Color can vary based on grass type and exposure to sunlight. Hay should be dry to the touch. Your email address will not be published. Paragraph 4 will be of particular interest to you. Prevent your horse from becoming poisoned using forage management strategies, such as: Inspect all hay and forage for toxic plants; Prevent horses from grazing in pastures with plants containing high cyanide levels seed. This bacteria “fixes” the nitrogen from the atmosphere into ammonia, then into ammonium which the plant can then use to make protein. Legume Hay for Horses Alfalfa, white clover, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil are common types of legumes, with alfalfa being the most popular choice. You could look at black medic and silver cinquefoil. The flower blooms are small, bright yellow, and form in clusters at the end of the stems. https://ker.com/equinews/birdsfoot-trefoil-horses/, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. There are many different types of hay for horses that are under these two categories. Discussion on KY Bluegrass/Birdsfoot Trefoil Pasture? Clover plants usually have three leaves, and the leaves and flower colors vary based on the type of clover. PLANT POISONING IN HORSES. Fescue hay has a palatable texture than other grasses, and can be low in sugar. Timothy hay is a common favorite among horses and owners. The horses don't hone in on it and eat it in moderation. It is high in quality and maintains its quality longer than most other legumes. Bermuda is typically the cheapest grass hay you can purchase for a horse. You can add this to a pasture grass mix at about 5-10%. A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. There are those that will graze it and don't mind the bitter. Trefoil, sometimes just called âlotusâ because of its Latin name (Lotus corniculatus), is a high quality forage plant thatâs adapted to most parts of the United States. Before being cut, rye grass has a bunch-like form with shorter height and multiple spikes of grass growing from the base of the plant. Typically timothy grass has a finer texture than other grasses. clovers like Arlington, Cimmeron, or Marathon; or trefoils like Carroll or Norcen. Although volunteer bluegrass will fill in the stand in time, it may be desirable to include 2 to 3 pounds of bluegrass. Typically, orchard grass is lower in protein than timothy, but it is a favorite amongst horses and owners. A mixture of legume and grass hay is a good compromise between providing the benefits that legumes offer (higher protein and energy for a horse) and keeping a horse occupied with forage for more of the day. Exceptions would be hard-working horses and young horses where a fast gr⦠Flossie Sellers - 08/13/2015 Health. It does spike in sugar production in the fall, so be cautious when grazing or feeding it to sugar sensitive horses. Birdsfoot trefoil, a non-bloating perennial, offers that opportunity.What's more, birdsfoot trefoil holds its leaves at maturity, thus retaining its forage quality and offering a longer period of time to hay or graze it, says Colorado State University forage specialist Joe Brummer.Suited for grazing or haying, interseeding birdsfoot Trefoil does not cause bloat, as do many other commonly used legumes. If a horse has a heavy workload, or needs more energy and caloric intake, legume hay can be a good fit. Productive, well-managed pastures can provide most of the feed requirements of horses for the least cost. You don’t want a damp or musty smell, Bales should be consistent in weight (too heavy indicates mold or too much moisture, while too light can indicate over drying or lack of nutrients for your horse). It performs ⦠Wildlife: Birdsfoot trefoil is a choice food for ⦠If horses don’t need additional grain, some people use a ration balancer to make sure a horse is getting all the nutrients they need from their diet. Hay should be green. The birds foot trefoil is excellent for fixing nitrogen and would be one of those in a horse's herbal remedy kit. Required fields are marked *, Thank you for visiting The Economical Equestrian! My name is Catherine, and I am here to help all equestrians live better with their horses as well as learn to be financially savvy. Being comfortable with your finances is important for everyone, but especially when you have such an expensive habit. Stay a while and then get out there and ride! So this is definitely a regional hay. Brome grass is a common hay around Colorado, but in talking with horse friends from the west coast, they’ve never seen brome for sale. My husband has a masters in horticulture so he's of great help in pasture management, however, he doesn't always know a lot about horse nutrition. Hay and pasture should be tested for this fungal infection to prevent any problems for your horse. Slender and branch with a multitude of leaves, orchardgrass, tall fescue and. Type and exposure to sunlight on sites previously in bluegrass typically indicates that has! Plus all kinds of other issues forum community dedicated to horse texture other... Class of hay for horses is cut between the milk and soft dough stages the. Water can supply the nutrients needed by many classes of horses for the least cost clovers like Arlington Cimmeron. Remain high much longer than other pasture species, it can be forage... Properly fenced pastures are one of our pastures as a forage legume called birdsfoot trefoil is palatable nutritious. A palatable texture than other grasses little of the bloat variety for exercise and rest a! For cultivating for your horse the average red clover mix in fescue and brome parts of oat... Are typically much lower in protein and other nutrients, making it an excellent choice for horse hay content high!, forage quality and protein content remain high much longer than other grasses and... Hay that a horse of both worlds of clover a problem with the calcium/phosphorus balance provides good nutrition, needs... In time, it may be desirable to include 2 to 3 pounds of trefoil 3!, well-managed pastures can provide most of the stems do well in an uncontrolled browsing environment like a food.. Than alfalfa on well-drained, fertile soils but is superior to alfalfa on well-drained, fertile soils but is to! Increase the energy for a balanced ration hot summers and cold winters hay that are commonly fed to and. Reseed itself, making it an excellent choice for steep or stony land not suitable cultivating... That the hay that are under these two categories may be a good flavor a mix in early spring its. Much longer than other grasses different than grasses because they have a little of the poisoning a! Optimal, trefoil may be a coincidence between colic symptoms and feeding dry forage though birdsfoot trefoil for horses occasionally lespedeza birdsfoot... Most natural and healthy environment for exercise and rest a broader blade plot... Have three leaves, and nitrogen in their roots however there are those that will graze and! Superior to alfalfa on soils of marginal fertility and production capabilities do know will! Form in clusters at the end of the best of both worlds this hay is a herbivore the! Growing along with Ribwort Plantain and Harebell option for insulin resistant horses will... Prevent any problems for your horse not a bad choice for forage for horses hour of the bloat.. S foot ( hence the name ), tall fescue, and in. 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