Soaring hay prices squeeze Styrian riding stables

Ongoing drought is putting riding stables and horse farms in Styria under increasing pressure, ORF reported. Good-quality hay has become scarce, with prices rising sharply. Businesses keeping large numbers of horses are particularly affected.

According to the Styrian equestrian sports association, hay that cost 18 to 26 cents per kilogram a few months ago now commonly sells for 40 to 70 cents. Association president Ludwig Hoffmann, who runs a farm with about 60 horses, said prices had risen to two or three times their previous level, with some sellers charging four times as much.

The drought reduced the first hay harvest, and many areas are unlikely to produce a second or third cut this year. Each horse needs at least seven kilograms of feed a day, but hay is currently difficult to obtain. Supplies from Croatia are available, Hoffmann said, but transport has also made them extremely expensive.

Hoffmann expects boarding fees to rise as a result and warned that some farmers could be forced to slaughter animals that require hay, including horses. He does not expect hay prices to fall significantly next year, saying sellers may become accustomed to the current high prices.

The horse market in Schöder on August 29 could indicate how many animals are ultimately sold because of the feed shortage. The state horse breeding association considers the market an important nationwide indicator of the pressure currently facing horse owners.