Timothy Hay for Horses: Nutrition, Sugar Content and How to Choose the Right Cut

Timothy is one of the most requested grass hays in Alberta barns, and for good reason. It is easy to find, most horses eat it well, and it fits a wide range of feeding programs without adding a lot of extra calories.

But "timothy" on a bale tag does not tell you much on its own. The same grass can be soft and leafy or coarse and stemmy depending on when it was cut, how it dried, and how it was stored through the winter.

This guide covers what timothy hay actually provides, how its sugar levels work, which horses it suits, and what to look at before you load a trailer. Everything here is written for Alberta conditions, where short haying windows and long cold winters change how forage behaves.

What Is Timothy Hay for Horses?

Timothy hay for horses is a cool-season grass hay made from Phleum pratense, a perennial grass grown widely across the Canadian prairies. It is cut, field-dried, and baled as long-stem forage.

Timothy is easy to recognize by its seed head, which looks like a narrow cylinder or cat-tail at the top of the stem. Growers often use that seed head to judge maturity at cutting time.

It is a grass hay, not a legume. That is the main reason it behaves differently from alfalfa in a feeding program — grass hays are generally higher in fibre and lower in protein and calcium than legumes.

Alberta and the neighbouring prairie provinces produce a large share of North America's export-grade timothy. The dry harvest conditions here tend to preserve colour and reduce leaf damage, which is part of why Alberta's climate produces high-quality export hay.

Is Timothy Hay Good for Horses?

Yes. Timothy hay is a suitable forage base for most healthy adult horses because it supplies steady fibre and moderate energy without the higher protein and calcium load of a legume hay.

That said, "good" depends on the horse in front of you. A pregnant mare, a growing yearling, and a retired gelding with worn teeth all need different things from the same bale.

Timothy works especially well as the foundation of a forage-first diet. Many Alberta owners feed timothy as the main hay and then add a small amount of concentrate or a ration balancer to fill specific gaps.

The practical advantage is control. Because timothy sits in the middle of the nutrient range, it is easier to build a balanced ration around it than around a very rich or very poor forage.

What Is the Nutritional Value of Timothy Hay?

Timothy hay's nutrition depends far more on maturity at cutting than on the grass species itself. Early-cut timothy is leafy and nutrient-dense. Late-cut timothy is stemmy, higher in fibre, and lower in protein.

The University of Georgia's equine program notes that cool-season grasses such as timothy and orchardgrass typically fall in a crude protein range of roughly 10 to 16 percent, depending on maturity and fertilization.

Published forage databases show the practical spread clearly. The table below uses commonly referenced timothy profiles to show how maturity shifts the numbers.

Cutting stage	Crude protein (approx.)	NDF (approx.)	What it usually means in practice
Early / leafy	~14%	~55%	Softer, more digestible, suits growing or working horses
Mid maturity	~11%	~61%	General-purpose horse hay for most adult horses
Late / mature	~8%	~69%	Coarse and stemmy, better suited to easy keepers

Two quick definitions so the table is usable.

Crude protein is an estimate of total protein. It drops as the plant puts energy into stems and seed heads instead of leaves.

NDF (neutral detergent fibre) measures insoluble fibre. Higher NDF generally means the horse will voluntarily eat less of it, which matters if you need a horse to hold weight.

Alberta Agriculture forage specialist Barry Yaremcio has put the maturity effect in plain terms: for every week a stand is left past its prime, protein can fall by roughly one to one and a half percentage points and energy can drop by about five percent.

Important caveat. These are published general ranges for timothy as a forage type. They are not the guaranteed analysis of any particular bale or load. The only way to know what is in your hay is a lab test, which we cover in our guide to reading a hay analysis report.

Is Timothy Hay Low in Sugar?

Not automatically. Timothy is a cool-season grass, and cool-season grasses store energy as sugars and fructans, so timothy can test higher in sugar than many owners expect.

Kentucky Equine Research points out that cool-season perennials like timothy and orchardgrass often run higher in non-structural carbohydrates than warm-season grasses. Interestingly, alfalfa frequently tests lower in NSC than many grass hays.

So the common assumption that "grass hay equals low sugar" does not hold up. Species alone is not a reliable predictor.

What NSC number should you aim for?

Oregon State University Extension cites the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine guideline of keeping NSC — measured as water-soluble carbohydrates plus starch — under 10 percent for horses with equine metabolic syndrome.

Some nutritionists work with a slightly wider target. Kentucky Equine Research suggests under 12 percent is workable for forages, since horses consume hay slowly rather than in one large meal.

