Are people haying fields yet?

[Goldenstar]

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

I am using muzzles as well muzzles and they are being ridden .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

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

Same here

 

[dorsetladette]

I've been haying all summer due to not having any grass.

They have a purpose built hay feeder with a round bale in a bale net. They are eating considerably less at the moment than they have been the last 3 or 4 months, but its still there. The hay feeder is covered so hay is protected from the weather.

 

[Squeak]

Mine's a poor doer and I'd rather he was eating hay than hard feed so I'm giving a full ration of hay in the field.

 

[SEL]

This thread shows I think how some parts of the country were hit harder by the drought than others. My neighbour usually has more grass than he can ever use for his 3 donkeys but he's having to move them into a different field because last winters grazing never came back

My winter field should be knee high but looks like I took horses off it only yesterday At least it's green again. Spent most of this year looking dead

 

[Polos Mum]

We're Yorkshire, I moved mine onto autumn fields 10 days ago, it's not as tall as usual but seems thicker. I had 2 in last night (so they were dry and clean to clip this am) and they didn't even finish a relatively mean ration of nice haylage over night.

Like many above I am under strict instructions from my physio that at least one of mine needs to look close to a Brook advert by the time we get to end of Feb or his health will really suffer next spring. I'm usually happy if they come out of winter looking an acceptable weight - but they have to look poor this year !

I will not be feeding hay in the field for their own health.

 

[saddlesore]

We’re rolling in grass again, just put his grazing muzzle back on. Still out 24/7. Crazy weather

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

We have far too much lush green grass for just one horse and two donkeys who all live out 24/7. My son moves the electric strip grazing just a few feet every 3 days as we cannot risk any of them getting too much of the lush stuff. So we tend to throw just a bit of hay in on day2/3 to give them something to pick at until we move the fence again.

But unfortunately the hay we took this year is also far too good quality, especially for the donkeys, so we are going to have to be a bit mean with that too. Please don't shoot me down when I say we are praying for some good sharp frosts to knock the grass back a bit. Either that or I get myself another big eating machine ready to ride on when I am all fixed hopefully by next summer! ?

 

[Peglo]

I am hoping to get them slim by March .
I am always hoping I can get them slim.

oh how I can relate ?

 

[Goldenstar]

We have far too much lush green grass for just one horse and two donkeys who all live out 24/7. My son moves the electric strip grazing just a few feet every 3 days as we cannot risk any of them getting too much of the lush stuff. So we tend to throw just a bit of hay in on day2/3 to give them something to pick at until we move the fence again.

But unfortunately the hay we took this year is also far too good quality, especially for the donkeys, so we are going to have to be a bit mean with that too. Please don't shoot me down when I say we are praying for some good sharp frosts to knock the grass back a bit. Either that or I get myself another big eating machine ready to ride on when I am all fixed hopefully by next summer! ?

No I can relate to it , I have mine clipped in zero fills ( except fatty ) all my youth a longed for my own grass for my own horses , its my fault for getting into Irish Draughts and big cobs .
I just don’t know how they do it .

 

[Wishfilly]

I am- it looks like there is good grass in the field, but he was dropping weight- bale put in two weeks ago, and he is eating it in preference to the grass (which he doesn't always) and stopped dropping. He's not an especially poor doer, but it is his first winter with me living out 24/7.

I think although our grass looks okay, it isn't actually giving enough nutrition.

 

[maya2008]

First year in my 8 year old NF mare’s working life that I have needed to feed cereals. They live out and are currently going through a small bale of haylage and half a bale of straw per day between 6 of them (one 14.2hh then the rest 13hh and under). Anyone in more than gentle hacking work is starting to get a bit sluggish and my mare and son’s Welsh have lost weight also. The weight loss is a good thing, but the lack of energy isn’t, so small amounts of cereals it is!