long stem hay for horses

Question
hello ma'am, why long stem hay good for horses? how many times a day should i feed hay to racing thoroughbreds? should i feed only timothy hay or other breed is also suggested?

Answer
Hi Rohit,

Thank you for your question.  Horses digestive systems are designed to live off forages and they are good at digesting most suitable forage sources.  Long stem forages (as opposed to forages in the form of pellets or chunks) encourage chewing which equates to increased saliva production and that saliva neutralizes stomach acid that could otherwise lead to stomach ulcers.  Long stem forage also seems to promote health bacteria populations in the horse's hindgut, keeping the digestive system healthy.  

The type of long stem forage that you choose to feed really depends on what you have available in your region.  Legumes like alfalfa, clover and trefoil are more nutrient dense and probably better suited to racehorses with higher energy requirements.  Grasses like timothy, bromegrass, etc are less nutrient dense and often fed to pleasure horses, although they are suitable for any horse.  

Thanks, Corlena