Every year I get worried all over again! QUESTION

[JadeWisc]

I know that the grass/grazing and many other factors may be different where I live, but I am wondering what you all do in this scenario


Horses have been wintered on hay and grain and have been in winter pen where there is no grass through the spring (still on grain and hay obviously)

We had been letting the summer pasture grow and I put them in this evening for a bit. How many hours would you let them graze the first time out to ease them in????

Remember...they have had NO grass since September/October

I was going to leave them in for about 3 hours then pull them out for the night . No feeding when they return until morning. Then a few more hours tomorrow

I still worry about Founder every year!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Probably an hour and build up slowly, but depends on how much grass and what the quality is like (ours is really rich as is effectively cattle grazing

). Fortunately I have year round grazing on a stripe grazed bald patch, so don't have this worry (other than the fact the grass is way to rich this time of year).

 

[JadeWisc]

Year round grazing!!! Now that would be a dream! We are under forzen snow half the year and everything is dead! lol

 

[Tia]

Jade this is the same where I am. With my big guys they are out in the field all year long so they gradually get used to it and they are very good at coming back to the hay feeders at regular intervals. However in 2 of the other fields, I have been restricting the amount of grass they consume, so they are in small paddocks from morning till late afternoon and then can go out all night long now, but initially I allowed them out for about an hour and then upped it by quarter of an hour every day till they were up to being out there for about 4 hours a day.....then I moved onto allowing them out there all night. I will give them 24 hour access around the beginning of June I think.

 

[JadeWisc]

Thanks Tia...I was hoping you would respond! lol

I thought you may have a few doing the same . I am just a worry wart and always second guess my instincts!

 

[Tia]

. I don't worry about the big boys to be honest as they are good boys, but I was concerned about Cloud having just foaled and a couple of the others, and of course the one who is still pregnant, so they are the ones who are restricted right now.

Is your grass growing good-guns? How is it compared to your lawn (yard grass)? This is what blows me away; my lawn has been mowed loads and it is shooting up whereas the fields are coming along but way slower, LOL!!

 

[JadeWisc]

Well the field is coming up in lush "patches" Certain areas are far more lush than my lawn, but the majority is not.


Just brought the boys in and SURE ENOUGH Chester is bleeding! I took of his halter and there was a little bit of blood on it. I looked under his head and there is a small round cut !

I watched them like a hawk from the window and they only seemed to be peacefully grazing! Goes to show you how accident prone horses are!
I have a feeling that is may have been there before and went unnoticed and by leaving the halter on for turnout it could have rubbed off a scab.

 

[Tia]

Ah I mean't to say also, I stopped hard feeding most of mine about 3 weeks ago as they had all put on weight. So apart from some of the little ones, the pregnant or foaled one, none of the others are having any hard feed at all now.

 

[Enfys]

I have been rationing the time mine get on decent grass too (as in long enough to actually take a mouthful! rather than just nibble) Like you, mine haven't seen grass over the winter and their winter field just provided very poor grazing until now.
My darling OH murdered the lawn mower by driving it over a tree stump so now the Orange horses have a permanent job strip grazing my yard. By the time they have finished one part, another has grown, I have an extra hay field because my garden seems to have enough grazing

I say garden, there is about 2 acres of grass around the house and barns that aren't fenced. As Tia says, the lawn seems to grow faster than the fields.

The horses have about 3 hours on the lawn in the morning, then when the flies come out to play (evil sods, with teeth!) the horses are lining up to go in their stalls for a few hours escape. Then back out on the good grass until dark then into a paddock with a round bale for the night, not that they bother with that.

This is the view out of my sitting room window into my front garden recently (my MiL, here for 3 weeks, is horrified) It is a bit odd looking out of the living room window and seeing a worms eye view of the horses

 

[JadeWisc]

HAHAHA! The very best lawnmowers! I use my Shetland Charlie for that! lol

I am amazed the yellow ribbon keeps them in! Is the front of your property fenced in case of an escape or do you have very well behaved horses? I suppose if it is electrified they would steer clear. I do have one motivated jumper though who would sail right over that even if it were on flames!

That view from your lower window is wonderful!! A "worms eye view" lol
I suppose only horse lovers would appreciate that!

 

[Enfys]

No, no fencing (yet, it's on the "To Do" list) the lawn runs straight onto the road, it has taken me ages to get used to most gardens being unfenced, is it like that with you? I always know when there are young children in a house because there will be a fenced off play area!

At the beginning the electric tape was connected to the mains and had a serious kick to it, they've all had a shock and now don't really bother to even challenge the tape. The best grass is on our side of the road anyway, there are only corn fields and woods around so they'd only go into my hay fields if they did get loose. I do keep halters on them and they only go out supervised as it were, if I can't see them, I check, lead ropes, feed and the ATV keys are all to hand........just in case.

Yes, seeing their legs and bellies from downstairs is a bit strange, I talk to them through the windows but the mosquito netting means that they can't see in and so they stand there looking a bit bemused. I would rather have a shetland, the divots would be smaller (and the poos!) but OH won't let me have any more "useless, expensive pets"

I tried to tell him that I could get two, maybe three, for the price of a new mower but he says that he'll mend it instead

)