choosing a style of barn to build can be challenging. Different barn styles can accommodate various budgets, storage requirements, and ventilation/light options.

Do you know the energy and protein levels of your hay? What about the energy and protein requirements of your horse based on their type, condition, and workload?

The energy and protein content of hay depends on what type of hay it is. Hays are categorized into two different types; grass hays and legume hays.

Grass Hays
Compared to legume hay, grass hays have:
o More fiber (due to increased stalks)
o Less protein
o Fewer calories per pound

Be aware of the horse-per-acre ratio. You must be aware of how many acres are needed to provide your horse will enough pasture. The ratio is highly variable though. It depends on the type of grass in the pasture, the soil, the expected amount of hours grazed, pasture management, and the weather. In some cases, one horse only requires 1 acre, if the pasture is good. Yet if the pasture is poor, one horse might need 2.5 acres.

In a country as beautiful as the U.S., we have plenty of fantastic places to live. Deciding to move is full of aspirations, adventures, and unknowns. Yet, moving becomes difficult when you have to bring along your horses, tack, clothing, dogs, and everything else. So before packing your bags and loading up your horses, check out these pros and cons for each region west of the Mississippi.

Be aware of the horse-per-acre ratio. You must be aware of how many acres are needed to provide your horse will enough pasture. The ratio is highly variable though. It depends on the type of grass in the pasture, the soil, the expected amount of hours grazed, pasture management, and the weather.