Read in this blog why we recommend always having a roughage analysis done.

Know what your horse eats

Do you know exactly what your horse is eating? And whether it is getting enough nutrients? At customer service, we often hear that customers actually do not know the quality of the roughage. Which is understandable, because many horses are on boarding stables where you do not always have influence on the feeding policy, but it is extremely important to know!

Roughage is always the basis of the horse, where it gets almost all its nutrients and energy from. Why are we then more critical of concentrate feed when it is only a small part of the total feed ration?

Could it be that your horse is not building muscle because there is not enough protein in the hay? Or is your horse rubbing because the hay contains too much sugar? Or did your horse not gain weight from hay last year and this year it is gaining weight?

These questions can usually be related to the roughage. Every horse is different and has different needs, that is why it is extremely important to know what your horse is eating!

What does a roughage analysis tell you?

Nowadays there are several companies that offer roughage analyses, also for private horse owners. They provide the following information about the hay:

• Dry matter content: How dry is your hay actually?

• Energy: How rich/poor is the hay?

• Protein: How much protein does your horse get from this hay?

• Sugar: What is the amount of sugar in the hay?

In addition, there are also tests that indicate the mineral content. This is a more extensive test, where the first 4 points are also included but where an additional analysis is done for minerals.

Why an analysis is so important

If as a horse owner you know how rich or poor your hay is, you can take that into account with the rest of the ration. It can even help make the decision to buy a certain batch of hay or not. Often decisions are now made based on how the hay looks or smells, or on what the seller indicates if the hay is packaged in plastic. Just by looking at the outside, you cannot see how much sugar is in the hay, how much energy it actually contains, and whether the protein content is good.

This is important to know because many horses need customized nutrition management.

A horse that is sensitive to laminitis, has EMS, or is insulin resistant, you prefer not to give hay that is high in sugar. For these horses, you prefer slightly poorer hay that is low in sugar and energy. These horses can then eat poorer hay more freely, without risking physical discomfort.

Sport horses often need a slightly higher protein and energy level. You can of course supplement protein through various (expensive) products, but it is more important to first know how the protein in your hay is. Use this as a basis before you potentially supplement it with another product.

A roughage analysis tells a horse owner a lot about what your horse eats all day. For example, why your horse is gaining or losing weight, or why it started rubbing since this batch.

It is not always necessary to solve problems by adding supplements, start with the basics: Roughage (analysis).

Conclusion: Roughage should always be the basis of the horse

The vast majority of your horse's ration consists of roughage. This roughage should therefore be of good quality and contain the nutrients that suit your horse. It is almost impossible to estimate by sight whether the hay is rich or poor. Therefore, always do an analysis and adjust the concentrate feed (balancer) accordingly.

Do not be misled by "natural hay" or "cow grass", because analyses of those roughages sometimes show very remarkable and unexpected results! In the case of roughage, it really is: measure = know.