Ive Been Reported.....Again.....

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At the minute, I am putting out enough hay that when I return, there is still some left.
If the hay is being eaten and you are finding none on return, I would be feeding quite a bit more. Big bales are a good idea as has been mentioned.
 
Sorry that you keep having these visits but tbh I would rather that they were coming out to visit and be happy, rather than let something get a little out of hand and be too late.

I haven't read any previous posts - forgive me. But what is the set up that you have? how many and what type horses/ponies do you have and what is the land size/grass like? On average how much hay are you feeding?

For example, I have 2 good doers, one 16.2 ISH 8 year old and one 16.3/17hh full ID 5 years, we are on old cattle ground so the grass is still unfortunately amazing and present - not good with fatties!! They have been on their current 1.6 acres for 3 months and there is still grass in there and some mud! At the moment they have a good half a bale of hay in the field and are only out 7/8am till 4pm, they then come in and have another half a bale each over night. They have minimal hard feed - basic chaff and balancer to get supplements in and that is it.

Most of the time hay/haylage is much better than bigger hard feeds as it takes more energy for them to digest the hard feed, hence dropping the weight, hay is quicker and keeps their bellies warm for longer.
 
paulineh said:
AmyMay wrote

Sorry, I know I come across as a real cow. But my main concern is your mare. And from your posts it seems as if she simply doesn't get what's needed.


Yes you do come across as a REAL COW
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Do you have anything valid to say? Thought not! Now grow up and stop trying to cause problems.

From looking at your posts, I think Amymay has just a tad more experience than you.
 
paulineh said:
AmyMay wrote

Sorry, I know I come across as a real cow. But my main concern is your mare. And from your posts it seems as if she simply doesn't get what's needed.


Yes you do come across as a REAL COW
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She isn't a 'realcow' at all. She (the cats mother) is a genuine person who knows what she is talking about and probably knows more than most of us put together. Amymay seems to have a pathological hatred of all things sugary and pink which means that she says what she thinks and believes in. If you don't like it...why don't you stay mute? You have added absolutely nothing constructive, so why bother?
PS, with your attitude, I'm glad you have retired!
 
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paulineh said:
AmyMay wrote

Sorry, I know I come across as a real cow. But my main concern is your mare. And from your posts it seems as if she simply doesn't get what's needed.


Yes you do come across as a REAL COW
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Good grief, necessary??? Amymay does not come across as a cow at all, merely a knowledgable person concerned for the OP's horse. There's really no excuse for that kind of rudeness.
 
Is there any reason why the horses arnt having ad-lib hay? What size is the horse? As a guide a 16hh TB would get through at least half a small bale a day, probably more, plus 2 or 3 bucket feed.
 
Let her tell me what experience she has and then I will judge if it is enough

As for being retired, I'm glad I do have to deal with a lot of you on this forum you do sound childish.

"Sticks and Stones may break my bones BUT words will NEVER hurt me"
 
Yes there is a LOT of history here, I don't think I contributed to the thread last year, and I guess if you didn't see it then you won;t understand Amymays attitude. Long story short JandL asks for advice due to thin older mare, lots of people offer advice, and JandL seems to ignore it. Then ask again, etc etc. Lots of people not takign account of JandLs age and little help from parents, and it all got a bit ridiculous.

Having said that, I am glad that Lady is back on form, and hope that Jadey is getting more parental help than last year.

OP I wouldn't worry too much about being reported, look at it that they get checked by professionals on a regular basis free of charge! And any problems that you have missed will be brought to your attention.
 
Brandy said:
Yes there is a LOT of history here, I don't think I contributed to the thread last year, and I guess if you didn't see it then you won;t understand Amymays attitude. Long story short JandL asks for advice due to thin older mare, lots of people offer advice, and JandL seems to ignore it. Then ask again, etc etc. Lots of people not takign account of JandLs age and little help from parents, and it all got a bit ridiculous.

Having said that, I am glad that Lady is back on form, and hope that Jadey is getting more parental help than last year.

