Are you maknig cutbacks this winter???

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fitzaud2

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Hi! just wondering am I the only broke person that has horses to feed for the winter. I've had to sell some and am now down to 2 yearlings and my spirit, so that I can afford to keep them. I also wont be having lessons, unless it's barter payment, and will have to pick and choose shows, hunting etc.. I have mine in now, since today, as I havn't a blade of grass left, and have to feed. Was really hoping not to have to put them in for another while, but my grass just refused to grow. Anybody else have to down size or cut back, due to this silly recession??
 
YES! Sold all and now breeding budgies....

Seriously though, got 1 out on loan while she saves to buy him so that has helped alot. she also wants the shettie on loan for her kiddies as they love him, ok by me too!

I've shopped around as well to get the best deals on feed too, paid off, over £1.50 a bag difference on cubes! :O

I'm also a little more picky on the show I go to, and lesson once a fortnight now, instead of once a week....
 
I have resolved not to be so wasteful with hay. I give mine adlib in the winter usually, they dont need it to keep weight on at all, just that I feel it stops them being bored. Going to weigh it this year, and theyll have to read a book or something when they run out at night !
Also am not going to spend money on doubtful additives that probably dont work anyway
 
alma said:
I have resolved not to be so wasteful with hay. I give mine adlib in the winter usually, they dont need it to keep weight on at all, just that I feel it stops them being bored. Going to weigh it this year, and theyll have to read a book or something when they run out at night !
Also am not going to spend money on doubtful additives that probably dont work anyway
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Additives - I have to say that I use Equivits, and it is undoubtly the one thing that keeps my horses now mud-fever free! Whatever it is they are lacking....Equivits sorts them out! And I am uber-particular in making sure that each horse gets exactly what it should for work-load in food....

Will be weighing hay as well too!
 
Have been cutting back for months since the grass has hardly grown this year.

And although I have bought my winter haylage rations and ordered the hay, I don't think I'm going to have enough seeing as I'm having to use more of it at this time of the year.

I've hardly competed this year, for the first time in 22yrs, and have totally lost interest in the whole thing... as it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet.

It's really depressing :(
 
Thanks guys, It makes me feel a whole lot "less mean" to know that I'm not the only one. Seriously though, I just couldnt do another winter like last year, I nearly starved feeding the horses. I had my best boy last year, who has since been PTS, but he was on so many supplements, additives, painkillers etc, he was costing me €80 a week on his own, and i had 6 in last winter. Was offered a pony for the kids for free, as he is old,(very old- 30), and is being retired from riding school. My son rides him in his lesson at the moment and loves him, but I said no, so now I'm the meanest mam in the world. He's quirky at the best of times, is only quiet in the arena, he took off with Pa last week down the fields, flat out, and will def be another one for the graveyard. Oh, and I learned how to ride on him, scary!! He's in great condition for his age, but after selling off stock for less than a third of what i'd paid for them, It would be madness to take on this pony. Think I'll buy another goldfish for Pa instead!!! much cheaper!!!
 
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madhossy said:
Have been cutting back for months since the grass has hardly grown this year.

And although I have bought my winter haylage rations and ordered the hay, I don't think I'm going to have enough seeing as I'm having to use more of it at this time of the year.

I've hardly competed this year, for the first time in 22yrs, and have totally lost interest in the whole thing... as it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet.

It's really depressing :(
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Tell me about it, It would be so much cheaper to sell everything and just pay for a weekly lesson, but I love spirit too much and he's very special, as i got him as a present as a foal for an old man i knew, just before he died, so would feel way too guilty to seel him.
And, for the record, i didn;t put my best bot to sleep cos he was costing me too much, I spent €3000 on trying to make him better, before finding out he had "pedal degenerative disease" - had never heard of it, but the poor guy was in agony!!
 
It's difficult to say no to a free pony for your kids.

But that little fella will probably cost a lot to keep through winters and defeats the object of selling all your others to save money
 
I also fed adlib haylage bales last year 20round bales a week between 18 horses, made no difference between how they look the year before and last year, so going back to a large haynet for each horse on the fence morning and night.
Obviosly hard feed morning and night as well
 
miss_bird said:
I also fed adlib haylage bales last year 20round bales a week between 18 horses, made no difference between how they look the year before and last year, so going back to a large haynet for each horse on the fence morning and night.
Obviosly hard feed morning and night as well
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Crikey, we were on 5 a week for 13 (admittedly 7 small ponies in there) and that was crippling us financially! Dreading this year, relieved to know we will have adequate hay available to last us but paying for it is scary! We have a lot more grazing this year so are hoping that will make things a little easier than last year as we will be able to split them up rather than not being able to feed 13 together in the field because we couldn't get them out without it being a huge hassle through someone else's field.
 
