Re: Need help today!! Info on quality hay

["Judy Finchum" <judy@telecomm.umetel.maine.edu>]

From:          "Bill and Jan Stevens" <circlebarranch@mcn.net>
To:            "Judy Finchum" <judy@telecomm.umetel.maine.edu>
Subject:       Re: Need help today!! Info on quality hay
Date:          Wed, 15 Aug 2001 11:35:32 -0600

Jan Stevens writes:

<Feeding quality hay to horses is of the utmost importance.  Brown hay that
"doesn't smell very good" is just asking for problems.  Colic being top on
the list.  I can understand with the current price of hay (at least around
here) what it is to try to get as much as you can for as little as you can,
but when feeding horses one has to be careful.

We feed our horses grass hay-crested wheat cross etc.  We try not to feed
too much alfalfa since it is so high in protein...they don't need it...

I'm not sure on the oak leaves in the hay...hopefully someone else has
better information on that.>

Thanks, Jan...

I do think I have read that oak leaves (or any dried leaves?) are not 
good for horses....may be moldy or have fungus?  I'm looking for some 
documentation.   Just switching hay can cause problems.  I *know* these things,
as do the other boarders, but I was hoping for a web site that would provide
some science to back it up.  

Judy
Orono, ME