Re: Hay

On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 09:01:50 -0500, wkambic@xxxxxxx wrote:

On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 08:30:19 -0500, Aunt Nasty
<Ye_Olde_Muleskinner@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

That will depend on the horse's size, workload,
the weather, the availability or lack of pasturage,
and, of course, the hay quality. Tamara has
made the point that hay should be tested to
know its feed value.

During their long ride around Brazil, the MM horses used consumed an
average of 70 kilos of feed per day per horse. They averaged 16 miles
per day, each and every day, for more than two years. The quality of
this feed is unknown.

Good point (that's about 35 pounds).
The MM's aren't particularly large, and
seem to be a thrifty type, too.

It demonstrates, however, that "rules of thumb" are guidelines, not
"carved in stone."

Exactly. Some of them originated in
places and times drastically different
from those found today, too.

Old-time traditions based on giving horses
as little food as possible don't really apply to
modern horses kept for other purposes and
in other conditions.

Yup. Gotta watch out for developing the grossly obese horse, though.

Grass hays don't pose as much of a risk of that
as, say, dairy-quality rich alfalfas. The other part
of preventing obesity in horses is exercise, and
much of that should be at liberty.

"Pantylines" Whatcott had erred:
But if you are supplementing with grazing, grain, sweet feed,
whatever, that means less hay is needed.

Actually, in terms of the health of the horse,
hay should not be reduced in favor of more
concentrated rations.

Indeed. Primary source should be hay; secondary would be suppliment.
Under the proper circumstances hay quality (total TDN, no dust or mold
factors) can be adjusted downward if obesity becomes an issue. This
would, however, be an unusual circumstance.

Exactly. Then, just as you say, the quality can be
adjusted, in that event, not the quantity.

Here's one very important reason, among many:

"Horses that are allowed to eat all the grass hay
they want tend to dehydrate less than horses fed
richer and more concentrated feeds."

(Hydration being vital not only to health but to
optimal trainability of horses ...)

It also helps generate heat on cold days.

That's an excellent point: I'd read somewhere that
the process of digesting hay is exothermic. It has
to be the best way to keep a horse warm. They're
"furnaces with fur" when well-nourished, as I tell
my students when they ask about blanketing.

"The secret of feeding round bales to horses
is to give them a new bale before they're forced
to eat the outside of the old..."

There is one downside to the round bale. Horses sometimes eat
"tunnels" into the bale. This means that they can be breathing any
dust, pollen, mold spoors, etc. that is in the day. All hay will have
some dust and pollen; spoors should be rare. This can cause a
difficulty in a horse with other respiratory issues.

That corresponds to what I've read and seen. As
John Hasler mentioned, the bales can be unrolled,
which is the way to avoid the tunneling.

I know of people who've bought round bales to
unroll for bedding, too, when the lumber mills
aren't producing enough shavings.

Round bales are usually quite a bit cheaper than
the equivalent weights in small squares.

Again, we feed to need.

Which is as it should be.
.

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