I've noticed an urge to cut back :cool:. I've stopped buying things, which is unusual; instead of buying new, I'll make do or mend where I can.

We have a lot of grass where the horses have just moved to - five acres for three neds, two of whom will have to be restricted or we'll be looking at obese and/or laminitis :( Just put up the electric pen. So we're lucky on that front for now. It's a case of managing the two fields to the best.

It will be interesting to see how the winter goes. We moved there so the horses could be out 24/7, but we do have stables, which we're getting them used to 'just in case'.

If we need hay out it will be round bales, which should last them two weeks. Dizz will have two hard feeds a day as the goodness will go out of the hay in the field (rain soaked!). The other two will only get hard feeds if they need it (vits apart).

I'll be putting up Dizz's Haybar. She is a disaster with haynets, always gets attached to them, literally! We've been feeding her hay from the ground but she wees for England and trashes her bed/hay. LL and LC are better, so will see how it goes with them; if they start to waste then they'll have to have haynets.

Rugs are all okay for now and the couple that aren't are home waiting for me to sew them back together. That might be a while!

I feel like I'm instinctively hunkering down for the winter. Strange. :cool:
 
I won't be cutting back on my horse, definately be cutting back on other things though. His good quality feed and my lessons will continue come hell or high water. I've been sensible and already bought in hay so I'm covered for that for winter and luckily a very good instructor has now started her horses on livery at the yard so she's doing cheaper lessons because she doesn't have to travel or pay for school hire so I'm thinking I'll be okay!! In fact so much so I'm buying a horsebox too so we can continue to have fun over the winter!!!:D

It means I'm still driving around in a tatty old van and wearing the same clothes as 4 years ago and I'll be collecting wood at the local forest for the wood burner but thats no sacrifice if it means my boy is kept in the manner I expect for him!!
 
I'm really lucky, I have moved to a new yard and we have tonnes of grazing so, as I have a 3yr old that is having the winter off, a two year ol, a 27 year old and an 18yr old, they are all living out all winter, will save a bomb on straw and hay as they'll only need hay when frozen which they would have had on the daily turnout anyway. Less feed as not in work and so much grass no need to feed so much.
Cattle grazing is brilliant stuff.
 
Defo making cutbacks, mainly on going out (esp cinema, ridiculously expensive!!), overspending in Tesco, watching my petrol for unneccesary journeys, clothes and holidays.
 
I'm not making cutbacks as such but my winter costs will be a lot cheaper because I won't have two 16'3" horses to cater for as they have gone just my little sec a chap and a half share in another pony.

We are prob not going to feed adlib hay this year though cos am concerned about the supply and pricewise it has already gone up from £5 to £8 per large small bale and large haylage from £27 to £45.
 
I'm preparing know brought all my hay for the whole winter ,I've brought a weigh to weigh all food is hay and hard feed instead of estimating which save me hay and hard feed .
I've got a big wooden box that you get from orchards when they are packing fruit to put hay into to eat from
Rugs that don't fit I've put on a swap shop on horse and hound so I can get ones that fit propley .grooming stuff such as main conditioner I use human conditioner mixed with water and furniture polish for mane and tail For jumps I get pole sleeves cheap and cheerful .
Oil I buy normal corn or veg oil ,garlic I buy normal cloves .
And many others
 
No I don,t think I will have to cut back at all, I have bought in all my hay that I should need and I just go out and buy what is required for hard feed as and when required. I have loads of rugs used and new so will not need to buy any this winter, I have been offered 2 or 3 ponies for free this summer but was strong and said no thankyou.
What I will be cutting back on this winter is the amount of hay the NF pony has as he came through winter too good last year and I have struggled to keep it off all summer.
 
Yes ! I am not going for new rugs ( a bit of duck tape here and there :eek: have I confessed that ???), I've been gathering bits and pieces over the last month, hay and straw sorted and paid for, winter clothing all lined up. And gallons of pig oil and sulphur - cheaper in bulk.

