6 February 2026

Last year’s weather in the UK broke records - with the Met Office confirming 2025 as the warmest and sunniest year since records began - but, while many of us enjoyed the sunshine, this extreme weather has led to a forage shortage within the equine industry.

In turn, this shortage has had a knock-on effect on the cost of conserved forage (hay and haylage) with the price of a tonne of big bale hay in February 2026 being more than double the price for the same amount in February 2025*.

Researchers in the equine industry are now keen to develop a greater understanding of the forages we feed our horses, as well as to look into alternative forages and new feeds, both of which they believe will be essential in order to be able to manage horses sustainably into the future.

Dr Simon Daniels, Associate Professor of Equine Science at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU), explained: “With our changing climate now having such a significant effect on our weather here in the UK, we are really having to consider more sustainable practices for horse management.

“While conserved forage, such as hay and haylage, is the mainstay of the horse’s diet, little consideration is given to understanding, or analysing, the nutritional profile of forage fed to horses not to considering where this fits within the horses diet. We urgently need to consider the practical feeding of horses in line with the UK's changing climate.”

This, and much more, will be discussed at a free public lecture - Beyond the Bale: Forage Intelligence and Equine Nutritional Resilience for a Sustainable Future – taking place at the RAU in Cirencester later this month.

Delivered by Dr Daniels and his former college Professor Meriel Moore-Colyer, who is now Professor of Equine Science at Hartpury University, the lecture will take place in the University’s Boutflour Hall from 6pm (doors open at 6pm with the lecture starting at 6.30pm) to 8pm on Wednesday 25 February 2026.

The speakers will discuss horse feeding practices with a focus on forage, using the current research around forage and feed analysis approaches. These concepts will be explored alongside horse owner understanding of forage feeding, and will explore how, going forwards, we can test new and different forages for horses that might be more suitable within our evolving climate.

These issues will be considered in the wider context of other feeding considerations such as equine obesity and feeding for performance horses. There will also be time for questions at the end of the lecture.

Refreshments will be available and there is plenty of free parking in the University’s Stroud Road car park (GL7 6JS). For more information, and to book your free ticket(s), please visit https://RAUlecture-beyondthebale.eventbrite.co.uk

*According to figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board https://ahdb.org.uk/dairy/hay-and-straw-prices