Are people haying fields yet?

[J_sarahd]

Nova is in at night now and she obviously gets adequate hay overnight but I was wondering what people’s thoughts were on haying the field in the day. It’s obviously been very mild but also very wet. I guess I don’t want to unnecessarily hay the field if I need to save the pennies for a particularly cold Dec-Feb when I definitely will need to.

Everyone else on the yard is haying and has hayed continuously since about May.

Just a side note - I know I posted about her cribbing, which is an ulcer symptom that people said may have been caused by missing her morning hay, but I have not seen her do it since and have checked the fences daily with no new evidence of cribbing so I think it was a one off otherwise I wouldn’t be thinking about not haying.

 

[Nasicus]

Could always try putting some out for a couple days and see if she eats it or leaves it. If she leaves it, she's getting enough from the grass.
Unless she's like mine that looove their hay and will beeline for it regardless of the grass available ?

 

[Goldenstar]

No living out ,no hay won’t be getting any unless the ground is well covered in snow and then it will only be a net when they come in the morning .

 

[J_sarahd]

She is the same! In the 5 months I’ve had her, she’s never left a strand of hay except for the first few weeks when I was putting mountains of hay in her hay feeder, which I’m reluctant to do now due to the cost of everything - especially as it then gets trampled in the mud/weed on!

 

[humblepie]

I think a couple at our yard are where their fields are a bit boggy but on the whole not. He is generally still eating grass when I get him in although does tend descend on his hay as if he hasn't eaten for weeks.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I have to hay mine 365 days a year outside as we never have enough grass

 

[J_sarahd]

I think a couple at our yard are where their fields are a bit boggy but on the whole not. He is generally still eating grass when I get him in although does tend descend on his hay as if he hasn't eaten for weeks.

Yeah Nova is always grazing when I go up unless her neighbour has been brought in at night or she’s having a snooze/on guard duty for her neighbour having a snooze. My field is boggy for probably the top third - which is why I am worried about if she has enough grass. I guess the other option is giving her a week or two on the rested spare paddock but a) don’t want her to trash it and b) don’t want her to get any issues from the lusher grass

 

[TheHairyOne]

My boys started acting hungry this weekend, so they are now getting just a slice each (big bale) at night. This seems to be enough to keep them happy for now. Basically its what they'd have if they were stabled at night.

Proper winter they have an ad lib hay/straw mix, but they are out 24/7.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Ours are in at night, out during the day. No hay yet as it’s been mild with plenty of (much needed!) rain so the grass is still growing. They’ll get hay in the field as soon as it starts looking needed.

 

[Surbie]

Not here - ours are out in big fields that are only really boggy by the gate. We don't usually hay the field though as they are in at night and the grass is still growing well in this mild weather.

 

[J_sarahd]

Thanks, I think I may hold off on haying the field until it starts to drop off a bit more. As mentioned, the grass is still growing. I think I’m just worried about ulcers more than anything - but like I said, head is always down except for nap time or if she’s got no neighbour. She’s a good weight - 489kg at 15.3hh so I’m not necessarily needing the extra calories to bulk her up until it becomes a lot colder. Plus, all other horses except for one, are overweight on my yard so perhaps that should tell me what I need to know.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I have to hay mine 365 days a year outside as we never have enough grass

I’m much like this, I’ve been haying since spring

 

[ihatework]

The babies hill field have just started getting hayed, it’s been grazed non stop since April and they were just starting to drop off.

The 3yo in foal is on a well rested field with loads of grass and only one other horse so they won’t get hay this side of Christmas unless we get dire weather

 

[BSL2]

Mine are coming in for evening feed, then hayed in field. Will add morning feed and hay in field as weather worsens/gets colder. Grass is definitely diminishing and they tell us when they are getting hungry.

 

[blitznbobs]

Never stopped this year tbh

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Nope…grass is growing and growing and to be honest mine are on short day turn out so I don’t mind if they have to search/go a bit short during the day as they have adequate hay overnight.

 

[SEL]

Not stopped this year. Grass was fried in the heatwave and my rested fields didn't get above ankle height. I'm just looking at a 2.5 acre field that hasn't had horses on it since march and the growth is pathetic.

 

[SantaVera]

my horses have hay in the field everyday of the year

 

[Sealine]

Horses are now in at night. I'm on a livery yard with herd turnout and we are banned from feeding hay in the fields. I've never found that an issue as there is always something to pick at and my horse gets plenty of hay when he comes in and overnight.

 

[Goldenstar]

She is the same! In the 5 months I’ve had her, she’s never left a strand of hay except for the first few weeks when I was putting mountains of hay in her hay feeder, which I’m reluctant to do now due to the cost of everything - especially as it then gets trampled in the mud/weed on!

These no way I will put forage in the field because of it’s cost .
My horses are always at the stage where weight loss is a good thing anyway I am always scheming to get them thinner .
They are wearing muzzles as well atm .

 

[Ali27]

My three are out 24/7 still on my 5 acre field. Still got around 3 acres of long grass left that they haven’t touched! Hoping to keep them out 24/7 until the New Year and hopefully won’t need hay in field until then either. If I do start bringing them in at night in January, they won’t have hay in field! They all need to drop some weight over Winter ?

 

[J_sarahd]

These no way I will put forage in the field because of it’s cost .
My horses are always at the stage where weight loss is a good thing anyway I am always scheming to get them thinner .
They are wearing muzzles as well atm .

I’m glad it’s not just me - feel a bit tight saying I want to avoid haying the field because of the cost of hay, even though I know that if we get a horrible winter, my hay bills will double. It wasn’t so bad in the summer when the grass was scorched because she wasn’t in at night so it was around the same as she’s having overnight now. She’s a relatively good weight so it is difficult. I read somewhere else that one of the downsides of being on livery is the pressure to follow what everyone else is doing and I certainly feel that right now.

 

[Peglo]

Mines just been moved to their winter field. Tali is obsessed with hay but she’s just picking at it when she comes in at night. Come February the field will be looking pretty worse for wear.

 

[J_sarahd]

That’s one downfall about our yard - there’s no rotation in paddocks so they’re in the same field all year. Hence why the large majority of people hay their fields - and I did until she started coming in at night. Strangely though, most of the horses are overweight.

 

[Goldenstar]

My horses are pinging at the minute living out ,balancer only ,working six days in a week although they have a couple of easier weeks while I had to help out my inlaws .
We went out this morning they have loads of energy .
I am hoping to get them slim by March .
I am always hoping I can get them slim.

 

[magicmoments]

Horses are now in at night. I'm on a livery yard with herd turnout and we are banned from feeding hay in the fields. I've never found that an issue as there is always something to pick at and my horse gets plenty of hay when he comes in and overnight.

We're not allowed to hay in field either, but I do worry as there may not be enough to offset the stomach acid that is created constantly. Ours are in at night too so hayed freely. It's one reason I don't want her out too long, when otherwise I would if there was hay in the field too

 

[Nicnac]

Mine are still muzzled. I have so much grass there are 3 fields I haven't used this year!

 

[NinjaPony]

Mine has dropped a bit of weight this year so I’ve put a small haynet out for him today to see if he’s interested. If it doesn’t get eaten, I’ll hold off for a few more weeks. He comes in at night so gets hay/feed then.

 

[Lady Jane]

Don't hay in the field. The fatties may lose weight and the turnout gets shorter as it gets darker. The winter fields are looking dangerously lush......

 

[Vodkagirly]

I'm putting a small amount in. There is still plenty of grass but they seem hungry and would rather haylage than hard feeds