GREEN COLOR does
not always mean GOOD HAY
Hay that is very green can be a good indicator of the amount of nutrients in the hay; however, color is an inconsistent factor to evaluate hay quality. Smell and texture are also important.
Color is more important to the person buying-feeding than it is to the horse, as the horse is color blind and cannot distinguish green from brown. Horses don't eat with human eyes, therefore, color should not always influence your buying choices.
Judge the color inside of a bale, not the outside.
Hay is bleached by the sun in 72 hours from baling time and the nutritional value is not depleted with the exception of Vitamin A; however the greatest loss of Vitamin A occurs right after harvest and the amount of change from 6 months to a year or more is relatively small.
Quality hay can be bleached out on the outside of the bale. When the bale is opened, it will be bright and clean.