So if all goes to plan, it just fuel (for a very thirsty landy), feed and farrier. Famous last words, eh.

sm x
 
I have just added up what I have spent on hay for the winter and straw, and it is costing me a third more than last year ! Have just given up my part time job too! Feel quite relaxed that I have got enough hay in to last me (unless we have a severe winter)usually buy it in dribs and drabs but couldnt risk it this year
 
Its hopefully going to be much cheaper this winter, having moved my two from a large yard where paddocks were overgrazed and winter turnout restricted to dry days only. Even had to hay fields in summer. Now on grass livery (with stable) with lots of grazing, so feed bills will be much less, no bedding costs and livery less than half of last years price. Cob has returned to barefoot and other horse's supplements are paid by insurance company at the moment.
 
I haven't cut down on feeds just shopping around and finding alternatives that will help maintain my silly old mares weight, but the others are on their normal small feeds and have pleanty of good grass at the moment. I won't be shoeing my two mares this winter like I usually do but thats more to do with them not doing anything now until next show season and even then my eldest mare is retiring so she probably won't have any shoes again if she copes ok without them.

I am not really cutting down as such but I am finding ways of combating the hay shortage with feeding a bit more as the time comes. We do have a good supplier locally that has plenty of good quality hay at the moment so I will be buying some of him over the next few weeks to top my barn up just incase we have bad snow again.

At the moment things are no different to how they used to be but I am sure the hay shortage will soon put that right....
 
Not cutbacks as such, just making things go a bit further. I usually feed add lib hay off the floor but this year I will be mixing some straw in with the hay a) to bulk it out a little and b) so that it takes him longer to eat. Also feeding some of it out of a net.

I have bought budget cubes rather than branded high fibre cubes and I worked out it is cheaper to buy hi-fi and alfa a rather than healthy hooves considering I don't fedd the recomended levels anyway and add my own supplements...

i'm making a note of the costs and when I buy feeds etc so that I can keep tabs on it a bit better

I'e just turned him out 24/7 (the grass has just come through) and he will stay out as long as possible...
 
Just thought, whilst I am cutting back/down (but considering what I usually spend on extras this is possibly no bad thing lol), we are looking at getting D1 another horse.... :rolleyes::cool:. It will depend on the YO where we are, I'm not sure she'll be happy with four out 24/7, so that's something for discussion :)
 
Not making cut backs as I re-use rugs each year and my lad is on the same routine all year of in at night...to get him off the grass and make sure he does not get laminitis.
I am already making sure my hay goes further than previous years as I can only store 100 at a time and do not want to be struggling to find some more for the spring and summer next year. So he will be in on hay at night on a weighed amount and then out on his paddock during the day. The grass on this is well eaten down but he still finds enough to keep him busy all day and his head down! I am aiming to not feed hay at all during the day when he is out and will strip graze him each day when the grass stops growing (weather permitting).
 
fitzaud2 said:
And, for the record, i didn;t put my best boy to sleep cos he was costing me too much, I spent €3000 on trying to make him better, before finding out he had "pedal degenerative disease" - had never heard of it, but the poor guy was in agony!!
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It wouldn't matter to me if that had been your reason though.
People who can't afford the extra costs to give an old or unsound horse good quality of life should take that course of action rather than either ceasing to supply the extras or fobbing it off on to someone else.

In answer to the question posed by the OP I haven't cut back'nor am I planning to, but I am already feeding hay in the field, and on that basis have brought more to top up what Ikd got for the winter.
 
Strangely I am spending a lot less on the horses - I am making my rugs last a lot longer and don't care so much if the tack doesn't match, borrowing things from friends (and happily lending my stuff in return) to try, not just buying in the expectation they will work.

But most importantly, have decided not to ride from mid-December till the weather cheers up, so off come those shoes and out go thoses horses.
 
Kind of...Moved my horses back to my old work place and there is alot of grazing at the moment so no need for hay/feed yet for my 2 tbs- one is retired and one having year off.
My Idx is in at night with hay and hard food but sharing bills with mum at the moment.

Our hay isnt very good (dusty so yo has brought a haysteamer) so that should be ok and I have also moved form shavings to wood pellets, changed farrier and brought winter rugs in bulk throughout summer so fingers crossed we will be ok!!
 
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