[Teresa's Hope]

Just wanted to know if a horse still needs hay when there is lots of grass.

[westerngrl]

I have heard that if you just keep a horse on grass you need an acre per horse.

[KiereeAngel86]

I am still feeding hay because I am only letting my guys graze for a short time each day because the grass is so green. I am hoping in about 2 weeks, i won't have to anymore but if you have them on straight pasture that is good quality, I don't see why you would still need to hay.

[luttrellfarms]

No. If you have plenty of grass you do not have to feed hay.

[ryu2832]

When my mares have 24hr access to the pastures they don't get hay. Unless there's bad weather, then I throw some hay in the run ins.

[katylynn06]

IMO no they don't need hay and may not even want it. I have some hay left from like 3 weeks ago and they touch it here and there other wise they are eating in pasture. I got lucky even with all of the rain our grass got green but didn't come up real fast. It's just now starting to come up and they have been grazing on it for about 3 weeks.

[walktrotcanter]

When I was in FL and kept my gelding and mare on 34 acres, (w/20 cattle)...I never hayed them, although sometimes during the winter I would give them "some", and they still never touched it. Although the grass wasn't AS green or plentiful, they still preferred it to the hay.
Where I board now, they are out full-time, except when they are being grained. They have free roam of close to 100 acres of pasture and "native settings" as I call it (lakes, creeks, woods, pasture, hills, etc.)...and the grass grows in thick and lush, and they hardly ever stay by the barn, BUT, the BO does keep about 2 fresh round rolls down by the barn, incase they ever decide that sounds better (there are about 15-20 horses out).
Typically, I prefer when my horses have stall and pasture time, just because in the summer it gets so hot, and winter it gets so cold (in most places OTHER than FL), but I try to do what makes them happiest, and go with a comfortable place for them to be at.

I would say if you WANTED to hay them as well, that would be a personal choice...but I would bet you $10 that they wouldn't eat it even if you put it out.