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Kaydence Sports Medicine & Rehab, 12635 County Road 130, Carthage, MO (2026)

08/28/2026

5 Common Horse Feeding Mistakes

Every day, multiple times a day, you feed your horse. It’s part of the lifestyle of owning horses, and we’ve all learned to appreciate the smell of freshly baled hay and molasses-flavored grain before we’ve had our own morning coffee.

And while you certainly take feeding your horse seriously, it’s easy to overlook some keys to success. Below, we’ll talk about five common mistakes you might be making and how to rectify the situation to improve your horse’s gut health and overall well-being.

1. Feeding by scoop or flake instead of by weight.
Raise your hand if you have ever defaulted to the statement, “My horse gets a scoop of that.”

If you’ve been a horse owner for any amount of time, you probably have your hand up. Everyone has made this mistake at one time or another, either with grain or hay (“He gets two flakes.”).

Here’s the problem with feeding horses by the scoop: Each concentrate or complete feed, while similar in volume, differs in weight. Commercial grain mixes are formulated to be fed at a specific rate; this information is always located on the bag or feed tag. Feeding rates ensure horses receive the correct ratio of micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, which are required in small amounts but have major health implications.

As for hay, one flake of grass hay, on average, weighs 3 to 5 pounds and one flake of alfalfa hay weighs 5 to 7 pounds. Given that a horse requires at least 1% of its body weight in hay or other forage every day, these 2-pound fluctuations in “flakes” can add up to a big difference in your horse’s diet, which affects microbes in the gut that thrive on fiber found in forage.

Jessica Leatherwood, PhD, associate professor at Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, Texas, says, “While it may not be practical to weigh your hay on a daily basis, it would be beneficial to weigh hay routinely in response to either new shipments or sources.”

Do this instead:
* Consult the feed tag for feeding rates based on your horse’s age and activity level.
* Use a scale (it could be a small kitchen or luggage scale) to measure out the recommended amount of that particular concentrate or complete feed.
* Pour that grain into the scoop you use so you know how much you need to feed each day. Don’t forget to zero-out the scale first. Divide into the number of times per day you feed and voila! you know exactly how much grain you must give your horse each feeding for optimal nutrition in scoops. “Consider a single meal of grain to be offered at 0.5% (and up to 0.75%) of the horse’s body weight,” says Leatherwood. If you change the scoop you’re using or switch grains, repeat this process. Once you measure it out by weight once or twice, you won’t have to use the scale.
* Weigh a few flakes of each batch of hay so you know how much they weigh or if the weight fluctuates. Of course, this varies by bale, so don’t get too obsessive. If you are new to this, weigh flakes periodically to get an idea of what different weights feel like. This practical step will help you offer your horse a consistent amount of hay; with time, your arm will start to become your scale.

2. Feeding senior feed unnecessarily.
A common mistake horse owners make is feeding senior feed to a horse that does not yet have a need for it. While it shouldn’t cause health problems, senior feed is designed to be used as a complete feed. Complete feeds include the fiber portion of a horse’s diet and are designed to be fed to older horses who can no longer chew or digest hay.

Rather than classifying an animal as senior based on his numeric age, consider aging a horse by his physiological changes. One telltale sign is failing dentition and the inability to consume hay efficiently. For this reason, senior horse feeds are formulated to be fed at very high feeding rates, typically upward of 10 pounds per day to account for the forage portion of a horse’s diet.

If you are feeding a nonsenior horse a scoop of senior feed, you’re doing him a disservice by not meeting his micronutrient requirements.

Do this instead:
* Ask yourself why you’re feeding your horse a senior feed. Is it just to give her a grain treat? Is it for added calories and energy?
* If you are using senior feed as a treat, a better option might be a ration balancer, which you can feed at low rates of 1 to 2 pounds per day while offering your horse all the required vitamins and minerals. If your horse needs added calories, fat, protein, or energy, choosing a performance horse feed designed to be fed at 3 to 7 pounds per day might be a better option.
* Talk to an equine nutritionist to be sure your horse’s hay and grain are meeting his nutrient requirements.

3. Overestimating how much work your horse does.
Considering domestic horses evolved from wild predecessors who traveled 20 to 30 miles per day to meet their feed and water needs, it’s clear that most domestic horses are not getting as much exercise as they used to. Further, we tend to overestimate the amount of exercise they do get.

