**Background:** Despite 25 years of advances in equine nutrition research, obesity in the UK horse population remains high, suggesting a persistent mismatch between energy intake and requirements. Haylage (partially fermented, wrapped grass) is a relatively new forage option, but anecdotal concerns about acidity, energy density, and spoilage may limit its adoption. This study aimed to characterize current feeding practices, assess owner knowledge about haylage, and identify areas requiring additional education.
**Methods:** Two online surveys were conducted via JISC. Survey 1 (S1; November 2019–February 2020, 73 days) gathered data on horse and owner demographics, general feeding practices, and management across 31 response items. Survey 2 (S2; June–September 2020, 120 days) focused specifically on haylage knowledge and use, with up to 113 response items for some participants. Both surveys were advertised via social media, universities, riding clubs, pony clubs, and online forums. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests with Bonferroni correction (significance p < 0.05) in Genstat 19. S1 respondents were divided into G1 (15–40 years, n=290) and G2 (41+ years, n=214).
**Key Results:** S1 yielded 504 usable responses; S2 yielded 834 (613 fed haylage, 221 did not). In S1, 65.7% fed hay as the sole forage, 15.1% fed haylage, and 19.2% fed both. Forage was fed twice daily by 56% of owners. A total of 83% fed a complementary feed (coarse mix or cubes/nuts), and 30% fed forage plus a balancer. Only 11% had their forage analyzed; of those who did not, 74% saw no need, 16% did not know analysis was possible, and 9% cited cost. Body weight measurements were performed by only 11% of owners. In S2, among non-haylage users (n=221), 66% were unsure how to feed it, 68% worried about aerobic spoilage, 79% said bale size was unsuitable, 81% believed haylage was too acidic and caused digestive upset, and 90% felt it was unsuitable for laminitics. Among haylage users (n=613), 73.7% received no nutritional analysis with their haylage, and 95.8% of those did not obtain any analysis themselves. Only 4.2% (n=29) paid for analysis, and of those, only 19.2% analyzed each batch. When assessing haylage quality, owners relied on informal parameters: lots of leaves (64.2%), moist (63%), no mould (61%), sweet smell (59%), acidic smell (43.4%), no dust (40.5%), and soft to touch (40.6%). A total of 26% of owners did not seek formal nutritional advice from vets or nutritionists.
**Clinical Implications:** The study reveals that the majority of UK horse owners are formulating rations without knowing the nutritional profile of the primary feed component (forage), and without objective body weight monitoring. This makes accurate energy matching nearly impossible and likely contributes to the high obesity prevalence. The authors recommend: (A) encouraging forage producers to provide analyses; (B) educating owners on the importance of knowing forage nutrient content; (C) teaching owners to quantify daily forage intake; and (D) selecting complementary feeds based on forage analysis and individual horse requirements. For haylage specifically, owners need guidance on safe interchangeability with hay, interpretation of dry matter and water-soluble carbohydrate content, and recognition that haylage is a variable product requiring batch-specific analysis. The finding that 26% of owners rely on informal advice (friends, internet forums) rather than qualified professionals represents an additional target for educational interventions.