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Discussion on New Horse Owner Planning for Winter
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Member:
kab3
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Posted on Monday, Aug 11, 2008 - 8:12 pm:
Hello,
I am new to horse ownership. I have a 4 year old gelding and his 32 year old companion. They graze 16 acres of pasture, free choice salt and spring water, and they each get 2 flakes of hay 3x a day and 1 1/2 lbs of grain 2x per day, plus the old guy gets 2 cups of alfalfa cubes a day. My question is...I want to get my winter hay in order, so how much should I figure approximately per horse/ per day for example? (My 4 year old is a 15.3 Quarter Horse and my old man is an Appaloosa) Also which is a better way to go for horses used to a pasture "round bales" or continuing with square bales? We live in Upstate New York and can get pretty nasty winters, so I would like my guys to be nice and full & warm. They have their main stables plus turn out buildings at various pastures around the farm. Any advice would be great!
Thanks.
Kim
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 6:54 am:
Hello KimB,
I think you will find the answer to your questions at Horse Care » Equine Nutrition, Horse Feeds, Feeding » Forages for Horses, an Overview. You will find information on round bales in that article but as to round vs square the decision should be based on your ability to which you most easily handle and availability.
DrO
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 8:08 am:
Kim,
I have 4 horses, figure similiar weather to yours, I guesstimate their total combined weight at 4500 pounds; I figure we need to feed hay 9 months out of the year, I come up with needing 2 bales a day which puts the the weight at 90 - 100 pounds per day. I add an extra bale for 30 days for a cold snap, and extra for a late spring or very dry spring, etc. Nine months X ave number of days, 30, = 270, X 2, = 540 bales. 600 bales in plenty for me, but I prefer 700 in the barn going into winter. I normally have that much as I end up with about 100 left from the previous year. I've never ran out except for one time the hay was put up too wet and I had to throw a lot of it. Getting hay late winter is very expensive and work intensive with snow & ice to deal with also.
If the hay is alfalfa, they eat it quicker, but don't need as much. If it's grassy hay, they have more chew time, and you can safely leave more in front of them. If possible, I get half my hay with a mix of alalfa/grass, and half just grass hay. My quantity is on the high side I think, but I prefer to be generous with the hay as I don't use bedding even when stalled.
May I ask why you are feeding hay now with 16 acres of pasture? I only have 4 acres, and just started feeding hay because they are ate down and need to be left to grow.
I always sleep better at night knowing there is plenty of hay in the barn! It will take you a winter or 2 to get an idea how much your horses need but if you can go with more hay, it's better than less hay!
And it's cheaper & healthier to maintain their weight consistantly than to try to put weight on going into winter, talking from experience!
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New Member:
sherryw
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 8:15 am:
Hi Kim,
Congratulations on entering the world of horse ownership. I think you will truly enjoy it. It's great that you are thinking ahead for their winter needs. I would like to add just a couple of things that you might like to think about also. I know New York was hit pretty hard last year by heavy snows. What I have found helps with my horses -- 15 of them ranging in age from 2 to 31 -- has been the addition of rain sheets for those chilling late October, early November rain/sleet days. The horses love to be out so for those type of days, I put a sheet on them so they don't get chilled to the bone. As long as they have hay in front of them, they can usually keep that internal furnace going and stay warm with just a little help. Blanketing is a plus or minus, depending on their coats, but I would almost guarantee that the senior would benefit from a little more protection so he doesn't use up so many calories keeping himself warm. The older ones are usually harder to put weight back on if they DrOp it off, so if he goes into winter in good condition and with a little help on the keeping warm side, he should do well.
Also, after the snows start, be sure to check their feet for snow balls. Usually happens more with horses with shoes, but snow and ice can accumulate on their feet and make it hard to walk for them.
Be sure their water supply doesn't freeze and that they have free access to water 24/7.
Hope this helps and good luck!
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 9:46 am:
Hi welcome to HA
Read the All the Horse Care articles they are a goldmine of info.
This works for me :
1) Free choice grass hay( to keep them warm) 2x alfalfa a day. Get the very best quality hay you can. Dr Os article will advise you on how much hay you will need . I use 3%/BW in the winter.
2)Keep my water trough heated...they drink more.
3) I have to blanket 1 mare. I have all three weights and keep a close eye on her shivering/sweating.
4) I do the rib- touch test to make sure they are not losing weight. It can be hard to see with the winter woolies.
The members that have oldies will tell you their tips. Feel free to ask us any question you might have.
Welcome again
Leslie
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Member:
kab3
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 9:58 am:
Hi,
My husband wants to plop a large round bale as needed in the field and let the horses have free choice to graze off it in the winter....My question is...Is that safe? (storage wise)...Does snow effect it?...or Can 2 horses eat it fast enough before it goes bad? I have no experience with round bales, so I don't know the different ways people use them. We do have the means to transport them around, but I want to do what is healthier for my boys.
Thanks.
Kim
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New Member:
sherryw
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 10:21 am:
Hi Kim,
We also use round bales for our horses. We do feed them in the pasture, but we use round bale feeders from AGI for that. Having them confined to the feeder (which is plastic and very horse safe). By confining them to the feeder, there is much less waste and with the cost of hay these days, it helps to save hay any way possible. We also have the bales up off the ground on a pallet in the feeder.
Your question of how long they will last, will depend on your horses. With only 2 of them, a round bale should easily last 2-3 weeks (depending on the quality of the hay, their available pasture, outside temperature, etc.) -- which should only be a problem if the bales get really wet...not snow wet, but rain wet. If this happens, the bales will start to go sour (first like haylege and then moldy) and the horses probably will not eat them if this happens.
If you just put the bales in the field without the protection of a feeder around them, the horses usually end up with some pretty expensive bedding to lay on in addition to a nice snack bar (horses ideal bed and breakfast?)! If you have a lean to or some type of covered feeding area where the bales could be fed from, that would be the absolute best way to feed them -- most cost efficient for your money with less spoilage and waste.
Hope this helps,
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 10:56 am:
I too am wanting to use round bales this winter. But the only ones I have access to are full of mold spores  . white powdery dust. smell funky. basically cow hay. So I will not take the chance of heaves or worse. It back to square bales this winter.
I was going to keep mine in a run-in shed and use a round bale feeder ( on pallets). keeps waste and weather off.
Someone that did not have tractor put their supply of round bales in their paSTURE on pallets and covered them with tarp. used electric fence to keep the horses away. If you do a search ( top of page) type in round bales and read the threads it should be on there and will explain more in depth what she did to solve the round bale/no-tractor prob.
I think you with only 2 horses eating off them, you will definitely want to have them covered as they eat them. like putting the one they are eating on in their run-in shed. and keep the rest covered. just my opinion tho
But make sure they round bales were made properly!!! No mold or mold spores or dust. very, very unhealthy for horses.
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Member:
leslie1
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Posted on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 - 11:01 am:
Oh duh I just saw you DO have a tractor...you should make sure the hay is good/healthy hay and put them in a round bale feeder in your run -in. with 2 horses its better to have it covered as it will take 2 horses longer to eat.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Saturday, Nov 8, 2008 - 7:35 pm:
Sherry W. where did you get your AGI feeder? I can't locate a dealer anywhere in my area. They do look very horse friendly.
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