While an unpopular opinion among some, it’s better to be able to see a hint of a horse’s ribs than fat deposits.

“It is challenging to have horse owners feed their horse in a manner that encourages an appropriate body condition score, as people are used to seeing overweight horses and believe it looks good,” says Nielsen. “There is an old saying that ‘fat hides a lot of sins.’ A large number of individuals in the horse industry believe they are knowledgeable but often mistake a horse that is fat for one with good muscling. That being said, it has been known for about 100 years that calorie restriction can lead to a longer life.

“As often happens with horses, dogs, and other pets, many people fall into the trap of ‘killing them with kindness’ by allowing their animals to become overweight,” he continues. “Many health problems could be avoided if horse owners were more diligent in regulating the body condition score of their animals.”

Nielsen is not advocating for skinny animals but, rather, bringing awareness to the fact that fat horses are at significantly higher risk for developing serious and painful health conditions than a slightly ribby horse.

Do this instead:
* Get real about and classify your horse’s activity level based on the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Horses recommendations. Keep in mind that most horses fall into the light or moderate work category.
* Maintenance: Nonworking horses
* Light work: 1-3 hours of work per week
* Moderate work: 3-5 hours of work per week
* Heavy work: 4-5 hours of work per week with significant amounts of time spent cantering
* Very heavy work: 6-12 hours of work per week
* Feed at rates that match your horse’s true activity level and increase the ration based on his metabolism.
* Be cognizant of a horse that is putting on too much weight or getting too thin. Aim for a body condition score between 4 and 6, and adjust the amount you feed accordingly. Remember, if you change your grain or hay rations, weigh them and feed at a rate that meets your horse’s micronutrient requirements.

“If a horse is no longer performing well on feed, go back to your forage source first and evaluate both the quality and quantity that you are providing,” adds Leatherwood. “In some cases a horse might not require additional grain but, rather, a higher-quality fiber source.”

4. Oversupplementing or changing supplements frequently.
If you’re currently feeding your horse Betty-Crocker-style (i.e., mixing up a whole recipe of grain and supplements at mealtime), you could be doing more harm than good.

A bunch of supplements that were not designed to be fed together can create competitive inhibition and interactions between macro- and micronutrients in the horse’s gastrointestinal tract. For example, excess zinc in a horse’s diet can negatively impact the body’s ability to absorb and use copper. It’s all a balancing act.

At the very least, this means some or most of what you’re feeding your horse might not be used, translating to wasted money. At worst, your horse’s body is overwhelmed and not absorbing the nutrients it needs.

“Supplements are one of the ways in which horse owners often waste money,” says Nielsen. “The number of supplements on the market that have never been proven to do anything far exceeds those that have been proven to be efficacious.”

Do this instead:
* If you are feeding more than two supplements, work with an equine nutritionist to make sure the products don’t have negative interactions and/or side effects when used together.
* When adding a new supplement to a horse’s ration, be sure to give it ample time to work. In many cases supplement companies say it takes a minimum of 60-90 days to realize a product’s full benefits. Don’t give up too quickly or change supplements too frequently, which could cause GI upset and overwhelm the horse’s body.
* If you decide to make changes to your horse’s diet, be they in the form of hay, grain, or supplements, do so slowly to minimize digestive disturbances. Leatherwood suggests “a seven- to 10-day transition period in which you add and replace 25% old with 25% new hay or grain. For example, you might feed 25% new with 75% old for two to three days, then 50% new with 50% old for two to three days, and finally 75% new with 25% old for two to three days.”

5. Feeding in meals instead of continually.
Horses’ digestive tracts were designed for slow, continuous feeding rather than the two to three meals per day the domestic lifestyle has normalized. While constant feeding isn’t typically conducive to human schedules, you do have options.

Do this instead:
* Find a way to offer your horse the most natural lifestyle possible. Some ideas include slow feeders or haynets or keeping your horse on pasture for as many hours per day as is appropriate.
* Invest in automated feeding stations that distribute customized amounts of feed and forage to individual horses at multiple intervals throughout the day.

Take-Home Message
As horse owners, we’re always trying to do our best for our horses, including at feeding time. Just like our diets sometimes need a tune-up, these recommendations can serve as the level-up you need to ensure your horses’ optimal health.

You might be surprised at the differences you see in your horse’s attitude, condition, and performance when you tighten the nutritional bolts.

