Feeding hay in a trashed field...flaming weather!

It's a bit of a sad thing to say... but the slow feeders have transformed my winter! Especially now that I've found the cheap and lovely hay, I can stuff the feeders to the brim with 3 bales of hay and know that if I'm delayed getting to the field they are fine. I've oiled up the legs to protect them from mud, oiled and plaited the Arab's mane to cherish that, two are rugged up and they are happy as pigs in poo. They look a bit like pigs in poo as well...
 
My field looks like an apocalyptic wastelend - I too have 3 acres or so and two big warmbloods who like to run around madly, carving it up and then wonder where all the grass has gone. I have a hay manger and a feeder over the fence, but what they tend to do is go up to the hay, sniff it, say 'you're not grass' then turf it out onto the floor and she pees on it :( The hay is really nice quality from our hay field, and they hoover it up at night, but at the mo' they are down the field trying to eat non-existant grass. Edjits. In the spring/summer/when it dries up (ever?) I'll have to get the tractor in to scrape it all up on the muck heap and let it rot away - they are soo wasteful.

Last night, I got to experience the apocalyptic wasteland in all its fury. Can any one tell me why my normally keen to come in horses last night decided that coming in to the stable was the scariest thing in the world? I shouted for them to come for ages. Nope. I went down to find them in the dark, slipping around in the puddles and they were stood, miserable with heads down in the middle of the torrential rain and wind, so I chased them up the field. They went into the yard, saw their lovely warm stables and food and.......ran back down the field again before I could shut the gate. They did this 3 times. I looked like a very muddy wet thing from wet muddy land by the time I got back in the house. I was also slightly annoyed. Why? Seriously, why? What does go on their peanut sized brains?
 
Nothing helpful to say about feeding hay but it is comforting to read these posts - it's my first year of having the boys at home and I could cry when I look at the fields :mad::mad: We have about 3.5 acres too, they have been in the largest end field all winter which was holding up ok until the snow/endless rain of the last few weeks.

To be honest they are staying in from 4pm until 9 or 10am (after being ridden) just to save further trashing. I have fed hay in the field but they start scrapping and kicking despite several piles being put out and then they don't eat it anyway so I'm limiting it now and they seem to be finding patches of grass still. They get ad lib hay in their stables.

I just can't believe that I will have any grass in spring left but hoping for a miracle.....
 
pootleperkin said:
My field looks like an apocalyptic wasteland -

That is a fantastic description of my fields!

Why? Seriously, why? What does go on their peanut sized brains?
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Who knows. I have one (TB) who bleats to come in after exactly 4 hours and an Irish boy who is a hippo reincarnated. They both stay out for around 13 hours but do come in at night - however Irish boy has found that if he pushes on his stable door REALLY REALLY hard, it will eventually break and he can spend the night outside :rolleyes:
 
cavalo branco said:
I just can't believe that I will have any grass in spring left but hoping for a miracle.....
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It will recover, don't worry! I normal put mine into a strip trying to save some of field, so they are basically turned out in mud and they do eat their hay. However, my thinking was for this year, was that as we usually have too much grass and I have to keep them in for a period during the day in the summer or they get fat, just let them trash it and enjoy themselevs! So, if not quite as much grass comes this year due to the trashing, so be it!

Nicnac - yup, think mine would prefer to be out - they do seem to find their stables quite spooky, even after 6 or so years here!
 
I have some grass mats and then on top of them I have the wonderful wooden trough my brother made. My two prefer to eat from the same pile of hay, so it is easy, fill up the trough and with the grass mats, it does not get too deep. Our winter field is fetlock deep in mud and water but at least they get out for a few hours to have some hay and a chance to see the outside world.
 
I also have 3 acres on heavy soil. I have been keeping mine in at night and on realy wet days turning out in our arena (which is a sod to poo pick). I have rotated the fields before they got too trashed (apart from the one they used in the snow which is awful now) but only have 1 x 1/3 acre field left. The ones from Nov are starting to perk up though.

We got this to feed hay in. Its an old oak cow manger that my dad put an axle and wheels on (wheels from e-bay) so we can more it regularly. Its lined with very small holed mesh that I got from the internet very reasonably priced. I think its pallet guarding net. There is a flap to go over the top to prevent the big boy pulling it out.

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I've got lots of well drained fields and always normally have too much grass. By and large, this year they are all horrendous. I don't protect them for the Spring as usually I hate the Spring grass coming through and the resulting weight issues with the horses. This year around us horses are all standing in mud which looks like slurry, there is standing water and the grass is vanishing.
I have no hesitation in bringing them in out of it. I would rather they have the chance to eat their fill of hay and dry their legs/ hooves than slog around in tendon pulling, shoe losing mud. If you have stables I would be bringing them in and only turning out during the day.
Our are going out 9.30. in at lunchtime for a ride and then in till the next morning. They are desperate to come in and quite content. Normal Winters they are out 24/7 unless the weather is horrendous.
I can't see how there won't be a hay shortage this year. Lots of last years hay was inedible (for my high standards) and horses are being stabled and fed hay which normally would be out eating grass. There will be lots of poor horses with rainscald and mudfever coming out of this Winter.
 
cavalo branco said:
it's my first year of having the boys at home and I could cry when I look at the fields
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I remember the first year I had mine at home when we moved to the UK (19 years ago :eek:) and it was the last time I remember it being as wet as it has been this year.

It really really is the worst it's ever been this year so if you can get through this, it'll be plain sailing next winter ;)

Grass is amazing - your fields will recover and by May, we'll all be lamenting that we've got too much grass!
 
