When storing feed, your main goal will be to protect it from the elements and, in the case of grain, keep rodents and your horses out of it. Are there regional differences? Yes, because of the environmental conditions you will need to deal with. For hay, you need to either get it off the ground or have it stored on a surface that is well drained and does not have moisture going from the ground into the hay. This can be anything from a well-packed gravel pad to a cement area. If you are concerned about the moisture problem, you can store the hay on wooden pallets to get it off the ground. The next step is to cover the hay. This can be as elaborate as a hay shed or the use of a set of tarps. The purpose is to keep moisture, either rain or snow, from getting on the hay and causing it to spoil. Research has shown that doing nothing is very expensive as the amount of hay spoiled can be significant. For grain, you need a rodent-proof container, plus give some consideration to humidity. Many of the metal grain bins can develop condensation inside which can lead to moldy/spoiled feed. If you are using bagged feed, buy enough for a short period of time keeping your feed fresh and store the bags off the ground on wooden pallets. If you use a grain bin, watch for spoiled feed and clean it out as required.

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