The Horse

08/26/2026

We have some last minute cancellations for appointments at the clinic Thursday and Friday afternoon. If you would like to schedule please text 417-448-0131.

08/26/2026

Puncture Wounds of the Hoof in Horses

Q:
My horse recently suffered a puncture wound through the frog of his foot. Under my veterinarian’s direction I’m bandaging the foot each day to keep the wound dry and prevent infection as it heals. Because I can’t really see the wound, how do I know it’s healing well? Are there any complications that I should be concerned about?

A:
Puncture wounds of the sole and frog by nails, screws, or other sharp objects are common hoof injuries in horses. The penetrating object might be contaminated with soil, manure, or rust, which can lead to infection. Clinically, puncture wounds can be misleading, because they can appear small and insignificant, and aggressive medical therapy or appropriate surgical treatment might be delayed until signs of infection or lameness occur.

Depending on the depth and location of the puncture wound, several hoof structures can be affected. Puncture wounds are critical injuries if anatomical structures such as the coffin (third phalanx) bone, coffin (distal interphalangeal) joint, digital cushion, deep digital flexor tendon, navicular bursa, or navicular bone are involved. Deep puncture wounds of the sole and middle third of the frog are emergencies and should be treated aggressively to prevent infection of bones, joints, and soft tissue structures in the hoof. These cases are challenging to treat and should be referred to an equine hospital for surgical treatment, if needed.

Wound management and treatment options are based on the location, depth, and direction of the penetrating wound. Minimally invasive penetrating sole and frog injuries can be managed conservatively with broad-spectrum antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tetanus toxoid, hoof soaking, and bandaging treatments. If the injury appears to pe*****te deeper hoof structures, such as the navicular bone or bursa, deep digital flexor tendon or sheath, or coffin joint, then the horse should be promptly referred to an equine hospital for more aggressive treatment, such as surgical curettage and wound lavage. The “street nail” surgical procedure is used to create a surgical window or fenestration between the frog surface and navicular bursa, thereby promoting adequate wound drainage and allowing for subsequent treatment of the affected area. Surgical management can also involve the use of supportive care, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory treatments, wound care lavage techniques, sterile bandage changes, and a medicine plate shoe to promote healing.

Consult your veterinarian for supervision regarding the clinical care and resolution of penetrating hoof wounds. Their assessment will consider the horse’s overall condition and time since initial injury, treatment protocol, soundness evaluation, wound healing complications, and diagnostic imaging and laboratory findings. Ongoing clinical evaluation is needed to direct patient management decisions, such as when to adjust the use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications, wound care options, and bandaging. With hoof puncture wounds, some of the complications, such as lameness, swelling, heat, and infection occur when the sound surface hole seals over underlying pathology, restricting draining. Therefore, veterinary care is needed for ongoing supervision and intervention.

The prognosis for penetrating wounds of the hoof sole and frog is guarded but generally, those horses that have fewer deep structures involved and receive timely and appropriate treatment experience more favorable outcomes.

08/24/2026

What Are Sidebone and Ringbone in Horses?

Despite their similar names and presentations as firm swellings in the pastern region, sidebone and ringbone describe two different and unrelated processes occurring within the horse’s digit. Here’s what you should know if your veterinarian diagnoses your horse with one of these conditions.

Sidebone
Below the fetlock are three phalanges—top to bottom, the first phalanx (long pastern), second (short pastern), and third, or distal, phalanx, also known as the pedal or coffin bone. The coffin bone is crescent-shaped, with a main body and two “wings”—or palmar processes—projecting off the back. It’s where sidebone can arise.

What you can’t also see radiographically (on X rays) are the large, thin cartilaginous wings projecting from each palmar process of the third phalanx. These ungual (or collateral) cartilages extend from the bony surface of the third phalanx within the hoof capsule to project above the coronary band, where you can feel them just above and adjacent to the heels. Their function is unclear, but they might help stabilize other structures of the digit, such as the navicular bone, to which they have several strong ligamentous attachments.

In some horses the cartilage comprising these structures gets gradually replaced with hard mineral in a process called ossification. We don’t fully understand why this happens, although theories include genetics, conformation, and concussive forces on the foot. We colloquially refer to these ossified ungual cartilages as sidebones.