OP I wouldn't worry too much about being reported, look at it that they get checked by professionals on a regular basis free of charge! And any problems that you have missed will be brought to your attention.
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Thanks, but would just like to add i DID take peoples advice, i went and got prof help about feed, checked for lice AND got rid of them, resulting in lady gaining weight and being a happy healthy horse :)


Lochpearl-I have a 15.3hh 19year old tbxarab, there is also a 17.2hh 24year old WB and a 15.1hh welsh :)
Lady gets fed alpha a oil, build up cubes, sugabeet, and sometimes molasses sp?? 3 times a day. They then have half a bale in the morning and half a bale at night. they are currently on about 2 acres with the grass hidden under about an inch of snow
 
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I'm not sure that this is quite as awful as everyone is making out. The horse is a good weight, she is rugged, she is turned out and there is normally presumably some grass even if not great at this time of year. She is getting hay regularly throughout the day, and some hard feed. I don't think it is the end of the world if the horses have finished the hay a bit before it is topped up, this isn't a stabled horse, she could eat grass, or the hedge. The OP needs to up the amount of hay given, especially during the cold weather, and it would be easier to do this with a round bale in a feeder, but it doesn't seem to be a neglect case at the moment.

Whilst not ideal plenty of horses stand for a while between haynets without harm.

Many people won't remember that after the furore died down JandL confirmed that she had got help and support from an experienced person to deal with Lady's weight loss, hopefully that person is still involved and satisfied with Lady's weight.

Many people aren't able to take decisions like getting in a round bale feeder as they are on Yards with specific rules and they have to make the best of what they have. Lets give Jadey a break, it must be frustrating for her to get reported when she finally feels that lady is in good condition going into winter!
 
KristmasKatt said:
I'm not sure that this is quite as awful as everyone is making out. The horse is a good weight, she is rugged, she is turned out and there is normally presumably some grass even if not great at this time of year. She is getting hay regularly throughout the day, and some hard feed. I don't think it is the end of the world if the horses have finished the hay a bit before it is topped up, this isn't a stabled horse, she could eat grass, or the hedge. The OP needs to up the amount of hay given, especially during the cold weather, and it would be easier to do this with a round bale in a feeder, but it doesn't seem to be a neglect case at the moment.

Whilst not ideal plenty of horses stand for a while between haynets without harm.

Many people won't remember that after the furore died down JandL confirmed that she had got help and support from an experienced person to deal with Lady's weight loss, hopefully that person is still involved and satisfied with Lady's weight.

Many people aren't able to take decisions like getting in a round bale feeder as they are on Yards with specific rules and they have to make the best of what they have. Lets give Jadey a break, it must be frustrating for her to get reported when she finally feels that lady is in good condition going into winter!
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Thank you :)
and yes, it is VERY frustrating, i feel like ive tried really hard and managed to get lady up to a good weight after getting reported, and now everything is well i STILL get reported, cant i do anything right?? :(
 
OP when you say they get half a bale in the am and half at evening, do you mean half a bale EACH or between the three of them? Sorry if this is a silly question, the three in Mo's field go through a bale of haylage (round bale) within 2 wks and they all get a hard feed, sugarbeet and chaff each day, too (though not as much as it sounds your Lady gets), agree with pp who said less hard feed, more hay is better.

Just from very outside the issue observation, I wasn't here last year to read previous threads but amymay has so far given sound, realistic, logical advice from what I've seen on HHO, some people don't mince words and that can seem really harsh on a forum where affect and expression can't be measured, but I do believe she sincerely would be most concerned that Lady is being cared for in the best way possible.
In that light, both OP and AmyMay have the same concerns at heart, what a lucky horse Lady is to have some really experienced and some passionate people caring about her welfare.
 
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amymay said:
Sorry, I know I come across as a real cow.
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Actually amymay whenever I read your posts I always imagine it's one of those cats in your sig talking. Exactly how I would expect cats to speak, very direct and to the point, which is no bad thing!!
 
JadeyyAndLadyy said:
Thanks, but would just like to add i DID take peoples advice, i went and got prof help about feed, checked for lice AND got rid of them, resulting in lady gaining weight and being a happy healthy horse :)


Lochpearl-I have a 15.3hh 19year old tbxarab, there is also a 17.2hh 24year old WB and a 15.1hh welsh :)
Lady gets fed alpha a oil, build up cubes, sugabeet, and sometimes molasses sp?? 3 times a day. They then have half a bale in the morning and half a bale at night. they are currently on about 2 acres with the grass hidden under about an inch of snow
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Gosh! a few oldies then!! I hope mine stick around that long!! Luckily our snow is disappearing - funny as we didn't have a lot but it has stayed on my field!

