Silage Insights

Haylage for Horses

Bale Silage as Fodder for Horses

Taste preferences of horses in relation to hay, silage and haylage By Derek Cuddeford, Senior Lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

A recent study demonstrated that horses have a clear preference for silage. Dry matter content, chemical composition and acidity may all play a role. Read article

Using green fodder silage for feeding horses By Dr Michael Röcken, Veterinary at the Veterinary clinic Starnberg

In the last ten years, the importance of green fodder silage in horse feeding has been constantly increasing. In this article, Dr. Michael Röcken, veterinary at the Starnberg veterinary clinic, proposes that green fodder silage for horses is an excellent alternative to feeding hay. However, some basic rules for the production and use of haylage need to be followed. Read article

Bale Silage for Horses – a Growing Market in Germany By Dr. Wolfgang Sommer, fodder consultant and horse expert at the Agricultural Chamber Northrhine-Westfalia in Münster (Germany)

Despite economic stagnation, the interest in horse keeping in Germany is sound. At present there are about 1 million horses of varying breeds. New stables are under construction nationwide, and horse riding is a popular activity. In this article, Dr. Sommer illustrates this trend and the advantages of bale silage for horses, and gives six basic rules to produce optimum quality silage for horses. Read article

Bale silage – a Growing Role in Horse Fodder in France By Catherine Trillaud-Geyl, expert at the National Studs in Arnac-Pompadou (France)

Bale-wrapped fodder, which is an intermediate fodder between hay and silage, is being used increasingly to feed horses: when this technique was first introduced, it was limited to farm animals, but now it is spreading to riding and racing horses. In this article, Catherine Trillaud-Geyl describes the increasing role and the benefits of bale silage in horse feeding. Read article

Silage for Horses – a Growing Market in Scandinavia By Cecilia Müller, Ph.D. student in animal nutrition at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science; and Markku Saastamoinen, director of the MTT Equine Research in Finland

Today, the horse market has become the fourth largest source of income for Swedish farmers, while in Finland the number of horses grows by some 5% a year. As a result, more and more farmers are specialising in the production of forage for horses. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the benefits and the issues linked to feeding bale silage to horses and the changes required in silage/haylage production to suit horse owners. Read article

Haylage for Performance Horses

Feeding high protein diet to racing horses By Sara Muhonen, PhD-student, Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

Diets for racing horses often contain large amounts of concentrates to provide enough energy. Feeding concentrates increases the risk for metabolic disorders and stereotypic behaviour and high-energy forage might be a better alternative. The effects of high crude protein intake on exercise response in trotters eating only high-energy roughage are revealed in a recently published study. Read article

Haylage for performance horses By Derek Cuddeford, Senior Lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

All horses need fibre and the preferred source is long fibre, commonly referred to as forage, but more correctly described as roughage. The traditional source of roughage for horses is grass but this is not available all year-round in Northern Europe because of low winter temperatures, or in Southern Europe because of high summer temperatures! Read article

The use of Haylage in the Equestrian World

A vet’s perspective Interview with James Sutton, veterinary surgeon at the Royal Veterinary College in London.

For the last 25 years, James Sutton (MRCVS) has been the Head of the Veterinary Team at the world-renowned Horse of the Year Show which takes place in the UK every October. Highly respected in his field, Mr. Sutton has a wealth of experience in equine care and nutrition. He recently spoke to Silage Insights about his views on the use of haylage in the equestrian world. Read article