Typically there are three types of hays normally found here in Arizona and are classified as legume (Alfalfa), grass (Bermuda grass) and cereal (Oat hay).

Alfalfa is well-suited to the long growing seasons and heat of the desert environment. It's salt tolerant, which makes it a good choice to plant on soils that won't support other types of crops.

Arizona also produces high-quality alfalfa, which fetches higher prices. The price of Arizona alfalfa was $320 per ton in 2022, 23% higher than the national average price of $260 per ton. High yields and high quality translate into high values of production. Not all alfalfa produced in Arizona is sold.

There are quite a few different types of hay that people feed to horses, but hay generally falls into one of two categories – legumes and grasses. Alfalfa hay, sometimes called lucerne hay, is the most popular legume hay fed to horses in the U.S., while timothy and orchard are popular grass hay choices.