Just a bit of advice and might be worth speaking to your feed merchants, but I would actually tend to take her off the build up cubes and give her some sort of veteran mix, although 19 is now no age, it will be in terms of vits and minerals that she will be needing. If you are worried that she might drop off, then you could add in a balancer, this should give her everything she needs without bulking out her feed much further - normally 2 coffee cup sizes, which then doesn't make the feed mahoosive in relation to what you feed her. i.e. chaff, build up, balancer and beet. You might then get away with 2 feeds per day.

I would also go for perhaps a round/square (large) bale of hay, I would imagine that they would need one a week. In reality the warmblood should be getting at least a bale (small) per day/night, I also would probably be feeding Lady half a bale in the daytime and then the same at night, then there is the additional horse.

Whilst the snow is there, you really should be feeding them so there is constant supply, remember, the only feed you are giving them is that, especially if they can't get to the grass.

It sounds like you are heading in the right direction, but I would seriously consider adding in a lot more hay. I know it has gone up in price, but horses do cost money and we owe it to them to provide them with what they need, whether it is £5 or £500. I dread to think how much I have bought for my lads this year, I keep buying the odd extra 15 bales when I see a dent in the hay I bought in the summer, just so I don't run out.
 
foxy1 said:
Actually amymay whenever I read your posts I always imagine it's one of those cats in your sig talking. Exactly how I would expect cats to speak, very direct and to the point, which is no bad thing!!
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All cats have aspergers syndrome... so does my husband.... so I guess I have learnt not to take things personally and be a bit more pedantic.

AmyMay perhaps you have traits :D
 
JadeyyAndLadyy said:
Thanks, but would just like to add i DID take peoples advice, i went and got prof help about feed, checked for lice AND got rid of them, resulting in lady gaining weight and being a happy healthy horse :)


Lochpearl-I have a 15.3hh 19year old tbxarab, there is also a 17.2hh 24year old WB and a 15.1hh welsh :)
Lady gets fed alpha a oil, build up cubes, sugabeet, and sometimes molasses sp?? 3 times a day. They then have half a bale in the morning and half a bale at night. they are currently on about 2 acres with the grass hidden under about an inch of snow
Click to expand...

In my opinion this is not that much hay for 3 horses in a small field covered in snow. It depends on the weight of the bale, but if you are talking regular small bales it does not seem very much. Can you give them a whole bale for each feed, or at least in the morning? If it is all gone shortly after you have fed that also strongly suggests that it may be good to give them more.

Even if your horse gets the amounts of calories she needs from build up cubes etc. it may be better to give ad lib hay and rather cut down on concentrates if you think she is getting too fat. Horses are made for eating fibre, it makes them happy and keeps them warm during the winter :-)
 
forgot to add - rather than giving hard feed in the middle of the day, what about putting out another 1/2 bale then? For example 1/2 bale in the morning, 1/2 at midday and 1 bale in the evening.
 
People are commenting saying the mare is in good weight - how does anyone know? is there a picture somewhere? maybe there is concern for this person to report her horse?
As for the hay situation - OP if you are worried about prices of small bales - invest in the large round bales and stick that in the field. As someone said - its all about a can do attitude not poor me.. good luck and take some advice given here.
 
JadeyyAndLadyy - Your horse is pretty much what my horse is on feed-wise, he lives out 24/7 and he eats about 1/2 a bale a day (then another 1/2 at night) a day at the moment on his own. He is also out with 2 other veteran ponies. I just feed as much hay as they eat, with the snow its even more essential they get too much hay than too little. My veteran ponies can also loose weight quite easily nowadays but I find loads of hay all year round does the trick. I personally would make sure their hay never runs out as IMO its the very basics of keeping weight on a horse and keeping them warm and happy. I dont know if you can try the hay bale in a round feeder thing - I couldn't as my horses refuse to eat wet hay...!
 
elsazzo said:
tbh i doubt it will take much of the officers time, they will prob pop round have a look, see that your horses are absolutely fine and be on their way- i wouldnt stress over it
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You'll be surprised at the costs involved in just one visit. I have 2 shetlands on loan from WHW, and was chatting to the Field Officer a couple of months ago about it. He told me how much it cost to keep him on the road for one day, it was shocking.

If the Field Officer wasn't already in the area it would most certainly have put the costs up. They cover a huge area each.

