Grain and hay storage isn’t a complicated process , but it is an integral part of horse management. Improperly stored hay and grain can result in the loss of nutrients and decreased palatability. And there can be health hazards for your horses.

Edgar A. Ott, PhD, professor in the department of animal sciences at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla.; and John H. Burton, PhD, who recently retired as a professor of nutrition in the animal and poultry science department at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, stress the importance of keeping grain and hay sheltered from the weather and rodents, and from the horses.

"The ideal feed storage structure is one that is completely enclosed," says Burton. "Besides protecting the grain and hay from the elements, it is important to prevent the horses from indulging themselves. They can get into trouble fairly quickly if they get into the grain."

To insure that horses can’t get into the grain, it is best that the building or room has a door with a "horse-proof" latch. This storage building or room should also be as rodent-proof as possible