"candied" oat hay???

[caryn]

Hi All,
I'm moving my horses to a new boarding facility that serves mostly "candied" oat hay. The owner says he throws some alfalfa/grass, but prefers the oat. He buys once a year, so the horses' diet is pretty consistent. The "candied" part is a new term for me. I'm going to do some research on the nutrition side of this. I'll probably have the hay analyzed, but would love to hear anyone's thoughts about or experiences with this type of hay. Would you recommend it?

MTA: All the horses had good weight, so they're doing something right. Ally and Gypsy will also have pasture to graze on, so they'll get grass too. 6 horses on 50 acres! Probably sounds normal to the Washington folk, but around here, that's HUGE!!!

[cutiepiepmu]

I have heard the term "candied" in relation to alfalfa generally for dairy use. The hay is allowed to ferment before it is fed - it is generally yellow and smells sickeningly sweet because of the molds. I know that if fed to horses it can cause SERIOUS colic and potentially be fatal..... I would be very concerned and would probably NOT EVER feed that to my horses if it is the same thing....


Hmm....

sara

[caryn]

Oh my. I doubt it is the same thing. The horses all looked very healthy and happy. My farrier knows a few people that have boarded there for years. She says she'd board a horse there and that the hay is good quality, but not exceptional. I actually didn't see the hay. I'm going to buy a couple of bales to start my kids on it over the next 4 weeks and will have it analyzed. I didn't find anything on the internet using the term "candied" and I've asked several people and they didn't know either... I've heard the term before, I know I have. I think he may be talking about "red" oat hay which is supposed to be a bit sweeter than regular oat. Definitely oat, not alfalfa.