New harvest 2025 with low-sugar hay / News

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For a few weeks now, it has been planned to provide an update on the new harvest. We have been receiving new batches of hay since the end of May. The hay is of exceptional quality but has a lot of sugars and little protein? This is an undesirable combination for our product. Of course, we must realize that the sheep with five legs does not walk around. We are massively searching for something that is not or very little available. Now that we are further into the harvest, we have more information. We can now sketch a better picture of the harvest and the hay that will be available in the coming year.

Difference in hay quality 2024 and 2025

In contrast to 2024, the year 2025 is very dry, both in spring and summer. While sugar-poor hay was sufficiently available in 2024, there was very little "nice hay" in the sense of green, fresh-smelling, and low in dust. The wet 2024 harvest resulted in harvesting being possible only very late in the summer (from the end of July) on a still mostly wet ground. The consequence was a lot of dust, coarse hay with a less pleasant smell, and a less beautiful green color. Regardless of the origin, this was the case throughout Europe.

This year we do not see all these disadvantages. We have nice green hay, with a fresh smell, and we see practically no dust in the hay. From all the analyses we have made of our bales so far, a general picture emerges of a lot of sugar and little protein.

Cause of higher sugar content in meadow hay and herbal hay

For years we have been seeing an average increase in sugars in hay, and in our view, this can be traced 1 to 1 to the changing climate. It is more often warm and dry, but also longer periods of continuous warmth and dryness. Due to this combination, grass increasingly enters a stress mode.

When grass enters a stress mode, it no longer focuses on growth but on survival. As a result, growth is stunted, which hinders protein production, and the grass stores sugars like crazy to be able to survive in harsh times. We see similar developments in the grass in all dry years, and we are afraid that this will become more of a trend than an exceptional year.

Check hay analysis if your horse is sensitive to sugar

Many owners of animals that are sensitive to sugars, such as laminitic horses or horses with Cushing's (PPID), regularly find themselves at their wits' end. How can you prepare yourself for a year like this with a lot of sugars in the grass? For some animals, every gram of sugar counts. The roughage for horses is usually obtained from the combination of fresh grass through grazing and hay. In a year like this, the fresh grass is also richer in sugar, so it adds up.

Our advice is to offer the fresh grass in small pieces and let the grass grow as much as possible, so it is rich in structure with a lot of diversity, and if possible, also rich in herbs. Ideally, a horse has unlimited hay, as a horse produces stomach acid 24/7 and this is neutralized with roughage. In nature, a horse can graze unlimitedly on old, uncut pastures. Poor hay comes closest to these old, overgrown pastures.

Make your horse work for hay

When you provide unlimited hay that is too rich or too much for your horse, you can better offer the roughage in a form that presents more of a challenge. A way in which a horse has to work harder for the hay. In nature, a horse also has to work to graze. Aside from grazing itself, the animal will also have to search for suitable grazing opportunities.

The above story can be included in your own plan. Offering hay in feed nets or other slow feeder methods ensures that your horse has to put in effort to get its roughage. Furthermore, I would always motivate horses sensitive to sugars to move. This way, your horse processes the sugars in its body better. You can do this by riding, and if that is not possible, by lunging them or taking a nice walk in the woods, which is good for both you and your horse.

Hay to You is here for you

What you can count on as a customer of Hay to You is that we ensure you have the right roughage that suits your animal. Whether it needs to be low in energy, sugar-poor, or rich in protein, very coarse, or fine. We always have batches that fit you. All hay is always analyzed per batch. This way, you know exactly what the sugar percentage is. If your horse or pony is sensitive or has a specific ration, it is important that you do not choose a batch with an average analysis!

In addition to the analysis, the structure and composition of the hay are also important. Therefore, always check the photo of the hay. Unfortunately, you cannot extract the smell and taste from that. Prefer to test first? Then order the sample box first. This way, you can be sure that your animal is presented with the right hay.

Service and contact

Aside from the beautiful batches, we strive for the best service. We ensure delivery to your home on a day of your choice. Our super drivers will place everything neatly inside. This way, you have time left to enjoy your animals, because let's not forget, this is the reason why these beautiful animals are in our lives. With the remaining time, you can take that lovely walk in the woods together! And do you have questions? Then contact us. We are happy to think along with you!