hay

The term 'natural hay' usually refers to hay from nature reserves or field margins. This hay contains many different herbs and plants. The same applies to hay from herb-rich grasslands. These types of hay closely resemble the natural way horses eat, as they feed on many different types of plants in the wild. The sugar content of natural hay can vary, so if your horse is sensitive to sugar, it's wise to inquire. Also, make sure to always buy hay that is free of toxic plants such as ragwort. For sport horses, herbal hay may sometimes be slightly low in protein. You can compensate for this by feeding some meadow hay or supplementing the roughage with alfalfa. The advantage of natural or herbal hay is that it is usually not or barely fertilized and certainly has not been treated with artificial fertilizers. Therefore, it is much more suitable for horses, especially if they are sensitive to conditions like sweet itch, laminitis, or insulin resistance.

First or Second Cut?

Hay is often harvested several times a year from grassland. The first hay harvest of the year is called the first cut, which contains grass grown in spring. This grass generally contains more sugar and is too rich for most horses. Therefore, it is generally preferred not to feed horses the first cut but rather hay from the second or third cut.

Other Types of Roughage

For diversity, better chewing, or to supplement protein content or provide more structure, you can offer other types of roughage alongside hay. Especially since the sugar content in all types of hay has been very high in recent years, this can be a good idea. For example, you can consider feeding: barley straw, alfalfa, willow branches, or sainfoin.