The clinical significance of ossified ungual cartilages is also unclear. They’re typically regarded as incidental findings in most horses. There are, however, two main instances in which they might become a problem. First, because the ungual cartilages are mildly curved, when severe ossification occurs, the top of the now rigid cartilages can impinge upon the soft tissues sitting midline on the back of the digit, resulting in pain and lameness. To determine if sidebone is contributing to your horse’s lameness, your veterinarian can perform nerve blocks to desensitize and assess the region.

The second potential problem associated with sidebone is that once ossified, the cartilages are susceptible to fracture. This can be a significant source of lameness, particularly because such fractures commonly involve associated injury to the adjacent ligamentous structures. Some of these fractures can be subtle and difficult to detect using radiographs. Veterinarians sometimes recommend MRI for diagnosis, which also provides more information about injury to surrounding soft tissues.

If sidebone is causing a horse’s lameness, your veterinarian and farrier should work together to devise a proper shoeing and management plan.

Ringbone
Ringbone refers to osteoarthritis within the pastern (high ringbone) or coffin (low ringbone) joints. These are the joints between the long pastern, short pastern, and coffin bones. While osteoarthritis of the coffin and pastern joints is common, pastern joint osteoarthritis typically results in more extensive bony proliferation at the joint margins that might feel like regions of firm pastern swelling classically referred to as ringbone. Veterinarians usually diagnose these changes via radiographs.

Ringbone can be a source of pain and lameness, particularly if the changes are severe. Mild osteoarthritic changes in these joints are common and often managed successfully via proper shoeing and intra-articular therapeutics, such as corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and/or biologic therapies, while maintaining the horse in full work. If changes become severe, however, you might need to adjust the horse’s workload, particularly if medical management no longer keeps him comfortable. In these instances the severe cartilage loss within the joint (typically the pastern) might result in natural fusion (ankylosis).

Once fusion occurs, the horse might have relief from the concussive forces within the joint and improved comfort and soundness. For this reason some vets might choose to hasten the joint fusion process by injecting the joint with a substance in a procedure known as facilitated ankylosis or by surgical placement of metallic implants, known as arthrodesis. Ankylosis or arthrodesis of the pastern joint can enable the horse to return to some level of work. The same is not true of the high-motion coffin joint, where arthrodesis typically only returns a horse to pasture soundness. Your vet can recommend the most appropriate course of action for the changes occurring in your horse’s limb to provide the best possible outcome.

The Horse

08/21/2026

SURPASS® (1% diclofenac sodium)

The only topical equine NSAID with patented WISDOM® technology that targets pain at the source.

SURPASS is the only FDA-approved topical NSAID medication that modifies both clinical signs and progression of osteoarthritis in horses.

A horse’s joints often need medical support in order to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis. Untreated osteoarthritis can cause poor performance, lameness and long-term effects on quality of life.

SURPASS for horses is a unique topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that provides pain relief directly at the site of inflammation in tarsal, carpal, metacarpophalangeal, metatarsophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal (hock, knee, fetlock and pastern) joints in horses. This targeted treatment minimizes the risk of the potential side effects that come with systemic NSAIDS.

Formulated with unique WISDOM® liposomal technology, SURPASS cream pe*****tes the skin barrier and provides sustained release in a way that alternatives don't. This means relief for your horses in fewer applications. Help manage your horse’s joint health by asking your veterinarian for a product you can apply yourself after you’ve left the clinic.

NSAIDs should only be administered under the direction of a licensed professional. SURPASS topical cream is only approved for use in horses, and has not been evaluated in breeding, pregnant or lactating horses, or in horses under 1 year of age. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Wear gloves when administering SURPASS.

Boehringer Ingelheim

08/19/2026

How to Assess Your Horse’s Forage

Is green always good? What if it’s brown? How do I know if it meets my horse’s nutritional needs? These are just a few of the questions owners might ask when trying to assess their horses’ forage.

Forage can be divided into two types: harvested (hay) and unharvested (pasture). It supplies horses with energy, crude protein, vitamins, and minerals at varying levels depending on the plant species and its nutritive value. The plant’s maturity at the time eaten or harvested, as well as the soil in which the plant grew, influence the nutrition it offers.

“It is the forage nutritive value in combination with visual and physical assessment of the forage that supplies the best information when it comes to understanding how to assess forage for your horse’s needs,” says Amy Parker, MS, equine nutritionist and technical services manager at McCauley’s Feed, in Versailles, Kentucky. “Remembering that horses are herbivores and hindgut fermenters means that they have an inherent need for fiber in order to keep the gut moving normally.”

