How much do we really do for our horses

AmyMay

AmyMay

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I will pre-empt this by saying that this is not a dig at anyone.



But how many posts do we read on feed related subjects whereby the suggestion of an additional feed is met with a response that this can't be done?

Or other instances of things being suggested - which apparently can't be done, because of time constraints, seemingly impractical or inconvenient?

So to me it begs the question, how much do we really do for our horses? Do we do enough??

In most cases the answer is hopefully yes - but in a lot of cases I suspect the answer is yes, as long as it doesn't inconvenience anyone............
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I think time constraints are the main problem given that most people have to go out to work. I do mine twice a day, morning and evening but could, if necessary, do 3 times a day (morning. lunchtime, evening) as I now only work ten minutes away BUT my previous job was 25 miles away so a middle of the day visit was impossible. Mine are in privately leased fields too so I don't have anyone to help. It depends a lot on individual arrangements and situations.
 
I'm the same as forester, I work 40 hours a week but still do mine morning and night and pop down during lunchtime for farriers, vets etc. Also I rent the land privately and it's only my horses there so have no help and I obviously don't have rights to make changes to the land/property. So I make the best of what I have and do the best for my horses with what time, allowances I have.
 
Mine would pop with additional feeds, which is good as I can't get up to the yard during the day normally as I work too far away.
But that's why I bought a sensible good doer, who I knew would be able to cope if I couldn't ride for a few days, or needed to put her on full livery. I also moved onto a yard that does part and full livery because I know and trust the YO to take care of things in my absence and in case of accidents etc.

I'm often staggered at my yard at people's willingness to leave their horses in a dirty stable all day, with limited hay at the weekend because they don't want to make two visits to the yard and would miss out on their lie in
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Personally I hate it when people bring their horses in for the night at 2.30/3 o'clock in the afternoon and then go home because they are going out that evening and want to get ready.

Their horses are then left from that time until 8ish in the morning and they've normally eaten up by 5 the day before. grr, makes me mad why don't they just ask someone to bring them in at a normal time?
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[ QUOTE ]
I will pre-empt this by saying that this is not a dig at anyone.



But how many posts do we read on feed related subjects whereby the suggestion of an additional feed is met with a response that this can't be done?

Or other instances of things being suggested - which apparently can't be done, because of time constraints, seemingly impractical or inconvenient?

So to me it begs the question, how much do we really do for our horses? Do we do enough??

In most cases the answer is hopefully yes - but in a lot of cases I suspect the answer is yes, as long as it doesn't inconvenience anyone............
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Ahem i'm sure i'm one of those who prompted your post!
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I took some photos of Saf at the weekend have yet to upload them though.

Have cut what she is fed to just the speedibeet, alfa oil and build up mix, and she gets 1 feed in the morning now, 1 when i get to the yard and 1 before i leave the yard!
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I think its too early to tell if its making much difference though.
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ETA Both B and I work all day so pretty impossible for either of us to feed her at lunchtime too.
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luckily im at a yard that does turnout for a small charge as im still at school so coming up in the morning would be difficult but as soon as i can drive i will go up in the mornings i usually go up at night at about 4ish a bit earlier if riding and at weekends i get dropped off at 9 but again would be earlier if i could drive i know some people have to work shifts etc so cant get up at the same time every day but the YM is always available to help but some people leave theirs in at a weekend til about 10-10 30ish which i think is horrible for their poor horses
 
I have two horses that I take care of with no help from anyone. Three years ago my mare had a mild case of lami which resulted in pedalbone rotation. I made the decision to stick with her and have got her right but I have had no holiday in three years work full time. She had been in best part of a year and my other horse with her at night to give her some horsey company. I have had no summer off both horses in at night. I am with them twice or three times a day the cost of getting her right has ment no luxuries at all for me they come first. My day starts at 5 and finish at 10 thats 365 days a year and you know what its all been worth while. So I think I can with all honesty say I do everthing and more for my horses. The only real help I have is from my long suffering OH who does cooking and cleaning and never moans so I think he is a star as well.
 
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Ahem i'm sure i'm one of those who prompted your post!

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Sort of
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Look forward to seeing the photos
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Ahem i'm sure i'm one of those who prompted your post!

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Sort of
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Look forward to seeing the photos
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Lol
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We are trying AmyMay, i really appreciate your advice and Worried1's too.
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Will try to take weekly photos to see how she improves *am hoping she improves*
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I also work, and am up at the yard between 6.30am and 7.30am and then do not return until 5pm
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My horses have a huge net to keep them going and very kindly the YO puts another 2 kg in sometime in the afternoon when she is around so they always have something when I get back at night.

There is no way I could get up at lunch time, and when Grace was in work and struggling to hold her weight I would have loved to have given her a lunch time feed but it was just not possible
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We both work full time and keep ours at home - (18 miles from OH's work, 27 miles from mine) - I also do 24/7 callout every other week

We are on the yard at 5:15am horses out all day 365 days/year. In at 6pm and fed then - also go back out half tenish at night to check/change rugs/feed for 3rd time/skip out - this happens every day. (Neighbours keep eye during the day and call us if necessary)

Arrange farriers/vet visits around work/holiday days but if they needed a visit at midday(ish) then they would get it - would just have to take a long lunch and work later.

