Coleman said horse owners need to start planning for the feeding period now. Horses need good-quality hay to thrive in times when pasture forage is not plentiful or just not available. | Photo: Courtesy University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture

Wild weather in the Midwest has left livestock producers on the hunt for hay very early in the year. As a result, horse owners might have a difficult time finding it when they need it later this year.

“With the weather conditions across the Midwest and Western U.S., the hay crop may be less than what is normal,” said Bob Coleman, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment equine extension specialist. “Not only horse owners but cattle producers, as well, are going to need forage for their animals, and reduced harvests can put those looking for hay in a tighter market than they are used to. Locally, we’ve had a lot of rain, too, and that complicates things with our own hay harvest.”

Coleman said horse owners need to start planning for the feeding period now. Horses need good-quality hay to thrive in times when pasture forage is not plentiful or just not available