This is why we must feed appropriate amounts of hay when grazing is not feasible. The two major types of hay we feed horses are legumes (e.g., alfalfa, clover) and grasses (e.g., timothy, orchardgrass).

Legumes are generally higher in nutritive value than grasses, says Parker. When harvested at the same stage of maturity, legumes tend to contain higher amounts of crude protein, digestible energy, and calcium and lower amounts of fiber. When comparing grasses, cool-season species (e.g., timothy, orchardgrass) tend to offer higher amounts of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) and lower amounts of calcium, while warm-season grasses (e.g., bermudagrass, teff) tend to have lower amounts of NSCs and higher amounts of fiber, says Krishona Martinson, PhD, professor and equine extension specialist at the University of Minnesota, in St. Paul. Understanding these differences is key to matching forage type with a horse’s individual nutrient needs.

A visual inspection of hay is as important as its chemical analysis, says Martinson. “Physical evaluation can help you determine the plant species in the hay, including the desirable forages, weeds, and poisonous plants,” she says.

Consider the following five physical characteristics when selecting hay.

1. Color
Although hay color is preferably green, which can indicate the presence of nutrients, it should never be the primary focus, our sources say. Color can be a poor indicator of nutritive value because weeds tend to stay green when dried.

A light-yellow color on the outside of the bale indicates sun-bleaching, says Parker. Sun-bleaching does not reduce the hay’s nutrient value if the bale is just bleached along the outside, with no moisture and no mold, and yellow does not pe*****te the bale beyond ¼ to 1 inch. The sun-bleached section will simply be lower in carotene (the active source of vitamin A) and less palatable.

Yellow throughout the bale indicates it was overly mature at harvest, resulting in reduced nutrient value and palatability. A chemical analysis can tell you how much nutrient value the hay offers.

Dark brown to black hay might indicate the forage was harvested and/or baled wet. Storing wet hay allows bacteria and fungi to consume the nutrients, which produces heat, says Parker. The duration and intensity of the heat damages the hay, turning it brown to black and producing a distinctive sweet caramel odor. Heat-damaged hay has reduced nutritive value, palatability, and digestibility. In addition, it might still contain bacteria, mold, and fungi that can produce dangerous mycotoxins. The hay might also contain gray or black mold within the bale. For this reason, always open a bale to inspect it.

Note that red clover is naturally brown when dried for hay. This is a good reason to identify the plant species in your hay.

2. Smell
In general, says Parker, hay should have a sweet, clean, and fresh smell. It should not be excessively dusty, and you should not see any indication of mold. If you have a musty or stale-smelling bale or one creating dust clouds as you move it, best to pass on purchasing. Exposure to this type of hay can exacerbate respiratory ailments such as equine asthma.

3. Maturity
Stage of plant maturity or growth at the time of harvest might be the single most important aspect when evaluating how the hay will contribute to the diet. “Forage maturity and nutritive value are inversely correlated,” says Parker—as the forage matures, the nutrition it offers decreases.

The more mature the plant, the higher the lignin (an indigestible component) content in its cell walls, making it less nutritive (but potentially gastric-acid-buffering if it’s alfalfa).

You can usually determine maturity by the size of the seedheads in grass hays and the number of flowers in legume hays. Low numbers of and small seedheads and few flowers indicate a less mature hay.

It is the stage of maturity at the time of harvest and not the hay cutting (e.g., first, second, third) that has the largest impact on a hay’s nutritive value, says Parker.

4. Leafiness
Leaves contain about twice the nutrients and more protein and digestible carbohydrates than stems, says Parker. If the forage is leafy with green or brown leaves (remember, color varies with the plant species), contains few stems and seedheads, and is free of weeds, dust, and mold, it’s high in nutritive value.

Texture is also important, says Parker. Horses usually prefer soft leaves rather than coarse stems. Legume leaves tend to be slightly coarser than grass leaves when baled at the same maturity.

Also note the stem thickness or coarseness. Hay that contains very thick, coarse stems was harvested at a mature state, while hay that contains fine stems was harvested at a less mature state. A hay with fine stems but few leaves might mean it was harvested at an immature state, but the leaves came off when the hay was lying in the field or during baling. Hay with “leaf shatter” like this might be of minimal nutritional value to the horse, says Parker, because stems contain few nutrients and lots of indigestible fiber.

