What your horse ingests is obviously one of the most important factors in his health. Often times a large part of his diet is hay. If you give your horse musty or moldy hay, there’s a pretty good chance that he could end up with colic. Here are some tips on what to look for, and avoid, when choosing hay:
Tip 1) If it looks bad, it probably is. If you’re looking at a bale that is black or grey, chances are that it’s probably something that you don’t want. A healthy bale will have an undeniable greenish hue.
Tip 2) Scratch and Sniff. Pretty much everyone has inhaled the smell of freshly cut grass. Try to dig into the middle of the hay a little bit. The closer the hay smells to that fresh-cut smell, the better off you’ll be. Hay that smells musty and moldy probably is.
Tip 3) Touch it. Good hay will have a "poofy" feel to it. Typically, bad hay will have accumulated moisture and have a gushy feel.