I'm not happy with having horses out in very deep mud - the sort that pulls wellies off. I have moved from that situation in the past. My fields are on a hillside and quite well drained (something I took into consideration when I rented them). The horses have a shelter that they choose not to use in windy or rainy weather (!) so I put the hay out under the hedge and trees where they most often choose to shelter. I manage the land though, and have over half of it saved and safe from poaching. Of the remaining bit I guess they've trashed about two thirds of an acre, concentrated where the food and water are.
Rainscald and mud fever seem to be a bit more complicated than simply something that happens if horses get rained on or muddy. They are both bacterial infections and I can honestly say that in over 10 years of having horses living out 24/7, not a problem I've had. I think it helps possibly to protect the legs as soon as wet weather starts, although I don't always to that. Re rainscald I make sure to fluff up the fur with a plastic curry comb, so that the rain doesn't run down "ruts" and get caught.
One of my horses was given to me because he stable stressed so badly (among other things) so stabling him isn't really an option. He's 20 years old now and seems to be thriving. All three look good at the moment, I wouldn't be too worried if they were to drop a bit more weight at this stage in the year to be honest.
I think keeping a horse out and healthy 24/7 is a bit of a different mindset in some ways, but it can work well.
 
I feed straw in a round feeder (large bales), and hay in a 'Hay Hutch' out on the ponies' hardstanding area. If it isn't windy, then I just scatter the hay out in piles - so they have to move around. However, at the moment it seems to be windy all the time!
 
I put my hay (was haylage but now banned from fields due to expense which is fair enough) under a tub and then place another large heavy tub over the top and it is left permanently in his field. The tub over the top is one of those thick heavy solid blue plastic bins (like the water butts of old) sawn in half. I've taught my horse to lift it off by putting his tea underneath the tub and it took him about three seconds to understand the 'puzzle' and realise that if he wanted his tea he would have to get rid of the tub, so he pushes it off with his nose!! I did the same with putting the haylage out under the tub last winter, and now I put the hay under the tub at night and he is able to access it when he is hungry after being turned out in the morning.

The two tubs prevent the hay from getting iced up in the very cold weather, and stops it blowing about in the wind until the followind day when Bailey gets to push the tub off and eat the contents underneath.
 
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Tinypony said:
I know it's shocking, but some people don't have stables. Their horses seem to do fine and be quite happy though.
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I'm not referring to 'some' people - but the OP, who has stables......

Tinypony said:
I'm not happy with having horses out in very deep mud - the sort that pulls wellies off. I have moved from that situation in the past.
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Which is more or less how the OP describes her fields.
 
Mine are happy living pout 24/7 and wouldnt thank you for a stable under any circumstances.
I feed hay in storage boxes was thinking of putting haylage nets inside but havent found a suitable way of attaching them yet but am working on it
Mine are ranging over the whole 4 acres as I dont want a lot of grass at any time so will keep them eating it short until it grows faster than they can eat it or they start to gain weight when they will be restricted
It keeps the hay off the sandy ground but they are a bit inclined to tip it out
 
We have about four acres of paddock, plus a stable yard with a large concrete 'apron'. Since the snow the ponies have been spending most of their time in the stable yard, despite having access to the paddocks. They have haynets in the stables and hung around the yard. If I put any into the paddocks it would go in 'haybarns' that we've had for a few years. In many ways I'm glad they are tending to stay in the yard because it means less damage in the paddocks - often the area around the haybarns becomes a quagmire. Oh, please let us have a summer this year...
 
Even in sunny Maine et Loire, we are suffering. We normally get missed by rain which drives across Normandy and Brittany.

Interestingly my CB's hate mud it is my Shagya's who are hippos. All my gateways are appalling, even though I have hard core down. Further out I have grass. We have 30 acres of which 10 is always set aside for hay.

Mine all come in at night - 13 boxes to do each day and I don't worry about feeders. We have big round bales outside, some of which will waste, but it will be cleared in about a month and burned or put on the muck heap.

We do have remedial work to do, but interestingly, I have sectioned off a couple of patches that were wet and the grass has recovered in just two weeks. The soil is both warm and wet so that means a good chance of spring sowing.
 
My two live out 24/7 and like many of you our 2 acre section of the field is a complete mess, or at least the bottom half of it!! it is on a slope and we have also had to fence a narrow (15ft wide and about 25 ft long) walkway from edge of our part of the field down to the gateway, to accomodate other liveries using the same winter grazing ( we use electric fencing to split individual grazing off in the winter). the walkway is just awful , as someone else said it is really deep pull off your wellies type mud and full of water and puddles now---- getting up it with feed buckets and two large heavy haynets twice each day is a sight to behold !!! I have been very worried about the horses pulling something and damaging themselves in it, but, they seem very sensible and just pick their way up and down when they need to and don't come down unless i need to bring them in to the yard. their water is at the bottom and during the snow I walked buckets and buckets up the field, so they didn't have to keep trudging through it, The saving grace this year is that we have double field shelter at the top of our field and I have been putting all the hay in there for them, with virtually no waste. The floor of the shelter seems to remain bone dry inside despite the very wet weather, ( I can only assume because it is set on a slope)when it snowed I also got a couple of straw bales from the yard manager and made them "beds" in there, which they did use as I have found plenty of droppings inside, ( they never normally mess in there at all :-)) with regard to not wasting the hay outside, our yard also has sheep and I have been given a large sheep feeder in my field which I would normally fill with hay for them both when not been raining so much! , I know it is metal and I am always careful where I place it , but, they both seem to manage fine and as it has wheels i can move it about when it gets boggy. Roll on spring though when all we have to worry about is flies, hard ground and too much grass!!!
 
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