It's no wonder the are always asking for donations.
 
Why do people think Amymay was being a cow?? I agree with everything she said. OP says that she had just put hay out but it must have been eaten - clearly not enough hay then. I would heed the advice and put a round bale in the field. Simplez.
 
I think that maybe some people don't understand what 'ad lib' hay means....

My ponies live out a lot of the time and get hay put out for them. They have more hay than they can eat, so ad lib meaning, them never running out of hay to eat... of course, topped up by their human owner twice a day!

When I visit mine morning and evening, if there is hay left in their feeder, I know they've had as much as they need

Jade, if you could do the same with the 3 horses in your field, there wouldn't be any issues. Hay is expensive, yes, for a lot of us this year, so putting it into something that means it wouldn't get trodden into the mud would help save a lot being wasted. Like your haynets dotted around

Now that hay is a similar price to small bale haylage, it might be worth feeding part and part as the haylage has more calories.

I would imagine the 17.2hh horse would eat 1 small bale of hay all to himself in a 24hr period, so really, you probably need to be feeding 2 - 3 bales per day between all 3 horses. 1 bale just isn't enough.
 
Lady gets fed alpha a oil, build up cubes, sugabeet, and sometimes molasses sp?? 3 times a day. They then have half a bale in the morning and half a bale at night. they are currently on about 2 acres with the grass hidden under about an inch of snow
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The hard feed is just great. I love Alpha A Oil, and build up cubes - my own horse looked fantastic on them.

It's the hay that will be the problem - because essentially the three horses are probably only getting around 4 slices of hay each a day (that's assuming that there are 4 piles for 3 horses, and no one is getting bullied). For horses out 24/7 on ground where the grass is now deficient and covered - it won't be enough.

It may well be for you at least that cutting the feeds down to two a day - but ensuring adlib hay will balance the books financially - whilst at the same time ensuring your horse is getting all the nutrition she needs.
 
The place I'm moving to at the weekend has the hay and haylage spread around the fields, stables and yard (the horses have free access to stables and hard standing throughout the day) in haynets. The owner said last year she was throwing out hay and haylage in piles and decided to do a comparision in cost and waste by making the effort his year to put them in nets. She said already she thinks she's quartered her usage and there is absolutely no waste!!!

So sounds like it could be an idea for you to try adopting the same method if possible? That way passers by will see haynets and hopefully know feed is being given?
 
Not getting involved in any arguements but as an example my 16.2 good doer will eat easily half a bale alone overnight.... and he's a very good doer.
 
madhossy said:
I think that maybe some people don't understand what 'ad lib' hay means....

My ponies live out a lot of the time and get hay put out for them. They have more hay than they can eat, so ad lib meaning, them never running out of hay to eat... of course, topped up by their human owner twice a day!

When I visit mine morning and evening, if there is hay left in their feeder, I know they've had as much as they need

Jade, if you could do the same with the 3 horses in your field, there wouldn't be any issues. Hay is expensive, yes, for a lot of us this year, so putting it into something that means it wouldn't get trodden into the mud would help save a lot being wasted. Like your haynets dotted around

Now that hay is a similar price to small bale haylage, it might be worth feeding part and part as the haylage has more calories.

I would imagine the 17.2hh horse would eat 1 small bale of hay all to himself in a 24hr period, so really, you probably need to be feeding 2 - 3 bales per day between all 3 horses. 1 bale just isn't enough.
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Excellent advice IMO
 
At least they're getting some hay, which is more than can be said than for some horses near me... Out 24/7, no grass to speak of, no hay put out. Poor things are permanently stood in the gateway waiting for their twice daily feed (at least they're getting that). Don't understand why people have horses if they can't afford to keep them - and by 'afford' I mean both money and time.
 
cobgirlie said:
The place I'm moving to at the weekend has the hay and haylage spread around the fields, stables and yard (the horses have free access to stables and hard standing throughout the day) in haynets. The owner said last year she was throwing out hay and haylage in piles and decided to do a comparision in cost and waste by making the effort his year to put them in nets. She said already she thinks she's quartered her usage and there is absolutely no waste!!!

So sounds like it could be an idea for you to try adopting the same method if possible? That way passers by will see haynets and hopefully know feed is being given?
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on that note can i also point out if you are hanging haynets to make sure they are not so low that legs could get entangled..
 
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