Hay Types Compared: Timothy vs Orchard vs Alfalfa

There is no single best hay; it depends on the horse. A good-quality, soft, leafy grass hay like timothy or orchard grass suits many seniors because it is moderate in protein and calories and easy to chew. Horses needing more condition or protein may benefit from some alfalfa, while metabolic horses need tested low-NSC forage. The right choice balances the horse's body condition, dental health, and any conditions like PPID or EMS. Your vet or nutritionist can help you decide.

Alfalfa is neither simply good nor bad; it is a high-protein, high-calcium, calorie-dense legume hay. It can be excellent for thin seniors or hard keepers who need to gain weight and for buffering stomach acid, and it is often more digestible than mature grass hay. The downsides are excess calories for easy keepers, a calcium-to-phosphorus imbalance if fed as the only forage, and richness that does not suit every horse. Many owners feed a grass hay base with some alfalfa.

Mature grass hays such as timothy, orchard, and brome tend to run lower in NSC than immature, lush, or stressed forage, but the only way to know is a forage analysis, since values vary widely by cutting and growing conditions. Teff is often promoted as a lower-NSC option. Whatever the type, a metabolic horse needs hay tested under about 10 to 12 percent NSC, and soaking can lower a borderline batch. Never assume a hay type is safe by name alone.

Soft, leafy, fine-stemmed hay is easiest, and second or later cuttings are usually softer than coarse first cuttings. For horses with significant dental loss, quidding, or missing teeth, long-stem hay of any type may become impossible to chew safely, raising choke and weight-loss risk. In those cases vets often recommend chopped hay, soaked hay cubes or pellets, or a complete senior feed as a forage replacement. A dental exam guides the right approach.

Orchard grass and timothy are both popular cool-season grass hays with broadly similar moderate protein and calories. Orchard grass tends to be a bit softer and often higher yielding, which can make it more palatable and sometimes slightly higher in protein, while good timothy is prized for consistent quality and is widely available. For most seniors either works well. The deciding factors are usually local availability, quality of the specific cutting, and the individual horse's preference.

Teff is a warm-season annual grass hay that has become popular for metabolic and easy-keeper horses because well-managed teff can be lower in NSC than many other hays. It is typically soft and palatable. As with any forage, NSC still varies with growing and harvest conditions, so it must be tested rather than assumed safe. Teff can be a useful tool for laminitis-prone seniors, ideally chosen and tested with input from your vet or equine nutritionist.

As a baseline, horses eat roughly 1.5 to 2 percent of their body weight in forage daily, so about 15 to 20 pounds of hay for a 1,000-pound horse, adjusted for body condition and workload. Thin seniors may need more or higher-calorie forage, while easy keepers need controlled amounts. Horses who cannot chew long-stem hay get the equivalent in soaked cubes, pellets, or complete feed. Weigh your hay and monitor body condition, adjusting with your vet's guidance.