In terms of forage, which should make up the bulk of a horse’s diet, Timothy Hay is universally acknowledged by experts to be the most suitable choice for horses prone to laminitis. This is because it is low in both sugar and fructan. Alternatives to Timothy Hay include haylage and meadow hay.

Orchard Grass is a highly palatable grass with a high nutrient content. Orchard Grass is higher in protein (10-12%), higher in calorie content and contains the same balanced levels of calcium and phosphorus as Timothy grass. This helps ensure your horses always have a high quality grass forage option to utilize.

Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to horses. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content.

Timothy hay is considered a medium sugar hay. This warm-season grass measures at the low end of the normal range for ethanol soluble carbohydrates, measuring between 4.7 percent and 10.9 percent. Timothy hay also measures at the low end of the normal range for starch, measuring between 1.5 percent and 4 percent.

They are not different products; it’s all the same Timothy grass hay. The reason the term “grass hay” is used is to distinguish it from legume hay, such as alfalfa or peanut, which is richer. There are a lot of different types of hay, so often you see them labeled as “Teff grass hay” or “rye grass hay” or whatever.

It is probably named after Timothy Hanson, an American farmer and agriculturalist said to have introduced it from New England to the southern states in the early 18th century. Upon his recommendation it became a major source of hay and cattle fodder to British farmers in the mid-18th century.

Comparison. Meadow hay usually has the advantages of being cheaper and more widely available than Timothy hay. It provides some variety, although this is not necessarily an advantage, as rabbits often pick out the bits they like, usually the more calorific bits, and leave the rest.

Alfalfa Hay The high protein and calcium support growth and development while the high calories support growth for young pets and maintaining a healthy weight in older pets. Similar to Timothy Hay, Alfalfa hay is great for digestive and dental health while also providing variety and enrichment.

Brome is closer in appearance to orchard than timothy, in appearance. Brome is typically green to dark green to blueish green and has a broader blade. This hay is high in protein, but lower in calcium than legume hay. It is highly palatable.

Alfalfa hay offers the same long strand high fiber that timothy hay offers, but with higher levels of energy, protein, and calcium. This food features small clover-like leaves, branching stems, and small flower clusters and is much softer than timothy.

Quality brome strands should be medium-sized and slightly soft to the touch. Over-processed brome hay will fall apart when you touch it or break into shards and stems. This type of poor-quality product will not provide the correct amount of fiber for stimulating livestock and can also cause colic in horses.

Smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.) is a leafy, sod-forming perennial grass that is best suited for hay or early spring pasture. It is deep-rooted and spreads by underground rhizomes.

The first cutting in the spring should be when grass has greened up and reached 12 – 16 inches tall. This should clean up all the old growth of winter weeds and such. Then each subsequent cutting is at 3.5 to 5 week intervals. This is dependent on fertilizer and moisture.

Ladd {4) reported that smooth bromegrass hay contained 6.56 percent ash, 6.22 percent fat, 28.11 percent crude fiber, 13.60 percent protein, and 45.51 percent nitrogen-free extract. This hay was twice as rich in crude protein as timothy hay.