Interest in organic feeding is growing in popularity as horse owners recognize the potential for enhanced performance and optimized health for their horses. However, before you jump on the bandwagon (or in this case, haywagon), here are a few common myths and pitfalls to avoid.

1. Feeding organic hay is healthier.

True, but feeding nutritionally unbalanced organic hay is not. As hay is the largest portion of the equine diet, it will have the greatest impact on overall health. Finding a nutritionally-balanced source of organic hay can, however, be a bit of a challenge. The first reason is because there aren’t as many providers; the second is because some hay producers label their hay as ‘organic’ when in reality it just comes from an unmanaged field which coincidently means it is chemical- and pesticide-free. Hay from an old field that is abandoned and just left to grow up on its own “naturally” will most certainly contain weeds that are detrimental to health, outweighing the benefits.

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