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Making your own hay is one of the most satisfying jobs in the farming and equestrian calendar, but it is also one of the most weather-dependent. Get it right and you have a barn full of sweet, dust-free forage to see your horses through winter; get it wrong and you are left with mouldy, useless bales. This complete UK guide explains exactly how to make hay, from cutting the grass to stacking the finished bales, whether you are working a field with a tractor or turning a small paddock by hand.
Hay is simply grass that has been cut and dried to preserve it for feeding when grazing is scarce. As the backbone of most horses’ winter diets, the quality of your hay has a direct impact on their health, so it is well worth understanding the process even if you buy yours in.
What Is Hay and Why It Matters
Hay is made by cutting grass at its nutritional peak and drying it down to a moisture content of around 15% so it can be stored without rotting or going mouldy. Good hay retains most of the goodness of fresh grass while being safe to keep for months. For horses it is the cornerstone of healthy feeding and nutrition, providing the long-fibre forage their digestive systems are designed to process almost constantly. If hay is too damp or too dusty, it can trigger serious respiratory disease, which is why the drying stage is so critical.
The All-Important Weather Window
In the UK, weather is everything. To make good hay you need a settled run of at least three to four dry, sunny days, ideally with a breeze to speed drying. This is why most British haymaking happens between late June and August, once the grass has grown tall and gone to seed but before the autumn rains arrive.
Cutting too early and being caught by rain is the single biggest cause of spoiled hay. Many experienced farmers watch the forecast obsessively and will only mow when they are confident of a clear spell. A shorter, reliable window is far better than a longer, uncertain one.
How to Make Hay: The Five Steps
Whether done with farm machinery or by hand, making hay follows the same five stages.
- Mowing. Cut the grass close to the ground, but without scalping the soil, when it is dry and the dew has lifted. On a field this is done with a tractor-mounted mower; on a small plot, a scythe or strimmer works. Aim to cut when the grass has just gone to seed for the best balance of yield and nutrition.
- Tedding (turning). Spread and fluff the cut grass so air and sun reach every stem. A machine called a tedder does this on a field, while a hay fork does the job by hand. You will usually ted at least once a day, sometimes more, to dry the crop evenly.
- Raking into windrows. Once the grass is nearly dry (about 15% moisture), rake it into long, loose rows called windrows. This gathers the hay ready for collection and lets air continue to circulate.
- Baling. Compress the dry windrows into bales, either small rectangular bales that one person can lift or large round bales, secured with twine or netting. Only bale when the hay is properly dry, as baling damp hay is dangerous.
- Curing and storing. Leave the bales to “sweat” and cool for several days before stacking them tightly. Stacking warm, freshly baled hay can trap heat and, in the worst cases, cause spontaneous combustion.
| Stage | Field method | By-hand method |
|---|---|---|
| Mowing | Tractor mower / mower-conditioner | Scythe or strimmer |
| Tedding | Mechanical tedder | Hay fork, turned by hand |
| Raking | Hay rake | Hand rake |
| Baling | Baler (square or round) | Hand-tied bundles or loose stacks |
Making Hay by Hand Without Machinery
You do not need a tractor to make hay on a small scale. People made hay by hand for centuries, and you can too with a paddock and some patience. Cut the grass with a scythe or strimmer, spread it thinly with a fork, and turn it once or twice a day so it dries evenly. Once it is crisp and dry, gather it into loose stacks or hand-tied bundles and store it under cover. It is hard physical work and only practical for small areas, but for a single pony’s needs it can be genuinely worthwhile.
Judging Hay Quality for Horses
Not all hay is suitable for horses. Because horses are far more sensitive to dust and mould than cattle, quality matters enormously. Good horse hay should:
- Smell sweet and fresh, never musty, sour or mouldy
- Be free of visible dust, mould spots and white patches
- Have a soft, green to pale-gold colour rather than being bleached or brown
- Contain a high proportion of grass and few weeds
- Be completely free of poisonous plants such as ragwort, which remains toxic even when dried in hay
Dusty or mouldy hay is a leading cause of equine asthma (RAO). If your hay is a little dusty, soaking or steaming it before feeding reduces the spores. Where consistently dust-free forage is needed, many owners turn to haylage instead, which is baled at a higher moisture content and wrapped to ferment. You can compare the two in our guide to haylage.
