New hay? Just a little more patience.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve regularly been asked: “The weather has been lovely, so surely you must have new hay already?” And we completely understand why. The weather was beautiful in late April and May, and in many places you can already see cut grass in the fields. It often feels like a sure sign that the new hay season has begun.
But appearances can be a little deceptive. New hay is definitely on its way, but it will be a while before it is truly ready for our horses.
Why isn’t there any new hay yet?
The grass being cut now is often not the hay we’re looking for. In many cases, this grass is baled in plastic, or the quality simply isn’t good enough for horse hay yet.
Good horse hay is generally not baled until early to mid-June. There is an important reason for this: the grass first needs to be sufficiently mature. Good horse hay has gone to seed and is fully headed out. Only then does it have the structure and characteristics we are looking for.
Weather conditions also play an important role. In April and May, the nights are often still too humid and relatively short. As a result, the grass does not dry sufficiently to make good-quality hay.
Feeding new hay? Better not just yet
Something we see almost every year is horses being given freshly harvested hay too soon. That’s understandable, of course, because freshly harvested hay sounds appealing. However, it is not always a wise choice. Fresh hay is still undergoing a natural preservation process, which can cause digestive problems or colic in horses.
That’s why we always recommend leaving new hay to rest for at least 4 to 6 weeks after baling. Ideally, you should wait until around 1 August before starting to feed new hay.
Switching from old to new hay
When the time comes, it is best not to switch completely to new hay all at once. The characteristics of freshly harvested hay often differ from those of the previous harvest, and horses also need time to adjust.
Make the transition gradually over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Mix increasing amounts of new hay with the old hay. This gives your horse time to get used to the characteristics of the new hay.
What are the growing conditions like?
It is currently quite dry in many parts of Northwestern Europe. We saw similar conditions a few years ago, and unfortunately drought can affect the quality of the grass and, for example, its sugar content.
Fortunately, many areas had some rain in May. It has been dry since then, and the forecasts show more rain to come. Now we’re hoping for the perfect combination: a little more rain to help the grass grow, followed by dry weather in June when it is time to make hay.
Let’s hope the weather is on our side.
For now: we’re still searching
For the time being, we still have several good-quality lots available online. At the same time, we are noticing that finding good hay from the previous harvest is gradually becoming more difficult.
Behind the scenes, we’re continuing our search for good-quality lots so that you can still order enough hay from the 2025 harvest before the new harvest is ready to be fed.
Questions? We’re happy to help!
Do you have questions about new hay, switching to a new harvest or forage in general? Feel free to send us a message. We’re happy to help you and your horse.