Question

My 20-year-old Arabian mare is moderately thin with a weak topline. She has a history of insulin resistance and mild laminitis. The insulin resistance is kept in check by diet, exercise, and metformin. I ride her three days a week, just light work, but hand-walk her one to two miles a day when I don’t ride. For the last 10 months, she has eaten hay very low in protein (3%), but the new hay I’ve purchased is significantly higher (14%). She’s fed 12 lb (5.5 kg) of soaked timothy hay divided into three meals, 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) of ration balancer divided into three meals, and some supplements (natural-source vitamin E, magnesium, salt). Because of this change, I am considering switching her to a balancer pellet that is lower in protein.

Answer

Thank you for including the forage analyses for both the old and new hays. The protein content of the old hay suggests low quality due to advanced maturity. The new hay is much more appropriate for your mare as long as the sugar and starch content is in line with any dietary restrictions she may have due to her metabolic problems. Sourcing a hay that is low in sugar and starch may allow you to stop soaking the hay.

I expect you will see an improvement in your mare’s condition and muscling with the new hay. Even though the new hay contains significantly more crude protein, you can continue to feed her the current ration balancer.