Edit to say - when mine was on DIY yard I still wnet back every night at 9.30 to rehay/feed etc even if I was out/going out
 
My horse is near my home in a rented field so I do it all myself. I look after him in the best way possible for his type and needs. He is a native good doer so it makes sense to me that he is given a fibre only diet of hay and grass, has his grass limited in growing seasons to prevent health risks and be left out to wander about outside for as much as possible without it affecting his weight. So it is for health reasons that he is stabled at night throughout the year in order to keep his weight down and from about now onwards will have to be on about one third of an acre of not much with ad lib hay to eat.
I ride when I can given that I am self employed and working all the hours sent! Summer is easier as I get up and out for 6am!
 
It does depend on your circumstances. I work very long hours almost an hours drive away from the yard so while I think I try to do my best by Daisy I can't ever pop down to give her an extra feed at lunchtime or change her rugs as other people might.

I work long hours in part because we're saving to buy somewhere where she can live at home. So yes she might not get everything now but it will be better for her in the long run
 
I am lucky I work in a small town and my horse is about two miles away, when there is anything wrong I can pop up in my lunch time and see to him. I do however have great support from a few friends at the yard. I work for a College and recently had to arrange the training for 1500 people in six different locations, I was tired and going to the yard twice a day was getting really difficult, some friends stepped into the breach and helped me out. Having said that if they had not offered then I would have just kept plodding on.

I have experienced that explaining the concept that the horse has to come first does come as an alien concept to many non horsey people. Some of the biggest disagreements I had in the early days with my partner were about this, he just could not understand that if Lad needed something then I would do it, no matter what plans we had or how it inconvenienced him.

I do realise that I am lucky to be able to do this, working full time does sometimes mean that I occasionally ask friends to do bits for me, but in the same way I do bits for them in return, and if they could not then I would somehow work it out so I could. (helps having an understanding boss).

I try to keep Laddie to the best standard that I can, he may not have all the things that money can buy, but he does have the best I can afford and as much time as he needs.
 
I work full time hours and a decent length of time (in rush hour) bus commute from my horse. However, he lives as much like a horse should IMO in that he gets a high fibre diet, spends everyday out in the field for near on 12 hours, and has ad lib hay oivernight. Unfortunately, horse cost money, people have to work to keep them and not all jobs are understanding with time required. Whats the solution? People who work full time shouldnt be allowed horses?
 
I think my reply may not have come over as I intended. I have to work full time, but as I said I am lucky I have friends at my yard and an understanding boss and I only work 5 mins away!

I really hope the solution is not as suggested as that would mean that I would not have my horse! I think getting the balance right is difficult when you work full time, but we manage it somehow.
 
EJ123 have a look at a pro show jumper yard & you'll see that most of the horses never go out on grass at all. They have hay/hayledge in the stable & go on a horse walker. Some horses are hapy with going out early in the morning & coming back in mid afternoon.....& this isn't done because the owners want to get ready to go out in the evening!
 
Im afraid I inconvenience my family for the sake of my horses.My horse went out at 7 this morning because we took daughters pony to a pc rally.We were back at the yard by 2 but I wanted her to have time out for grazing and went back down the yard to bring them in for 7 pm.That made me late home and we were going out for a meal.So now I have had to cook tea and missed a easy night all because I insist they dont come in to early.
Not feeling guilty at all at the moment having just done 3 trips a day when my horse was on box rest and also standing out in pouring rain so he could graze in hand twice a day.I do wonder if he realises what I have sacrificed lol bet he doesnt give a hoot.
I am one of the lucky ones I only work p/t during the summer and I do admire some of my friends on our yard who get up at 6 to get their horses out.
 
Time is not an issue for me as I live and work on my farm so the horses are a part of my everyday life and I can work around anything which needs doing for them. I can easily chop and change pretty much anything to fit in with the horses.

I have no days off, I rarely go out and I haven't had a holiday for a few years. That's fine though as I enjoy being with my guys. I wouldn't mind going down to the Caribbean for a week mind you
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Sometimes I am not able to have total flexibility on everything, generally due to the fact that the ground freezes down to a couple of feet every winter; so when I go into winter, all posts need to be in the ground - electric fencing to make temporary paddocks are not an option. I can't have any feed which has to be soaked as this would freeze to a giant block due to the subzero temperatures.

My horses are all happy; everyone comments on this. I think it's because I try to give them as natural an existence as is possible within modern day constraints. All horses here are fed ad-lib hay, they all run in compatible herds in large fields. Heated automatic waterers are in their fields so that they drink the same temperature of water all through the year. They have shelters, both natural and man-made ones.

We've tried to install everything that the horses might need and this has taken up a lot of our money, time and energy. Would I have it any differently? Would I heck! I love having my guys.
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[ QUOTE ]
Ahem i'm sure i'm one of those who prompted your post!

[/ QUOTE ]
Sort of
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Look forward to seeing the photos
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Lol
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We are trying AmyMay, i really appreciate your advice and Worried1's too.
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Will try to take weekly photos to see how she improves *am hoping she improves*
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Pics PG
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As I work long hours and am at least 35 mins drive and often longer from the yard, I pay to have mine done in the mornings all year round whether it is just a feed, spray and check over in summer in the field, or feed, turnout and skip if in, during winter.

In winter I also have them brought in and given a net and their ball so they have plenty of food until I get up, which can be as late as 9 pm if work has had a problem.

I normally have time for the vet/dentist if anything other than routine jabs/rasp.

If the YO is out for the day, then arranging a midday feed would be difficult but luckily my chaps are hardy types and fed on ad lib hay and fibre SS diet and don't get stressed if dinner is a bit late.
 
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