--- In EquineCushings@..., "n.eike" <n.eike@...> wrote:

I am going to be shopping for hay. I live in Maryland, what kind of
hay is more likely to be safe?

Presuming IR you would want to stay away from Alfalfa if I'm not
mistaken.

I cannot find any hay that is already
tested,

Betcha can.

so I will have to buy it and then hope that the tests show that
that I don't have to soak it through the winter.

Nikita and Mr.Thewell

I've found some very quickly. Call all large animal vets in your area,
and even wider area, and ask first if he or she is familiar with IR,
Cushings, etc.

A vet I haven't even used yet is where I found tested hay. In my local
area. And specifically tested for sugar content for IR horse owners.
Cool, no?

A practice we should all follow is to ask every grower if they have
their hay tested. It will encourage them to do so.

My BIL is a hay grower. Horse specialist hay, small bale, very careful
with what he plants, when he harvests, and has his hay tested.

His customers, of course, are all horse owners. (And blast it, he's
too far away for me to have it shipped to me ... would double the price).

That's the kind of grower you want to look for. If they aren't now
they soon will be, as hay for stock feed (non-horse) doesn't pay as
well as custom horse hay.

Donald R.