Timothy Grass Hay is a premium feed used for thoroughbred horses, pleasure riding horses, and ranch horses. It is known for being rich in nutrients and high forage quality.
Timothy is a cool-season, perennial bunch-grass that thrives in high altitudes, but is not very drought-tolerant due to its shallow root system. It is also not very heat-tolerant, which means it may not grow well in southern states with warm climates. The cool climate of the Gunnision, Colorado area combined with irrigation using the pristine waters of the Gunnision River proves to be an almost perfect combination for growing high-quality Timothy hay.
Timothy grass hay is a very palatable forage hay. It grows well with alfalfa, meadow grasses and clovers. At Esty Ranch, we grow our hay with a mix of high-mountain meadow grasses and clover.
The highest quality Timothy hay is typically harvested at the early flowering stage, when it is rich in nutrients and is very tender. The quality of hay can degrade as the plant matures past the blooming stage, so it is important to harvest the hay at the proper time in the growth cycle, weather permitting. We always strive to produce the best quality and highest nutritional value hay by harvesting our hay at an early point of maturity.