What’s the Best Hay for My Horse? A Practical Guide to Choosing Forage
Scientific guidance provided by Dr. Stephen Duren and Dr. Tania Cubitt, internationally recognized equine nutrition scientists at Performance Horse Nutrition
It’s one of the most common questions horse owners ask: “What’s the best hay for my horse?” The honest answer? It depends on your horse. There isn’t one “best” hay - there is only the hay that best matches your horse’s age, workload, metabolism, and body condition. Let’s break it down in a practical way so you can confidently choose what works.
Step 1: Understand the Golden Rule
Forage should make up the majority of your horse’s diet - typically:
1.5–2% of body weight per day
For a 1,000 lb horse → 15–20 lbs of hay daily
Because forage is the foundation of the diet, the type you choose matters.
Step 2: Match the Hay to the Horse
Below is a simple guide based on common hay types.
Alfalfa Hay
Higher protein. Higher calcium. Higher calories.
Best for:
• Growing horses
• Lactating mares
• Performance horses
• Hard keepers
Alfalfa is more nutrient-dense per pound than most grass hays. If your horse needs more calories without dramatically increasing grain, alfalfa can be extremely useful.
Not ideal for:
• Easy keepers
• Overweight horses
Learn more in our guide to alfalfa hay for horses.
Orchard Grass Hay
Moderate protein. Palatable. Soft texture.
Best for:
• Most adult horses
• Moderate keepers
• Horses in light to moderate work
Orchard grass is often a great “middle ground” forage. It’s usually leafy, digestible, and well accepted by picky eaters.
Learn more in our guide to Orchard Grass for horses.
Timothy Hay
Traditional grass hay. Balanced nutrition.
Best for:
• Maintenance horses
• Easy to moderate keepers
• Owners wanting consistent grass forage
Timothy is widely available and predictable. It typically provides moderate calories and protein without being overly rich.
👉 Read our full guide to timothy hay for horses.
Teff Hay
Often lower in sugar (must test). Moderate protein.
Best for:
• Insulin resistant horses
• Easy keepers
• Metabolic horses
Teff has become popular in metabolic management programs because it often tests lower in NSC (sugar + starch). But always confirm with a hay analysis.
👉 Learn more about teff hay for horses.
Step 3: Consider Your Horse’s Body Condition
Let’s use a 1,000 lb horse as an example.
If your horse is overweight
• Aim for mature grass hay
• Possibly teff or Bluegrass Straw
• Feed around 1.5% body weight (≈15 lbs/day)
• Consider slow feeders
If your horse is ideal weight
• Orchard grass or timothy
• About 2% body weight (≈20 lbs/day)
If your horse is underweight
• Higher quality second cutting grass
• Add some alfalfa
• Increase intake to 2.25–2.5% body weight
The “best” hay supports optimal body condition, not just what’s trendy.
Step 4: Quality Matters More Than Type
Two bales of the same hay type can be very different nutritionally.
Look for:
• Bright green color
• Fresh smell
• Minimal dust
• Good leaf-to-stem ratio
• No mold
Even better? Test your hay.
A hay analysis tells you:
• Crude protein
• Digestible energy
• Fiber levels (NDF/ADF)
• NSC (important for metabolic horses)
• Mineral content
Your horse doesn’t eat a label — your horse eats nutrients. Read a full equine nutrition analysis of Blue Mountain Hay by Dr. Stephen Duren and Dr. Tania Cubitt of Performance Horse Nutrition here.
Step 5: There Is No Universal “Best”
The best hay is the one that:
• Maintains ideal body condition
• Supports gut health
• Matches workload
• Fits your management system
• Is clean and mold-free
Sometimes the best solution is a blend:
• Grass + alfalfa
• Orchard + teff
• Mature grass + small amount of alfalfa
Nutrition is about balance, not extremes.
Common Mistakes
• Choosing hay based on what everyone else feeds
• Assuming alfalfa is “too rich” for all horses
• Thinking first cutting is automatically low quality
• Not weighing hay
• Ignoring body condition changes
Final Takeaway
If you’re asking “What’s the best hay for my horse?” — you’re already thinking correctly. The answer isn’t about marketing. It’s about matching forage to biology.
Start with:
• Your horse’s body condition
• Your horse’s workload or physiological state
• Forage analysis when possible
And adjust from there.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Hay for Horses
What is the best hay for horses?
There is no single best hay. The right forage depends on the horse’s body condition, workload, metabolism, and nutritional needs.
Is alfalfa hay good for horses?
Alfalfa can be excellent for growing horses, performance horses, and hard keepers because it provides higher protein and calories.
Is timothy hay good for horses?
Yes. Timothy hay is a widely used grass forage that provides moderate energy, fiber, and balanced nutrition.
What hay is best for overweight horses?
Mature grass hay, teff hay, or grass hay blended with small amounts of straw may help reduce calorie intake.
Should horses eat only one type of hay?
Not necessarily. Many feeding programs combine multiple forage types to balance energy, protein, and fiber.
Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Duren and Dr. Tania Cubitt, internationally recognized equine nutrition scientists at Performance Horse Nutrition
Content produced in collaboration with
Petzbe Agency
