 Smooth Brome
The bromes are well adapted to Manitoba growing conditions. Smooth
brome is a tall, soft leafy-stemmed grass that horses find very palatable. It is
reasonably easy to cure and makes dark brown-green hay. |
 Orchard grass
Orchard grass makes very palatable soft hay that is a bright green
in color. It is a leafy plant with few stems. It is grown in the moister areas of Manitoba
and is generally used as pasture grass. It combines well with alfalfa and is often grown
in a mixture. |
 Meadow Brome
Meadow Brome is generally used as a pasture grass as it has
many basal leaves, few stems and good regrowth capabilities. However, it is often used as
a hay grass as it combines well with alfalfa, not being as aggressive as smooth brome.
Meadow brome cures into soft medium green leafy hay that horses find very palatable.
|
 Intermediate wheatgrass
Intermediate wheatgrass is a tall growing forage with medium coarse leafy stems. It
cures into medium green, dust free hay. It is palatable to horses and when harvested at
later maturity PMU operators favor it. |
 Timothy
Timothy has long been a favorite hay for horses. It is easily cured
into bright lime-green colored hay that is dust free. It’s nutrient content is well
suited as a mature horse diet. Stems and leaves are large but soft. Horses find the hay
very palatable. |
 Crested wheatgrass
Crested wheatgrass is a fine stemmed, leafy grass. It is easily
cured into medium green colored hay that is dust free. When harvested in early head it is
comparable in quality to other grass hays. Harvested after heading the quality declines
and makes it a hay favored by PMU (Pregnant Mares Urine) operators. Horses like crested
wheatgrass but if harvested at late maturity the stems tend to be stiff and the hay is
less palatable. |
 Alfalfa
Alfalfa is well adapted to Manitoba growing conditions. Alfalfa is very palatable and
horses love it. It is reasonable easy to cure and makes a rich dark green colored hay.
Alfalfa is generally higher in nutrients and energy than grass hay which makes it an
ideal choice for horse owners with mares in late gestation, lactation, or growing foals.
However, horses with lower nutritional needs may get fat on alfalfa and grass hay may be a
better choice. |
Varieties to
Avoid
Alsike clover, sweet clover, silage, sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids or forages
with large awns like barley green feed or canary seed. |
