We do not send a physical kit for this analysis. Please wait for us to email you the instructions on how to best collect your sample and how to return this to ourselves. This email will also include a link to our form, where you can enter details about your horse(s), this will help us to calculate your bespoke feed recommendations*.
This Full NIR Nutritional Analysis gives information on the nutritional value of your hay. Particularly relevant is information on sugar (ESC and WSC separately) and starch levels for laminitic horses.
The report is carried out by an international laboratory using high-tech near-infrared technology to identify a full range of data – Dry Matter, Digestible Energy, Crude Protein, Acid Detergent Fibre, Neutral Detergent Fibre, Water Soluble Carbohydrates, ESC (Simple Sugars), Starch, and Non-Fibre Carbohydrates.
This information is vitally important when feeding laminitic horses. An ESC sugar and starch content of over 10% has been found to be unsuitable for laminitic horses and keeping starch and sugar content to under 10% can make a dramatic difference to these horses. This report will tell you whether you need to soak your hay or whether soaking has been enough to make your forage suitable for a laminitic horse.
Please click here to watch our video on How to Collect Your Sample
The analysis also measures protein levels and digestible energy levels for horses so that performance horses, good-doers or horses which are hard to keep weight on can be fed accurate amounts of forage for reducing or maintaining weight. Please note that this is purely a report of the nutritional levels in your forage showing percentage and gram amounts in your sample.
A nutritional report will allow Forageplus to decide whether your horse needs additional protein and hard feed or whether just supplementing with minerals will be sufficient to cover all your horse’s nutritional needs.
Approximately 50-100 grams of a representative sample is needed.
This representative sample will need to be taken from a larger sample which comes from 6 – 10 bales. Reports normally take 10-14 working days.
*Feed Suggestions
Our bespoke feed suggestions are based on forage analysis (and where applicable, in addition; water analysis results). We formulate suggestions unique to your individual horse’s requirements. Feed suggestions are given at the discretion of the company and are not included in the price of any forage or water analysis report.
It is important for safety and horse welfare that the information provided to Forageplus is up-to-date and as accurate as possible. Failure to provide sufficient information and or photos may result in us being unable to provide you with feed suggestions.
The timeframe for completion of feed suggestions is dependent upon demand. Each feed suggestion request will be placed in a queue and will be responded to as soon as possible.
We can only begin to calculate feed suggestions once the analysis report has been completed. The timeframe for completion of feed suggestions is dependent upon demand.
The feed suggestions will normally take 1-2 weeks longer than the analysis report but this is totally dependent upon employee annual leave and the level of demand for this free service.
**To avoid any extra charges due to increases in lab fees please use any analysis kit, bought from Forageplus, within 6 months of purchase.
For customers outside of the UK – the analysis process will be the same will full instructions sent via email once we receive your order.
Briony Bunch (verified owner) –
First hay analysis this year but advisor responded as though all the details from last years enquiries were to hand, so I really felt he was in touch with my situation. It was great to know that the new hay had a good protein level so I could reduce the amount of Topline Plus fed so saving some money
Briony Bunch (verified owner) –
Great service from Forage plus. Informed that sample had arrived. Report and advice comprehensive and easy to follow. All questions quickly and willingly answered. It’s great to know what’s in the hay I’m feeding and what to add to make up the deficiencies
Samantha Jones (verified owner) –
Excellent fast service. Kept me well informed as to where the package was told me what I needed to know and prompt answers to my questions A*
Wendy Burden (verified owner) –
Told me the essentials I needed to know with sugars broken down and arrived back within a week , so much quicker than stated.
Hayley Elliott (verified owner) –
Excellent service. Really useful and detailed report too. Certainly saved me a lot of time and work by not having to soak hay!