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About Prime Hay

We started with our own horses.

And ended up changing the way hay is bought across Portugal & Spain.

Prime Hay started with one simple frustration: finding forage we were genuinely happy to feed our own horses.

Carefully selectedDelivered across Portugal & SpainTrusted by 600+ stables

João and Marlot, founders of Prime Hay, in the hay barn
João & Marlot, founders
A horse eating hay from a wheelbarrow in the field
Our story

It was never supposed to become a company.

In the Netherlands, green, nutrient-rich hay was simply normal. Then Marlot moved south, first to Spain and then to Portugal. Suddenly good forage was hard to find.

  • Too dry
  • Too stalky
  • Unknown nutritional values
  • Inconsistent supply

When your horse eats forage for most of the day, that matters. So instead of accepting it, Marlot and João went looking for something better.

What started with our own stable became Prime Hay.

“We just wanted hay we would happily feed our own horses.”

João & Marlot
The people behind Prime Hay

Meet the team

A small, hands-on team of horse people, from sourcing the forage to getting it to your stable.

João Oliveira Sá
Founder

João Oliveira Sá

Co-founder · Head of Operations

Leads the full operation: logistics, stock, planning and the team. On busy days he takes the wheel of the big truck himself. Our all-rounder.

Marlot Anna Cruiming-Haagsma
Founder

Marlot Anna Cruiming-Haagsma

Co-founder · Head of Digital & Marketing

Responsible for everything online: the website, the webshop and all marketing. The brain behind the tools that help you choose the right forage.

Margarida Cavaleiro

Margarida Cavaleiro

Customer Service & Administration

Manages orders, customer contact and administration. Your first point of contact, and the reason every order runs smoothly from first question to final invoice.

João Semanas

João Semanas

Delivery & Placement

Delivers and places your hay with care, stacked exactly where you need it. Reliable in every yard, in every season.

Pedro Soares

Pedro Soares

Delivery & Placement

Strong, precise and always on time. Makes sure every bale arrives in perfect condition and in the right place.

Jorge Mendes

Jorge Mendes

Heavy Transport & Local Sourcing

Handles our large transports and full truckloads, and much of our local purchasing. He knows the Portuguese farmers and selects the local hay we buy. Safe, on schedule, every trip.

Toti the Shetland pony in a Prime Hay rug, eating hay
Mascot

Toti

Ambassador · Chief Taste Tester

Toti tries our hay before anyone else, has an opinion on everything and is always sure he knows best. Small in size, big in taste 😉

Follow along

Life at Prime Hay on Instagram

Deliveries, happy horses and a look behind the scenes. And Toti, of course.

Follow @primehayportugal
The problem

You don’t know what you’re feeding.

And that’s a scary thought. Because if you don’t know what’s in the hay, you also don’t know what might be making your horse unwell.

Horses eat forage for most of the day. Yet most hay in Southern Europe comes without a single number. How much sugar? How much protein? How dusty? Nobody can tell you.

With Prime Hay you know. We select our hay carefully, share its typical values and help you feed it right.

A horse at the stable door chewing hay
From field to feed room

How your hay reaches your horse

Four steps from the meadow to your stable. Follow the truck.

Stacks of hay balesStep01

Selected

French meadows and trusted Portuguese farmers.

Meadow hay from France
Close-up of green hayStep02

Chosen for quality

We use independent lab analyses when selecting our forages.

Typical sugar: 4.5%
Hay being unloaded at the depotStep03

Stored and checked

In our depots, where our team checks the hay again before it goes out.

Loulé · Almeirim
A loader placing a hay bale on a yardStep04

Delivered

By our team or a trusted transport partner.

Portugal & Spain

Curious what makes it different? See how we choose and check our hay.

See the difference →
Real stables. Real horses.

From leisure horses to Olympic sport horses

A rider cantering a bay horse in the arena
A chestnut horse eating hay under a tree
João with an Olympic dressage rider and a bale of Prime Hay
A bale of hay on the truck above ponies in a paddock
Real knowledge

Other suppliers sell you hay. We help you feed it right.

Free tools that turn the numbers into a plan for your horse.

A row of wooden stables with horses looking out
Trusted by riders & vets

What horse people say

★★★★★

“With Prime Hay, my horses don’t just compete, they thrive.”

Alejandro AsencioInternational rider
★★★★★

“I rely on Prime Hay for its freshness and nutritional value.”

José A. Garcia MenaOlympic rider
★★★★★

“Low in sugar yet full of energy. It keeps my horses fit and performing.”

João TorrãoOlympic rider
★★★★★

“Prime Hay has transformed forage quality in Portugal and Spain.”

Dra. Ana FerreiraVeterinarian
A better way to feed horses

Hay you know the numbers of.

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