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Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2396
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 3:36 pm: |   |
If anyone is interested in our continual struggle here are the links to the other 2 threads Someday Dr.O. is going to cut me off.
http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/190163.html
http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/240110.html
Hank and friends are being kept on about 1/4 acre pasture 24/7. We have managed to avoid founder this year and be on grass 24/7 something I thought would never happen, especially with all the rain. The grass keeps growing and there is a lot of clover in it. They are getting 3#'s of last years stemmy hay per day and a handful of alfalfa pellets. Looking at their "pasture" and the meager hay I give them they SHOULD be thin. They do move around the pasture a lot all day scrounging for grass and must be finding it! Not much exercise otherwise due to varying troubles...mostly weather. Here is a pic of Hank from this morning, he is a bit chunky but has leveled off and quit gaining. I haven't taped him for fear I would be real tempted to dry lot them! That is expensive and time consuming. If he had gotten any fatter he would have been there!
This is his 29 yo mother She looks awesome this summer, one of those b-1 bomber flies landed on her while I was taking her pic LOL got her head off the ground. Don't want to share a pic of Sam his shave job is way to embarassing.
 |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 3717
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Jul 13, 2008 - 7:41 pm: | |
They look so much better Diane! They look healthy, their coats looks great, and although a little "plump" they don't look bad. Congratulations! |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 860
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 3:38 am: | |
Congrats Diane you did a great job ]
I am starting to wonder if certain grasses/pastures if unlimited will even make a foal to fat? Little Utah seems to be following Uncle Hank... Diet already?
Jos |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2397
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 4:59 am: | |
Thanks he is "tubby" tho
I never heard of putting a foal on a diet . Hank was SOOO skinny when he was born. He plumped up very quickly tho. I wonder if they are like humans and have more of a chance of being fat as adults it they were tubby young ones.
After weaning and through his 2 yr. old yr. he stayed a little thin, then around 5 he turned into a very easy keeper even when being ridden daily he was "tubby" Wonder if it is in the genes. His mother was always fat, but VERY healthy.
How's the muzzle working for Grasse? |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 863
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 6:27 am: | |
She stood for half an hour frozen to the ground eyes wide and scared[well half an hour not eaten isn't it?]
I think I'll keep her on an hour with muzzle until she moves?
So I locked Utah and Akacja in about two acres of grass [instead of 6] when he is grown up he will be gratefull! Slim as a youngster slim as an adult?
Jos
PS Nobody looks grateful at this moment, all on 'regime' |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2398
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 14, 2008 - 6:58 am: | |
Jos, Hank did the same thing, it was rather amusing...he refused to move, sneezed a lot, and wouldn't even go out with the other 2. When he finally decided to move out to pasture he would stand there and paw and rub the muzzle back and forth in the ground, was pretty unhappy until I made the hole a little bigger and he was able to get some grass. He remained not thrilled, but at least tried with it that way and quit being depressed. He still lost weight too. |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 869
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 7:28 am: | |
Grasse added one theatrical approach yesterday when wearing her grazing muzzle: 'I am suffocating!! I already have respiratory problems' Gurgling and sniffing for a quarter of an hour and loo and behold after that she went in the field with Cascade to 'graze' and accepted it!
Now I only have to find out how long she should wear it. Wonderful!
Thanks Sara for brining them and Diane for advice I feel I should be able to post a 'slim' picture of Grasse during the next year.
Jos
PS Should have asked HOW to make hole bigger cost one scissor two knifes and almost a finger |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2411
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 7:40 am: | |
LOL Jos, I used a serrated knife and sawed away, I almost stabbed myself doing it.
Looking forward to skinny Grasse pics. |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 3730
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008 - 10:05 am: | |
Me,too! She's such a pretty mare. She will be beautiful when she'd dropped a few pounds. I'm glad she's finally accepted the muzzle. |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2626
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 9, 2008 - 8:56 am: | |
I have a stupid question, for some reason I can't quite figure this out.
If your horse is suppose to get say 10#'s of hay a day....does that mean in a 12hr period (a day) or a 24 hr. period (a day).?? |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2628
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 9, 2008 - 10:55 pm: | |
Disregard...figured it out |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2895
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 9:04 am: | |
DrO. I REALLY want to try to make my life a little simpler this winter. I have been mauling over in my mind how to do this with the fat ones.
This year I have all grass hay, that is a bit over ripe, but not what I would call stemmy or coarse. The horses like it and I am sure it would pack the pounds on them given free choice.
Their normal rations per day of this hay will be about 2 bales per what they weigh and what they should eat. (except in extremely cold weather).
I have a round bale feeder and was considering putting 2 bales in there per night, that way I wouldn't have to deal with feeding in the dark in the morning before work.
However knowing the pigs the 2 bales will be long gone before morning and I will end up feeding them anyway (out of pity).
If they eat the 2 bales and I leave them without hay during the day would that be bad????? In the winter we are talking 8 hrs. I would give them their 2 bales around 5pm. If there is a lot of snow on the ground I would probably up the amount of hay, but if there isn't they bask in the sun and paw around for grass during daylight hours. Thanks |
Ann
Member
Username: dres
Post Number: 2003
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 10:15 am: | |
Diane how much does a bale weight about.. ?
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots.. |
Elizabeth Kaufman
Member
Username: ekaufman
Post Number: 655
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 10:25 am: | |
Hi Diane,
So you are essentially thinking about providing one large feeding per day instead of two smaller ones?
At my ranch, I would have three concerns-- waste, unequal distribution, and hunger tension. The waste they would likely sort out over time, but I would be concerned that your aggressive eaters would get an even greater share of the combined feeding, and I would worry also about fighting or injuries, especially during the transition period, if they are short on grass.
