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The Complete Guide to Hay Quality Testing for Horses

By Schneider Saddlery • February 20, 2026 • 7 min read

You can have the most sophisticated feeding plan in the world, but if you don't know what's in your hay, you're still guessing. Hay is typically 50-100% of a horse's diet, and its nutritional content varies wildly depending on grass species, harvest timing, soil quality, and storage conditions.

A forage analysis costs $15-30 and takes the guesswork out of feeding. Here's everything you need to know.

Why Test Your Hay?

Two bales of "grass hay" from different farms can have dramatically different nutritional profiles:

Protein: Can range from 6% to 16%
Energy (DE): Can range from 0.7 to 1.1 Mcal/lb
NSC (sugar + starch): Can range from 5% to 25%+ (critical for metabolic horses)
Calcium-to-Phosphorus ratio: Imbalances can cause skeletal problems, especially in growing horses

Without testing, you're making feeding decisions based on assumptions. With testing, you know exactly what your horse is getting.

How to Collect a Hay Sample

A proper sample is critical for accurate results. A handful from one bale is not representative.

Get a hay corer. Many county extension offices lend hay corers for free. A corer (also called a hay probe) takes a uniform sample from the center of the bale.
Sample multiple bales. Core 12-20 bales from the same cutting/source. This gives you an average that represents the lot.
Mix the cores together in a clean bucket. Then take one quart-sized ziplock bag of the mixed sample.
Label the bag with hay type, source, and date.
Send to a certified lab within a few days. Keep the sample dry and out of direct sunlight.

Where to Send Your Sample

Recommended forage analysis labs:

Equi-Analytical (Ithaca, NY) — The gold standard for equine-specific forage testing. Offers the "Trainer" package designed specifically for horse owners.
Dairy One (Ithaca, NY) — Same parent company, extensive testing options.
Your state university extension service — Often offers affordable forage testing. Contact your local cooperative extension.

Request the Equine-specific panel which includes NSC (Non-Structural Carbohydrates). Standard dairy panels often don't include NSC.

Understanding Your Results

Here are the key numbers to look at and what they mean:

Measurement	Ideal Range	Why It Matters
Dry Matter (DM)	85-90%	Basis for all other calculations. Under 80% means hay is too wet (mold risk).
Crude Protein (CP)	8-14%	Below 8% for a working horse means protein supplementation is needed.
ADF (Acid Detergent Fiber)	30-38%	Indicator of digestibility. Higher ADF = less digestible.
NDF (Neutral Detergent Fiber)	40-55%	Indicator of intake potential. Higher NDF = horse eats less voluntarily.
NSC (Sugar + Starch)	<12% for metabolic horses	Critical for horses with laminitis, Cushing's, IR, or PSSM.
DE (Digestible Energy)	0.8-1.0 Mcal/lb	Caloric content. Higher = richer hay.
Calcium:Phosphorus ratio	1.5:1 to 2:1	Must be at least 1:1. Inverted ratios are dangerous for growing horses.

What to Do With Your Results

Once you have your hay analysis, you can make precise feeding decisions:

Low protein hay: Add a ration balancer or protein supplement
High NSC hay: Soak for 30-60 minutes before feeding to metabolic horses (reduces sugar by 20-30%)
Low energy hay: You may need more pounds of it, or supplement with concentrate for working horses
Calcium-Phosphorus imbalance: Adjust mineral supplementation

How Often to Test

Test every time you get hay from a new source or a new cutting from the same source. At minimum, test once per year when you buy your primary hay supply. Hay from the same field cut in June vs. September can have very different nutritional profiles.