Q. What are the pros and cons of choosing teff hay for horses?

—Via e-mail

A. Teff is a warm-season annual grass originally developed and grown in Ethiopia as a grain. In recent years it has become popular among North American horse owners looking to reduce the amount of sugar in their horses’ diets. It tends to (but doesn’t always) store fewer water-soluble NSCs, says Natalie Shaw, PAS, than other hay types.

Shaw is an equine nutrition specialist and lifelong horse owner based in the Pacific Northwest. Currently, she is pursuing a master of science from Washington State University, studying the effects of growing and harvesting on teff hay’s nonstructural carbohydrate values.

“If you had a pile of teff, a pile of timothy, and a pile of alfalfa, the teff tends to have less NSCs—but not always,” she says. “I have seen it as high as 22% NSC.”

But, on average, she says, teff can be grown so it’s lower in simple sugars and starch than other grasses.

Also remember that low-carbohydrate does not mean low-calorie. “Teff grass can be harvested to have both low caloric value or high caloric value,” Shaw says. “In my teff research protein values have ranged from 5% to 22%. So, as you seek out teff hay for horses, don’t assume that all teff is created equal. Never buy teff without an analysis.”