The best hay for horses is clean, dust-free forage matched to the individual animal in front of you. For most horses that means quality grass hay like timothy or orchard grass, with alfalfa added when a horse needs extra protein and calories. Here’s how the main types compare and how to choose the right one for your horse.
Grass Hay: The Everyday Foundation
Grass hay is the backbone of nearly every good equine diet. It’s high in fiber, moderate in energy, and gentle on the digestive system, exactly what a horse’s gut is built to process. Fed free-choice or in measured portions, grass hay keeps horses chewing, which supports both gut health and calm behavior.
Two grass hays dominate the New York market: timothy and orchard grass. Both make excellent daily forage for the average horse.
Timothy Hay
Timothy is the classic horse hay for good reason. It’s palatable, consistent, and offers a balanced fiber-to-energy ratio that suits most adult horses in light to moderate work. Its lower calorie profile compared to alfalfa makes it a safe everyday choice that won’t pile on unwanted weight. Explore listings on our timothy hay page.
Orchard Grass Hay
Orchard grass is a close cousin and often a little softer and leafier, which many horses find very palatable. It tends to grow faster than timothy and can offer slightly more protein depending on cutting and maturity. It’s an excellent everyday forage and a great option if your horse turns its nose up at coarser hay. See what’s available on our orchard grass hay page.
Alfalfa: A Protein and Calorie Boost
Alfalfa is a legume, not a grass, and that changes everything about how it feeds. It’s significantly higher in protein, calcium, and calories than grass hay. That makes it a powerful tool, but one to use with intention rather than as a default.
Alfalfa shines for horses with high energy demands: hard-working performance and sport horses, growing youngsters, and broodmares in late pregnancy or nursing foals. For these animals, alfalfa delivers concentrated nutrition that grass hay alone may not supply. For an easy-keeping trail horse or a retired pasture pet, though, straight alfalfa is usually more energy than they need. Many owners feed it as a portion of the ration rather than the whole thing. Browse options on our alfalfa hay page.
- Grass hay (timothy, orchard grass): Everyday forage for most horses
- Alfalfa: Targeted boost for hard-working, growing, or lactating horses
- Common approach: Grass hay base with some alfalfa mixed in when extra nutrition is needed
Why Quality and Cleanliness Matter Most
The type of hay matters, but quality matters even more. A clean, well-cured grass hay beats a moldy, dusty premium hay every single time. Horses have sensitive respiratory systems, and dust and mold spores are a leading trigger of equine asthma and other airway problems.
When you evaluate hay, look for a sweet, fresh smell, a green or golden color, soft and pliable stems, and plenty of leaf. Avoid anything that smells musty, looks gray or black inside, feels damp, or puffs dust when you shake it. Cornell’s equine health specialists emphasize that low-dust, mold-free forage is essential for protecting horses’ respiratory health. No matter which type you choose, clean beats fancy.
First vs. Second Cutting for Horses
You’ll often hear hay described by its cutting, and it genuinely affects what you’re feeding:
- First cutting is the season’s initial harvest. It tends to be coarser and higher in fiber, with more stem. This higher-fiber, lower-sugar profile is often a great fit for easy keepers and horses that need bulk without excess calories.
- Second cutting is typically leafier, softer, greener, and richer, with more protein and energy. Many horses find it more palatable, and it suits harder-working or higher-need animals well.
Neither is universally “better.” First cutting isn’t low quality, and second cutting isn’t automatically superior. The right cutting depends on your horse’s calorie needs and how the hay was made and stored. A well-made first cutting can outshine a rained-on second cutting any day.
How Much Hay to Feed
Horses are grazers designed to eat small amounts almost constantly. As a starting guideline, feed roughly 1.5% to 2% of a horse’s body weight in hay per day. For a typical 1,000-pound horse, that’s about 15 to 20 pounds of hay daily.
Feeding by weight, not by the flake, is the key habit here. Flakes vary widely in weight depending on the hay and how it was baled, so a scale gives you a far more accurate picture. Adjust the amount based on your horse’s body condition, workload, age, and whether it also grazes pasture. Once you know your numbers, you can plan purchases confidently and even check current hay prices to budget for the season.
Special Cases: Easy Keepers and Metabolic Horses
Some horses need extra care with their forage. Easy keepers that gain weight on air, along with horses managing conditions like equine metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, or laminitis, usually need lower-sugar grass hay. For these animals, mature grass hay, often a first cutting, is generally a safer bet than rich alfalfa or lush second cutting.
Soaking hay in cool water for 30 to 60 minutes before feeding can reduce its sugar (and dust) content, a common management step for metabolic horses. Because these are health-sensitive situations, always work with your veterinarian, and consider a hay analysis to know the actual sugar content of your forage. Guesswork isn’t good enough when a horse’s health is on the line.
Match the Hay to the Horse
There’s no single “best” hay that fits every horse. The best hay for horses is the one that matches the animal in front of you: quality grass hay for everyday needs, alfalfa when a horse needs more, lower-sugar options for easy keepers, and clean, mold-free forage across the board. Weigh your feed, watch your horse’s condition, and lean on your vet for special needs.
Ready to find quality hay from local New York growers? Browse current listings on our hay for sale page or explore forage picked for equine feeding on the horse hay category. Your horse’s health starts with what’s in the hay net, so choose it with care.
This guide is part of our complete guide to the best hay for every animal.
Ready to buy? Browse hay for horses for sale in New York from local farms on Empire State Haymarket.
