27 August 2008 12:32
My horse was diagnosed with COPD so I replaced his hay with haylage but, a few months later, he developed laminitis. The vet said it was due to the haylage, so he had soaked hay while he recovered. Should he have hay or haylage?
Answer
By Your Horse
Vet Mark Lingard replies:
I think the answer to your conundrum lies not in whether your pony is fed haylage or hay, but the amount of each that is fed. Pound for pound, haylage actually has less feed value in it, compared to similar type hay, as haylage is a wetter product. The problem is haylage tastes better than hay and horses will eat more of it more quickly if allowed.
My advice is to find the correct amount of hay or haylage to be fed. This depends on the richness of the feed and the condition your horse is in. If he’s on box rest he won’t expend much energy.