Feeding for the Frost: Why Hay is Your Thoroughbred’s Best Friend This Season
As the crisp mornings roll in across New South Wales, the change of seasons brings more than just a change in scenery. For our retired racehorses, the drop in temperature requires a shift in how we manage their daily care. While a cozy rug is a staple in the paddock, the real secret to keeping a Thoroughbred warm and healthy starts from the inside out.
The Natural Internal Heater
Did you know that long-stemmed forage, like hay, acts as a natural heater for your horse? Unlike grains or concentrates, which are processed quickly, hay is broken down through fermentation in the hindgut.
This fermentation process generates a significant amount of metabolic heat, providing a natural and steady way to maintain a stable body temperature during those freezing nights.
Why Forage Matters for Retired Racehorses
Maintaining body condition is a priority for Thoroughbreds in the Team Thoroughbred NSW retraining and rehoming program. As the grass loses its nutritional value in the cooler months, hay provides:
- Digestive Health: Constant foraging mimics a horse’s natural grazing behaviour, helping to prevent gastric ulcers and keeping the digestive tract moving.
- Mental Well-being: Boredom can lead to “stable vices.” Having a steady supply of hay keeps horses occupied and mentally stimulated.
- Stable Weight: Providing free-choice hay ensures that energy isn’t wasted solely on keeping warm, allowing the horse to maintain the muscle and topline needed for their new careers.
From Our Farms to Their Feed Bin
At Racing NSW, we are committed to the lifelong welfare of our retired racehorses. Racing NSW proudly owns and operates dedicated hay production facilities at Bylong Valley and Singleton. These farms began full production in 2023, a move that has been vital for both our horses and our sustainability. The high-quality hay produced at these locations is distributed across our network to support horses at all Team Thoroughbred NSW properties, including:
- “Bart’s Farm” (Castlereagh)
- “Bandanora” (Capertee)
- “The Grange” (Oxley Island)
- “Glenferrie Farm” (Crookwell)
- “St Heliers” (Muswellbrook)
- “Belltrees” (Scone)
By managing our own land and production, we can guarantee that every bale is packed with the nutrients our horses need to thrive, no matter what the New South Wales weather throws at them.
Choosing the Right Fuel: Common Hay Types
There is often confusion regarding which bale to grab at the feed store. Here is a breakdown of the most common varieties used in New South Wales:
- Lucerne: High in protein and calcium, Lucerne is the “premium” fuel. It is excellent for Thoroughbreds needing to put on weight or those in active retraining. However, because it is so nutrient-dense, it should often be fed in moderation or mixed with a grass hay to prevent an oversupply of protein.
- Oaten Hay: A popular choice for maintaining condition. It is generally very palatable and provides good energy levels. It is a fantastic “internal heater” hay, though you should check that it is harvested at the right stage to ensure the stems aren’t too coarse.
- Wheaten Hay: Like oaten hay, but often slightly lower in sugar. It is a great bulk forage that keeps the digestive system moving without causing the “fizz” sometimes associated with higher-energy feeds.
- Teff or Native Grass Hay: These are lower-calorie options. They are perfect for “good doers” or as a secondary forage source provided in slow-feed nets to keep a horse occupied throughout the day without excessive weight gain.
Fuel Grades: A Grade vs. B Grade
When choosing your forage, understanding the grade can help you target your horse’s specific winter needs:
- A Grade Hay: This premium forage is harvested at the absolute optimum time and cured under perfect weather conditions with zero rain damage. It retains a striking green colour and holds onto its leaves, where the bulk of the nutrients live. Since it has a high digestibility rate, the horse absorbs more nutrients per mouthful. A Grade is best used for Thoroughbreds in active retraining or hard work, spelling or retired horses struggling to hold condition, and mares in foal or growing youngstock.
- B Grade Hay: While still highly nutritious, safe, and clean, B Grade hay may have been cut slightly later in the plant’s life cycle or baled with coarser stems. This higher structural fibre means it takes longer to ferment in the hindgut, generating a steady supply of metabolic heat to keep horses warm on freezing nights. Its lower sugar and protein content makes it an exceptional, economical choice for free-choice feeding, boredom-busting, and managing “good doers” or horses prone to metabolic issues without the risk of caloric overload.
Recommendations for Feeding Hay:
To ensure your horse stays in peak condition throughout the colder months, a consistent and strategic approach to forage is essential. Here is a guide to optimising your hay program:
When to Feed
- The “Sunset” Strategy: Always provide a fresh portion of hay in the late afternoon or early evening. Because the fermentation process peaks several hours after ingestion, feeding at dusk ensures your horse’s “internal heater” is running at full capacity during the coldest hours of the night.
- Small and Frequent: Ideally, horses should not go more than four hours without access to forage. Dividing the daily ration into multiple feedings helps maintain a steady digestive pH and prevents boredom.
- Three times daily feeding rather than twice daily, smaller concentrate meals throughout the day.
Where to Feed
- Sheltered Areas: If feeding in a paddock, place hay in a three-sided shelter or a high-ground area to keep it dry.
- Slow Feeders and Nets: Using slow-feed hay nets or specialised feeders is highly recommended. These mimic natural grazing by slowing down consumption, reducing waste from trampling, and keeping the horse occupied for longer periods.
- Multiple Stations: If your horses are in a herd, provide one more hay station. This prevents dominant horses from guarding the food and ensures everyone gets their fair share of warmth.
- Wet Hay: In winter, horses often drink less water because of the cold. Feeding damp hay increases their moisture intake, which helps move food through the digestive tract and reduces the risk of impaction colic. Additionally, soaking hay for 30–60 minutes can help “wash out” excess non-structural carbohydrates (sugars), which is beneficial for horse’s sensitive to laminitis or metabolic issues. It also eliminates dust and fungal spores, which is crucial for maintaining clear airways in stabled horses or those prone to respiratory sensitivity.
How much
- All horses should receive a daily intake of 1.5% of body weight per day with good quality hay or equivalent (grass). This equates to 7.5kg of hay per day for a 500kg horse.
