Nutrition values of winter grass v grass hay

[Sunflower]

So, I am trying to understand the different nutritional values of winter grass v grass hay. Hay is more than “dead grass” as it has been cut and cured when the grass is green and growing, not after winter has come along. Is there somewhere to read about the different values? My horse has been out 24/7 on grass from early spring until now-- but the barn has said its time to revert to day turn out and nights in. Days out will be on grass, with pastures rotated so nothing gets too muddy or over grazed, even in winter.

My horse is just a different creature on the all grass, all turnout diet/lifestyle-- making a shift with winter coming I want to understand in detail what is going into his system.

He is an OTTB by the way-- and has transformed from a ribby hard keeper to a serene guy with a very good weight ( not fat but very healthy with a nice layer of fat over his ribs). No hard feed for him since he went out on grass. Probably the first time in his life he has not been on hard feeds. I am going to see how he keeps his weight and figure out if he needs hard feeds added in or not, and how much. He will be on winter grass for about 6-7 hours a day and as much hay as he can eat while he is in.

Any information/helpful places with information you can point me to much appreciated.

[NancyM]

Your horse care protocol is similar to my own for the last ten years. I can’t point you to technical information on this, but I can give you the benefit of my experiences. We never had “winter grazing” before we moved to our current farm, it was “winter mud” before, we could not use pastures at all during winter.

The quality of your winter grazing depends a lot on the species of grasses and herbs that grow in your field. My summer grazing is a mixture of natural local dryland grasses and low quality swampy grasses (that you would not be impressed with to look at). In summer, this feed is adequate for good health and condition. In winter, our weather gets cold, near -40C some nights, and some snow, requires higher nutrition to keep healthy. My winter grazing is our hayfields, which are alfalfa/grass mix, but a variety of grasses and dandelion, and clover etc. The hay that comes off these fields is very rich, cut at the optimum time, “horse candy”. We have not had our particular hay tested, but other hay from our area (very similar) has tested out at 18% protein. We presume ours is much the same. We also have several small grass fields, which we cut and bale, then graze a bit in the fall. The protein is substantially lower, again, haven’t had them tested, (too small of a crop) but obvious. Hard keepers will lose weight on these fields, especially with fall grazing after optimum growing season.

I also have TBs and TBXs, and feed little or no grain. Just a TM + sel block. I have two mares who can not eat the alfalfa/grass mix hay off the main hay fields, can’t stand that much protein. But they are OK grazing the same fields in the winter. The small crop off the grass fields are for these two. When they come in from winter grazing, they must be separated from the rest, and fed the grass only hay. Otherwise, a variety of symptoms show up. Gut pain related.

If your “winter grass” is grass only, and dead/frozen/snow covered grass, it will be “filler only”, low nutrients. But if you are supplementing it with good quality hay at night, that should counter that, and be adequate for continued good health (and as similar as you can make it to your summer situation). The hay will be richer in nutrition of all sorts than the tired grass that is available at pasture this time of year. Put your TM + sel salt block in the stall, for access during the night, and keep it out of the weather and rain. Rain will leach minerals (selenium mostly) out of the block. Unless your horse tells you that he needs something different from this, no need to make changes.

So while I can’t give you specifics of percentages on protein and sugars, I sure agree that this lifestyle is very beneficial for most horses. I think that in our desire to feed “high quality” feeds to our horses, we are often guilty of “overkill” in this respect, to the extent that it can be a problem for some horses, and effect health negatively. Horses evolved eating grass, a constant supply of grass 24/7. A variety of grasses and herbs. Loading high protein mixed feeds and locking them into cells with bars on the windows without room to run often throughout the day and night and limit herd life can be detrimental to good health, leading to soundness issues, and gut problems, and mental issues (stress).

[Sunflower]

Thanks so much, that is very helpful information, much appreciated.

Everything I thought I knew about horse keeping has been turned upside down in the quest to keep my horse in good health and happy. He is out in a mixed herd, and he thrives having the company. He will continue the mixed herd turnout in winter. I was so worried he would starve to death on nothing but grass when he went out this spring 24/7, but the opposite happened. I cut the hard feed down and then out entirely within about 2 weeks. He used to be whining around at the gate at his old barn to come in after a few hours, but no longer.The grass there was poor quality and over grazed. He is happy being out. He is getting a nice fluffy coat, his weight is staying good, even with some cold nights lately. I wish he could stay out 24/7 in the winter but that is not an option where we are.

At the moment the grass here is still lush and green, with a very mild late autumn and some helpful rains. I will see how he does without hard feed-- but of course if he needs it, he can have it. He is going to have all he can eat good quality hay over night, and the pasture grass may keep some nutrition over winter. There are also hedges where he can forage if he wishes-- he seems to get more of an urge to do this as the seasons change, and I suppose that is just nature.

I agree with you about what makes for good horsekeeping-- so much of what I thought was good horse keeping was just convenience for humans.

[Scribbler]

Yes even an ottb can thrive on good pasture in a herd!

Really the only way to tell.how your fall grass is holding up is to watch and monitor. If they are filling up on grass in the summer they usually don’t care about hay. If they start hoovering down hay when it’s offered then the grass is failing no matter the time if year.

Here in the PNW I know a few magic fields where some winters the horses stay fat with no hay at all, and others that are trashed by July. It depend s on the forage species the groundwater and soil and of course pasture management. Presumably your BO knows her land, and as you are new to the property you can observe and advocate for your horse if you think he is losing any condition at all.

Our grass will keep growing to some extent right up to first frost and then have green shoots by late February, that is roadside or undisturbed grass. If the pasture becomes a hog wallow over winter it may never recover.

[candyappy]

I don’t see why you will need to feed a " bagged feed" as long as he has high quality hay available when not on pasture. In most of the US the grass in Winter is nothing but a filler, meaning they get the grazing factor but no nutrition from it.

You will find out .