Term on a hay analysis	What it measures	Why it matters
WSC	Simple sugars plus fructans	Broad sugar measure used in most NSC calculations
ESC	Simple sugars only (excludes fructans)	Often preferred for insulin-dysregulated horses
Starch	Storage carbohydrate	Added to WSC or ESC to calculate NSC
NSC	A calculated value, not a measured one	Always ask which two numbers were added together

The practical takeaway for Alberta owners is simple. If you are feeding a horse with laminitis, insulin dysregulation, PPID, or a history of founder, you need a hay test — not a hay name.

Two more of our guides go deeper here: what Canadian owners should know about low-sugar hay and whether soaking hay actually reduces sugar.

Any horse with a diagnosed metabolic condition should have its forage plan reviewed by a veterinarian or equine nutritionist.

Which Horses Are Best Suited to Timothy Hay?

Timothy tends to fit horses that need reliable fibre without a lot of surplus calories or protein. That describes a large share of the horses in Alberta barns.

Good candidates usually include:

•      Adult horses at maintenance or in light to moderate work

•      Easy keepers that gain weight quickly on richer forage

•      Horses on a forage-first program with a ration balancer

•      Horses transitioning off pasture in the fall

•      Boarding barns that need a consistent hay across a mixed herd

Which horses may need more than timothy alone?

Some horses have higher requirements than a mid-maturity grass hay can meet on its own.

Growing horses, lactating mares, hard-working performance horses, and horses trying to regain condition often need additional protein, energy, or specific amino acids. In those cases timothy still works as the fibre base, with alfalfa or a fortified feed layered on top.

Senior horses are a separate case. Dental function usually matters more than age — a senior that can still chew long-stem hay does fine on timothy, while one with poor molars may need chopped hay, cubes, or a soaked complete feed instead. Our best senior horse feeds guide covers those options.

What Is the Difference Between First and Second Cut Timothy Hay?

First cut timothy is the season's initial harvest and is generally coarser, with more stem and more visible seed heads. Second cut regrowth is usually softer, leafier, and denser in nutrients.

Timothy has a useful advantage over some other grasses here. UNH Extension notes that timothy matures later than orchardgrass, which gives growers a better chance of cutting it at the right stage rather than being forced into a late, stemmy first cut.

The same extension resource points out that second and third cuttings show little stem or seed-head development, which is why regrowth cuts often make very high quality hay.

That does not mean second cut is always the better buy. A stemmy first cut can be exactly right for an easy keeper who needs chew time more than calories.

In Alberta the second-cut window is tight. A stand generally needs about 45 days of regrowth before the first hard frost, which means some years simply do not produce a strong second cut.

We break the differences down further in our post on first cut versus second cut timothy hay.

How Does Timothy Hay Compare With Alfalfa and Orchard Grass?

Each of these forages has a place. The right one depends on the horse, not on which hay is "better."

Feature	Timothy Hay	Alfalfa Hay	Orchard Grass Hay
Plant type	Cool-season grass	Legume	Cool-season grass
Typical crude protein	Roughly 10–16% by maturity	Roughly 16–22%	Roughly 10–16% by maturity
Calcium level	Lower than legumes	Notably higher	Lower than legumes
Maturity timing	Later-maturing, wider harvest window	Cut by bloom stage	Early-maturing, narrow window
Texture	Distinct seed head, moderate stem	Leafy with thick stems	Softer, often more palatable
Common role	Forage base for most adult horses	Added for higher nutrient needs	Alternative grass base, good for picky eaters
Key watch-out	Sugar can still be high — test it	Can be too rich for easy keepers	First cut can be coarse if weather delays harvest

Many Alberta feeding programs use a blend rather than choosing one. A timothy base with a portion of alfalfa is a common way to lift protein without overloading calories.

For a side-by-side breakdown, see timothy hay vs alfalfa hay for horses and orchard grass vs timothy hay for horses.

How Do You Check Timothy Hay Quality Before You Buy?

Open a bale. Do not judge a load from the outside of a stack — the exterior tells you about weathering, not about what your horse will actually eat.

Work through these checks:

•      Colour. Green through the middle of the bale is a good sign. Sun-bleached outer flakes are normal; brown or grey throughout is not.

•      Smell. It should smell sweet and fresh. Musty, sour, or sharp odours point to mould or heating.

•      Leaf-to-stem ratio. More leaf and less coarse stem generally means more nutrients.

•      Seed heads. Heavy, fully emerged seed heads usually indicate a later cut and lower protein.

•      Dust. Shake a flake. A visible cloud is a problem for any horse, and a serious one for a horse with respiratory issues.

•      Weight and feel. Bales that feel unusually heavy for their size may have been baled too wet.

•      Foreign material. Check for weeds, twine, soil, and baled-in debris.

