Hi :)
Hair, some information on hay :) because I didn’t want to get in an arguement on horse.com (which is easy for me to do)
And, bear in mind, if good hay is hard to get right now, feed hay cubes or a complete feed like Becky does. Anyway, this is from the perspective of a hay buyer but also - Bob raised and sold coastal burmuda grass hay for twenty years in NC.
Myth or Reality? “A little mold won’t hurt!” Myth! Beyond any doubt, the most important characteristic of good horse hay is cleanliness. Any hay (alfalfa, timothy, clover, fescue) that contains dust or mold will probably make a horse cough. Coughing is abnormal and not insignificant. Many horses develop permanent lung damage after consuming moldy or dusty hay. This chronic lung damage, commonly referred to as heaves, affects the horse’s ability to breath normally and impairs their ability to exercise. Once a horse has been sensitized to hay dust, mold or pollen, it may react even when clean hay is fed. Moldy hay may also have other negative health effects as well. Therefore moldy hay should never be used for horses. In general, alfalfa is not any more likely to make a horse cough than any other hay, as long as it is dust and mold free.
http://alfalfa.ucdavis.edu/Symposium/1998/Evaluating%20Hay%20for%20Horses.htm
Good quality hay should be free of mold, dust, and weeds and have a bright green color and a fresh smell. In some instances, placing too much emphasis on color may be misleading in hay selection. Although the bright green color indicates a high vitamin A (beta carotene) content, some hays might be somewhat pale due to bleaching and may still be of good quality. Bleaching is caused by the interaction of dew or other moisture, the rays of the sun, and high ambient temperatures. Brown hay, however, indicates a loss of nutrients due to excess water or heat damage and should be avoided.
Hay which is dusty, moldy, or musty smelling is not suitable for horses. Not only is it unpalatable, but it can contribute to respiratory diseases. Moldy hay can also be toxic to horses and may cause colic or abortion. Bales should not contain undesirable objects or noxious weeds. Check for sticks, wire, blister beetles, poisonous plants, thistle, or plants with barbed awns such as foxtail or cheat grass.
http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_care/making_hay.htm
Check all forages closely for mold, which appears as grey/black areas and smells musty. Moldy hay or grain should not be fed under any circumstances. No feed is better than moldy feed.
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/horse/recover.htm