My non-scientific observation in years at boarding barns and at my own place is that an awful lot of horse-on-horse violence (for established herds) is associated with hunger tension. |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2897
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 10:26 am: | |
On average they weigh about 30-35#s, so that would be about 20#'s apiece per horse per 24 hrs. HMMMM that's plenty for them, last winter they got about 15#'s a piece when it was VERY frigid. Remember they are small, the 2 oldies would actually qualify for ponies at 14hh. Hank is about 15.1hh. It would be gone in a short amount of time tho...maybe that won't work |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2898
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 10:33 am: | |
Elizabeth my little herd has never fought agressivley over food. They are always on a diet and I have fed them together for years. Usually I feed them in the lean to in the winter...throw the leafs around the back and they eat very peacefully.
I HAVE seen the fights you speak of though, I'm lucky enough that my herd gets along very well. |
Angie J.
Member
Username: ajudson1
Post Number: 2004
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 10:59 am: | |
Yesterday we had to be gone all day, so I put out 2 bales plus. Put them out mid morning, in the dirt area, no pasture access. Normally my 4 get 1 in the morning, 1 in the evening. After the sun is up in the winter, and before sunset.
We ended up back home at 6, and most of the hay was gone. I was surprised they cleaned it up, it's not really great hay. And they get some pasture yet, not much to graze any more though.
So rather than put more hay out, I let them on the pasture over night. But this shows that if they get it all at once, they don't stop eating until it's gone. Ideally, I like to put half a bale out in the morning, let them have more in their stalls when I give a small amout of grain to get supplements in them, or put the other half of the morning bale out mid day if I am not doing anything with the horses.
I agree with Elizabeth's observations 100%. Given Hank's backround, I don't think it's a good idea to give all the hay at once.
Even feeding morning & night, there are long periods that they don't "graze" which is not natural but it's what most of us have to do. I hate seeing my greedy one (Gem) nibbling in the dirt for what I don't know, but she has to be busy trying to eat constantly. (she was starved when we got her) |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2900
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 11:54 am: | |
So as usual nothing can be made easier when owning horses |
leslie christian
Member
Username: leslie1
Post Number: 384
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 12:35 pm: | |
hmmm, maybe a *clean* but very, very stemmy round bale. Just something to chew on basically. Put it in a bale feeder in the middle of your run-in, so they all can get to it and its covered. and then give them their nutritional stuff when its a convenient time for you? |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2901
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 1:32 pm: | |
Leslie I would be making myself a lot more work doing that. The pigs would stand in the lean eating, pooping, and peeing and I would have to clean out the mess. That was another reason I want to feed them the way stated above. When I feed them in the lean, they make a horrible mess of it, which in turn takes way more bedding. With the price of bedding I want them using the great outdoors as the bathroom |
leslie christian
Member
Username: leslie1
Post Number: 386
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 1:57 pm: | |
A-HA, Ive Got It!!!!
.....make the hubby do it |
leslie christian
Member
Username: leslie1
Post Number: 388
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 2:07 pm: | |
Curious... Are they able to eat hay with the muzzle hole cut bigger? If so, maybe feed the 2 bales and then they will have to eat it more slowly? |
Elizabeth Kaufman
Member
Username: ekaufman
Post Number: 656
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 2:22 pm: | |
Hi Diane,
Maybe you could rig some haynets so they could clip safely onto your fence out of pawing range. Pre-fill at night and in the morning just walk and clip?
I have 12 horses here now (and the kid, and the full time job) so I am always looking for ways to streamline my maintenance/feeding etc..
I bought the Priefert standing steel horse feeders, tied them to my fences, and stack the hay on the other side of the fence (weekend chore), by the feeder (that way the horses can't be trying to reach the hay through the fence). Weekday feedings involve tossing flakes into the feeders. Speeds things up a lot. But I have to be careful who I put together, and prefer 2 horses to a feeder (one for each side), since it prevents bullying. |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 2906
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 - 5:53 pm: | |
Actually I do have hanging feeders in the lean-to, but I quit using them because I noticed they coughed, sneezed, and got sore eyes from the hay falling on them, otherwise they were great.
Horses fence is electric so no hanging things there.
I did think of something that may work tho .
In the winter I use two pastures for the horses, which are separated by a gate. I could put morning hay in one pasture and evening in the other, all I would have to do is open the gate in the morning...That almost sounds too simple! I'm sure I'm missing something in the equation. |
Lilo
Member
Username: lilo
Post Number: 918
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2008 - 9:28 am: | |
Hi Diane,
I just want to mention if you feed all three horses together - even if they don't fight - you never really know how much each horse is gettting.
My gelding used to steal from my mare (by sticking his nose under the stall partition, made more convenient by him digging a hole on his side of the partition). I closed that loophole and now I have a much better idea how much each horse is getting. Some horses eat faster than others and therefore get a bigger share.
I sympathize - my gelding Jose gains weight so easily, and I have not been able to ride for almost 3 months!
Lilo |
Diane E.
Member
Username: scooter
Post Number: 3099
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 2, 2008 - 8:59 pm: | |
Told Hank he was fat again and this was the look I got! It is sooo green and lush out for the beginning of Nov. We are having a hard time with this since I can't ride for awhile, I actually had to start locking them in the dry pen again. He is fat but I am keeping him under 1000#'s that really seems to be his limit before he founders!
 |
leslie christian
Member
Username: leslie1
Post Number: 402
Registered: 8-2006
| | Posted on Monday, Nov 3, 2008 - 8:25 am: | |
Looks like hes batting his eyelashes at ya! |