Moisture is the one factor that causes the most trouble. Hay baled around 12 to 15 percent moisture generally cures well; wetter than that raises the risk of mould and heating, while overly dry hay shatters its leaves and loses nutrients.

Export-grade timothy is typically held below 12 percent moisture, which is part of why premium Alberta timothy holds its colour so well.

Our post on seven signs you are buying bad hay covers the red flags in more detail.

How Should You Store Timothy Hay Through an Alberta Winter?

Store it off the ground, under cover, with air moving around the stack. Those three things prevent most of the spoilage Alberta owners run into.

Ground contact is the biggest single cause of loss. Pallets, railway ties, or a gravel pad keep moisture from wicking up into the bottom row.

Snow load and spring melt cause the second wave of problems. A stack that looked fine in January can develop a mouldy bottom layer by April if meltwater pools underneath it.

If you are tarping outdoors, leave the sides open enough for airflow. A fully sealed tarp traps condensation and creates exactly the conditions you were trying to avoid.

Bale format matters for storage too. Small square bales are easier to handle and rotate but take more labour, while round bales store more volume with less handling — a trade-off we cover in round bales vs small square bales for horses.

How Much Timothy Hay Does a Horse Need Per Day?

University of Minnesota Extension notes that horses require at least one percent of their body weight in roughage daily, will willingly eat two to two and a half percent when given free access, and that most horses should consume about two percent of their body weight in hay each day.

For a 1,000 lb horse, that two percent guideline works out to roughly 20 lb of hay per day as a starting point.

That is a starting point, not a prescription. Actual intake depends on body weight, body condition score, workload, age, dental health, pasture access, other feeds in the ration, and the quality of the hay itself.

Cold weather increases it further. Alberta horses typically need more forage through a hard winter, because hindgut fermentation of fibre is a meaningful source of body heat.

If a horse needs to lose weight, forage should generally not be cut below about 1.5 percent of body weight without veterinary guidance, since restricting fibre too far creates gastrointestinal and behavioural problems.

For the full calculation method, see how much hay a horse eats in a day.

Finding Timothy Hay That Fits Your Horses

The bale that suits a retired easy keeper is not the bale that suits a growing three-year-old in work. Cutting, maturity, and storage all change what you are actually feeding.

Horse Creek Hay & Feed grows and supplies forage from Rocky View County, with delivery across much of Alberta. You can browse our current hay supply, including timothy square bales, or look at timothy-alfalfa cubes if you need a processed option for a senior or a hard-to-chew horse.

If you are not sure which cut fits your herd, get in touch with our team and tell us what you are feeding, how many horses, and what your storage looks like. We will point you toward what is actually available rather than what sounds good on paper.

Conclusion

Timothy hay for horses earns its popularity by being predictable, widely available, and easy to build a ration around. It provides solid fibre and moderate energy for most adult horses without the richness of a legume hay.

The part worth remembering is that timothy is a category, not a specification. Maturity at cutting drives protein, fibre, and digestibility far more than the grass species does, and sugar content cannot be judged by species at all.

Open the bale, check the leaf and the smell, ask about the cut, and test the hay if you are feeding a metabolic horse. For individual feeding decisions, work with your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can horses eat timothy hay every day?

Yes. Timothy is commonly fed as a daily forage base for adult horses and is intended for continuous feeding rather than occasional use. Horses need near-constant access to fibre for digestive health. Just make sure the rest of the ration covers any vitamins, minerals, or protein the hay does not supply.

What does good timothy hay look like?

Good timothy is green through the centre of the bale, smells fresh and slightly sweet, and has more leaf than coarse stem. You will see the characteristic cylindrical seed heads, but they should not dominate the bale. Sun-bleaching on the outside is normal and does not indicate poor quality inside.

Is timothy hay safe for horses with laminitis?

It can be, but only if a lab test confirms the sugar and starch levels are appropriate for that horse. Timothy is a cool-season grass and can test higher in non-structural carbohydrates than owners expect. Never assume a grass hay is safe for a laminitic horse based on species alone — have the hay analysed and have your veterinarian review the result.

How long does baled timothy hay stay good?

Properly cured hay stored off the ground and under cover can hold acceptable feeding quality for a year or more, though vitamin content declines over time. Colour fades gradually, which is normal. Hay that has been rained on, stored on bare dirt, or sealed under a tight tarp can spoil in a single season.

Do horses like the taste of timothy hay?

Most horses accept timothy readily, which is one reason it is so widely used. Palatability tends to track maturity — softer, leafier cuts are usually eaten more eagerly than coarse, stemmy ones. If a horse is turning up its nose at good-quality timothy, check for dust, mould, or a dental issue before assuming it is a preference problem.