Feeding Hay and Straw

[horseriderdeb]

Someone has suggested mixing my very good doers hay with straw so he gets the fibre to fill him but not the calories. Has anyone done this before and does it work? What quantity of straw do you use to hay and what type of straw do you use?

Would it take the goodness out the hay if I steamed it?

 

[Troylimbo1]

Our little Section A used to have hay and straw mixed as he just looks at food and gets fat!
He had approx 2/3rds straw 1/3 hay.
Steaming hay doesn't reduce the goodness in it thats why its been designed to get rid of the dust without the good bits
You could always soak your hay for 24 hours to reduce the calories?

 

[horseriderdeb]

Hate the mess of soaking hay thats why I have made my own steamer. What sort of straw should I use or doesn't it matter

 

[Troylimbo1]

Hate the mess of soaking hay thats why I have made my own steamer. What sort of straw should I use or doesn't it matter

I think you can only feed oat straw (thats what we fed)

 

[AmyMay]

Yes, I did it with a good doer - hay and oat straw.

 

[horseriderdeb]

ok will find out what my straw is that I use for bedding. He likes eating it whatever it is. But then again he just likes eating food.

 

[Divasmum]

We used to do that in the summer when we had a section B who needed to maintain her figure! It worked well however there are articles in books about horses getting impaction colic from eating straw. As so many horses eat their straw beds it can't be that common but access to fresh water at all times is a must. With the price of hay soaring and supply being difficult in some areas of the country I think more and more people will try the hay/straw option although I am aware straw prices are high as well. I would certainly do it again if I had a horse who needed to watch its figure.

 

[Penny Less]

I used barley straw last year when i ran short of hay. Im sure Ive seen somewhere that barley straw is OK. Cant get oat straw locally