Storing Hay Safely
Store hay in a dry, well-ventilated barn or shed, raised off the ground on pallets to stop damp rising into the bottom bales. Keep it out of the rain and away from any leaks, and allow air to circulate around the stack. Properly made and stored hay will keep its feed value for a year or more. Watch for any signs of heating in the weeks after baling, as a warm, freshly stacked heap can be a genuine fire risk.
Is It Cheaper to Buy Hay or Make It?
For most horse owners with one or two animals, buying hay is far cheaper and easier than making it. The machinery involved, mower, tedder, rake and baler, costs many thousands of pounds, and hiring a contractor only makes sense once you have several acres to cut. Making your own becomes economical when you have enough land to justify the equipment or a reliable contractor, and when you value complete control over what goes into your horses’ forage. For a smallholder with a single paddock, the satisfaction of homemade hay is often the real reward rather than the saving.
Hay vs Haylage vs Silage
Hay is not the only way to preserve grass, and it helps to understand how it differs from its two close relatives, especially as haylage has become so popular with horse owners.
| Forage | Moisture content | How it is preserved | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hay | Around 15% | Fully dried in the field, then baled and stored dry | Most horses; long shelf life |
| Haylage | Around 50% | Wilted, baled damp and wrapped airtight to ferment lightly | Horses with dust sensitivity or respiratory issues |
| Silage | Around 70% | Cut wet and fermented in sealed conditions | Cattle; rarely suitable for horses |
The key difference is moisture and how the forage is kept stable. Hay relies on being thoroughly dry, which is why the weather is so critical. Haylage is baled damp and sealed so it ferments gently instead, producing a softer, dust-free forage that suits horses prone to coughing. Silage is far too wet and acidic for most horses and carries a botulism risk if the wrap is damaged, so it is best left to cattle. For the full picture on the middle option, see our dedicated haylage for horses guide.
Common Haymaking Mistakes to Avoid
Most spoiled hay comes down to a handful of avoidable errors:
- Cutting before a reliable dry spell. Being caught by rain mid-process is the number one cause of mouldy hay. Wait for a settled forecast.
- Baling too soon. Hay baled above about 20% moisture heats up, goes mouldy and can even catch fire. Always confirm it is properly dry first.
- Not turning it enough. Under-tedded hay dries unevenly, leaving damp pockets that rot inside the bale.
- Stacking warm bales straight away. Freshly baled hay needs days to cure and cool before it is packed tightly into a barn.
- Ignoring weeds in the field. Toxic plants such as ragwort stay poisonous in dried hay, so the field should be checked and cleared before cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to make hay?
From cutting to baling, hay usually takes three to four dry days in good UK summer weather. The grass is mown, then turned daily to dry, raked into rows and baled once it reaches around 15% moisture. The bales then need several more days to cure and cool before being stacked.
What month is best to make hay in the UK?
Most UK hay is made between late June and August, when the grass has matured and there is the best chance of a settled, dry spell. The exact timing depends entirely on the weather, as you need at least three to four consecutive dry, sunny days to cut and dry the crop successfully.
How does grass turn into hay?
Grass becomes hay when it is cut and then dried in the field until its moisture content falls to around 15%. Turning, or tedding, the cut grass lets sun and air remove the water while preserving the fibre and most of the nutrients, so the forage can be stored without rotting.
Can you make hay by hand?
Yes. On a small scale you can cut grass with a scythe or strimmer, turn it by hand with a fork until it dries, then gather it into stacks or bundles for storage. It is labour-intensive and only practical for small paddocks, but it is exactly how hay was made before machinery existed.
Is homemade hay safe for horses?
It can be excellent, provided it is properly dried, free of mould and dust, and contains no poisonous plants such as ragwort. Horses are very sensitive to respiratory irritants, so any hay that smells musty or looks dusty should be soaked, steamed or avoided. When in doubt, have the field checked for toxic weeds before cutting.
