06/17/2026
Hay is nearly impossible to find right now and the hay that is available, may not be the quality you are used to.
Here are a few quick tips to help you decide if the hay you have is safe to feed.
1) Smell it. Hay should smell sweet. If it smells like to***co or mildew, it’s or ably not safe.
2) Visual. Nice green is ideal, but sun-bleached, yellowish-brown hay can still be perfectly safe (just lower in vitamins). Black and grey patches indicate mold. If your hay is sun-bleached, add a ration balancer to their diet and you should be able to overcome any vitamin deficiencies.
3) Dust. When you open the bale, it should not have a cloud of white dust. This is another indication of mold. Plant or crop dust is brown and even tho we’d prefer a non dusty bale, plant dust is fine but you may want to soak your hay so your horse is not inhaling the dust causing respiratory issues.
4) W**d check. Some weeds are harmless but some are dangerous. Check for foxtail and thistle. These can cause some serious problems.
If your hay has passed all the checks, it’s safe to feed. It may be less palatable so feed a little extra and let them sort through it.
Surviving a hay shortage is stressful and scary but with these tips, you can confidently decide if a lesser quality hay is safe to feed.