5. Foreign Matter
Foreign matter is material that adds no nutritive value or is inedible or toxic to the horse. This can include weeds, insects (alfalfa weevil or toxic blister beetle in alfalfa), dead animals (birds, snakes, etc.) that can introduce the Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin that causes botulism, and trash (wire, paper, etc.) that can cause an impaction or gut puncture.

Getting a Hay Analysis
Talk to your hay supplier about harvest timing and conditions to better understand its quality. Parker says cool, wet growing seasons usually lead to increased fungi growth. Hay harvested, cured, and stored during a dry spell is much less likely to develop mold. Some hay producers submit their hay samples for analysis before market, so Parker suggests asking if your supplier has already performed an analysis he or she can share with you.

If not, having your hay analyzed helps you understand what you’re feeding your horse, says Martinson. Testing can provide you with information such as calorie levels, individual nutrient measurements, nutrient deficiencies, protein levels, digestibility and palatability, and starch and soluble sugar content, which is important if your horse is overweight or metabolic.

A basic forage test includes values for dry matter, digestible energy, crude protein, fiber, NSCs, and some minerals. You can request additional testing to determine mold counts and other minerals and vitamins.

Forage test results are only as good as the sample submitted, says Martinson. A representative sample should include about 10% of the bales from a given hay lot (same field and cutting), our sources say. Use a tool called a hay corer to easily gather the recommended 5/8-inch samples of chopped forage without contamination from handling. The corer attaches to a ½-inch drill. You can also use a hay probe, which is a long tube attached to a drill or operated manually. Insert it approximately 18 inches into the center of the short end of the bales you’re sampling to get a cross-section of the bale that contains several flakes. Take the sample to your local extension office, or send it to a reliable or certified laboratory (e.g., Dairy One Forage Laboratory; Equi-Analytical Laboratory Services).

Interpreting the Hay Analysis
Here are figures you might find on your analysis results and what they mean:

Moisture Hay appears dry but contains about 10% water. Hay with high moisture content (14-18%) can mold or spontaneously combust. Hay that’s too dry (< 10%) can suffer leaf loss and become dusty.

Dry matter This is the percent of hay without moisture. On a forage report, the results are usually reported on an “As Fed” (essentially, as sampled) and a “Dry Matter” basis. Feeds differ in their moisture content and, thus, will dilute the nutrient concentrations. Therefore, it is best to compare feeds more accurately by using dry matter percentage values.

Crude protein (CP) Crude protein is determined based on the amount of nitrogen within the feed. Crude protein of hay can range from 5 to 25% and is highly dependent on the type and maturity of the hay being analyzed. A higher percentage usually indicates the plants were younger when cut. It might also indicate the forage type; for example, legume hays typically have higher CP than grass hays.

Acid detergent fiber (ADF) This is a measure of hay’s indigestible portion. ADF includes cellulose (a type of fiber that is less digestible in horses) and lignin. The lower the ADF percentage, the more digestible the hay. Hays with ADF of 35% or lower tend to be very leafy and high in nutritional value; legume hays are usually lower in ADF than grass hays.

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) This is an indirect predictor of voluntary feed intake. A lower NDF (< 65%) tends to indicate a more consumable hay.

Digestible energy (DE) This is the amount of megacalories per kilogram of feed. The CP and ADF content of the hay provide a reasonable estimate of its DE. The more mature the hay, the higher its ADF and the lower its DE or caloric value.

Macrominerals The basic analysis will include calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sulfur (S). Calcium is usually higher in legumes. The Ca:P ratio is almost always 1:1 in grass hays and should be at least that but no higher than 6:1. Potassium must be low for horses with the muscle disease hyperkalemic periodic paralysis.

Microminerals (trace minerals) These might include iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se).

Other nutritional components a hay analysis might include are crude fat, sugar, starch, and mycotoxins.

Because some horses (e.g., metabolic or laminitic) are sensitive to dietary starch and soluble sugars, NSC percentage might be important. Avoid feeding hay containing greater than 10-12% NSC to these horses.

A hay analysis will not detect the presence of weeds or toxic plants, says Martinson. You must physically examine the hay to identify those contaminants.

“Physical evaluation is best used to get a first impression of hay quality and should always be followed up by chemical analysis,” she says.

Kaydence Sports Medicine & Rehab

08/28/2026

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