Horses!

[Farmgirl283420]

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I love that!

 

[MGG]

 

[Farmgirl283420]

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[HollowOfWisps]

How much hay does everyone go through over the winter? It’s been awhile since I have had to feed a horse through the winter, but I was looking at buying 250, 60-70lb Timothy second cutting square bales horse quality no weeds. My neighbor doesn’t think that would be enough? Grass is still green now and starts to brown by mid-end October. Even with it being a cold winter with lots of snow and a very wet spring the grass was green and pretty lush by April. My logic was even with feeding a bale a day starting October 1st to the end of April that should be right around 210 bales give or take. I have the two yearlings that are both right around 850lbs currently expecting them to be 1000 by their June birthdays. Apple is 550lbs. So roughly 20lbs of forage a day each for the yearlings and 10lbs for apple. I am also upping their Timothy pellet mash from 2lbs to 4lbs for the yearlings and from 1lb to 2lbs for Apple. I am installing four of these hay racks in the run-ins stalls to help prevent waste. 250 seems like plenty am I missing something?

 

[ILoveDaffy]

How much hay does everyone go through over the winter? It’s been awhile since I have had to feed a horse through the winter, but I was looking at buying 250, 60-70lb Timothy second cutting square bales horse quality no weeds. My neighbor doesn’t think that would be enough? Grass is still green now and starts to brown by mid-end October. Even with it being a cold winter with lots of snow and a very wet spring the grass was green and pretty lush by April. My logic was even with feeding a bale a day starting October 1st to the end of April that should be right around 210 bales give or take. I have the two yearlings that are both right around 850lbs currently expecting them to be 1000 by their June birthdays. Apple is 550lbs. So roughly 20lbs of forage a day each for the yearlings and 10lbs for apple. I am also upping their Timothy pellet mash from 2lbs to 4lbs for the yearlings and from 1lb to 2lbs for Apple. I am installing four of these hay racks in the run-ins stalls to help prevent waste. 250 seems like plenty am I missing something?
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We feed about 3 50 pound bales a day in hay nets for 4 horses on a dry lot, one being a very hard keeper, and about 4 pounds of feed per day per horse. Checked against the actual requirements and our vet, that's right on the money for what they need. The hard keeper gets 8. Plus soaked alfalfa pellets for her and Max on the feed, about 1 cup dry. So, we'll go through close to 300 or so bales over winter, ours being 10-20 pounds lighter than yours, and Max having metabolic concerns and he and the mustang getting fat on air. So yeah, seems right. Is this guy one of those people that thinks a horse with fat pads above his eyeballs is healthy? Not trying to be rude, serious question. The family member who gave me Max seriously thinks so and it has become an issue since Max lost 100 pounds of fat. They think he looks unhealthy now. Or they have had harder keepers than your horses are. Either way, what you are thinking of feeding sounds right, and you slow feed like we do, eliminating a TON of waste. Also something to remind them and consider.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

We feed about 3 50 pound bales a day in hay nets for 4 horses on a dry lot, one being a very hard keeper, and about 4 pounds of feed per day per horse. Checked against the actual requirements and our vet, that's right on the money for what they need. The hard keeper gets 8. Plus soaked alfalfa pellets for her and Max on the feed, about 1 cup dry. So, we'll go through close to 300 or so bales over winter, ours being 10-20 pounds lighter than yours, and Max having metabolic concerns and he and the mustang getting fat on air. So yeah, seems right. Is this guy one of those people that thinks a horse with fat pads above his eyeballs is healthy? Not trying to be rude, serious question. The family member who gave me Max seriously thinks so and it has become an issue since Max lost 100 pounds of fat. They think he looks unhealthy now. Or they have had harder keepers than your horses are. Either way, what you are thinking of feeding sounds right, and you slow feed like we do, eliminating a TON of waste. Also something to remind them and consider.

Yeah his horses are on the chunky side. Also the hay he feeds…well put it this way if he threw that hay over my fence I would be livid. Cow quality for sure. Your comment makes me feel better. I know it’s been awhile since I have had to feed horses through winter, but I was scratching my head as to why he and others were saying I needed at least 350-400 bales?

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Yeah his horses are on the chunky side. Also the hay he feeds…well put it this way if he threw that hay over my fence I would be livid. Cow quality for sure. Your comment makes me feel better. I know it’s been awhile since I have had to feed horses through winter, but I was scratching my head as to why he and others were saying I needed at least 350-400 bales?

Yep. Are we dealing with the same people? Lol, the cow hay sounds very very familiar. I don't suppose he feeds his horses corn or sweet feed?

 

[ILoveDaffy]

Yep. Are we dealing with the same people? Lol, the cow hay sounds very very familiar. I don't suppose he feeds his horses corn or sweet feed?

If he does, then it sound like we are. This person I'm dealing with feeds their horses corn and cow quality hay. And thinks they somehow have a right to comment on  my care of my horse. They tried to feed Max corn lately behind my back and hope I didn't notice. I did. I was livid. It will not be happening again. I saved this horse's life and we are both finally starting to reap benefits. No way am I having this undone.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yep. Are we dealing with the same people? Lol, the cow hay sounds very very familiar. I don't suppose he feeds his horses corn or sweet feed?

Oh yes sweet feed is very popular around here! I cringe when I see people feeding their horses sweet feed and then wonder why they end up with horses with metabolic issues as they age. I just told someone this spring that they needed to get their 18 year old gelding tested for Cushings. They said they didn’t know why he wasn’t shedding out this spring, his coat started to almost look curly and he was losing muscle. When I said she needed to get him tested she said “well he has kept his weight on fine every other year with an extra scoop or two of sweet feed in the winter so I think he is just getting old”

 

[HollowOfWisps]

If he does, then it sound like we are. This person I'm dealing with feeds their horses corn and cow quality hay. And thinks they somehow have a right to comment on  my care of my horse. They tried to feed Max corn lately behind my back and hope I didn't notice. I did. I was livid. It will not be happening again. I saved this horse's life and we are both finally starting to reap benefits. No way am I having this undone.

I’m a calm person, but if I caught someone trying to feed my horses corn or sweet feed I would be chasing them off of my property with my 20 gauge.