Livery rant

zoon said:
Looks like wrapped hay, smells strongly like marzipan
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I would bet a pound to a penny this is to do with the additive (Balers choice etc) used - this can cause horses to reject perfectly beautiful haylage if theres too much (some horses will still eat it and some wont). That almondy marzipan chemically smell (rather than a sweet beer-y smell of haylage without the additive) can be overpowering.

From the description I would conclude there is absolutely nothing wrong in terms of contamination of the haylage but that the chemical additives may have been overdone so that the horses are either not keen or rejecting it.

I have had this happen with a batch of haylage (even horsehage on occasion) and I have returned unopened bales to the suppliers and got replacements from a different batch.

The trouble is, if the other horses are eating it, then the other owners might not join forces to request/demand this so you may be a lone voice in which case YO may think it is not justified.

I would get a bag of Horsehage high fibre (least rich), see if your horse wolfs it down and if they do, ask YO to see the difference. Say that you understand the yard rule but whatever she wants the horse to do, it wont eat the forage provided and that this puts a welfare aspect onto it - the horse cannot not have forage, end of! Say that you will be getting your own forage for him because of this.

Personally, if the other horses are eating it Im not sure you can ask for money off the bill since the haylage would be deemed acceptable quality - but you are absolutely entitled to do whatever is needed to ensure your horse has forage to eat that it will eat - but you will probably have to pay for this.

It still might not cost much more than moving yard to somewhere else as their haylage charge might be more.
 
A large square bale costs roughly £35, you would go through one per 16hh horse per week if feeding adlib, possibly more. My big 16.2hh boys do over that a week.
 
There's 6 horses on haylege and 6 horses on hay. The YO won't move to self supply because not all the liveries want to supply it themselves. Are the other 4 horses eating the haylege? If so, and your 2 don't like the smell/taste of the haylege, because they are out 24/7, they can chose to eat grass.

Are they dropping weight? If not, sounds like they are getting enough nourishment from the grazing. Maybe they are just not hungry enough?

Why not ask if you can go on to hay once the haylege is all gone? Hopefully won't take too long?

Hope it gets sorted and you don't move :(
 
I think it's only fair that you all discuss the matter with the YO, you all have every right to be annoyed but at the same time theres no point moaning about it behind the YO back otherwise she'll turn a blind eye despite knowing that some of you are not happy, some horses no doubt will pick at it if there's no choice so she's getting away with feeding your horses poor forage, you'd think she'd make changes or let you provide your own rather than loose liveries, so put the ball in her court, hope you get it sorted :)
 
This was a problem on a yard I used to be on. The YO made her own haylage, which we had to buy (though she only charged us for the winter months, when we actually used it) though it was often very bad quality. She wouldn't budge - you could buy in your own, but still had to pay for her haylage :confused:. I moved off in the end!
 
Have you got a contract?
If not or even if you have just say the haylage is not fit to eat so you will be proiving your own.

They can either do something about their haylage and costs or kick you off.
As you are thinking you may have to leave any way you could try this first?!
 
My hay supplier warned me earlier in the year that their haylage wasn't as good as usual due to the weather. I have been feeding mainl hay but although the bales look and smell good my horses aren'tthat keen on it.

If you aren't happy with the arrangements at your yard then you can stay and buy in your own fodder whilst still having to pay for the haylage that is included in your livery or move yards. Most yards seem to make their profit on supplying feed/bedding so I can understand why your YO has the rule they do.
 
blucanoo1990 said:
£35 a week is not a bargain.

I pay that per month for adlib!
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Ditto, well we used to be £22 a month. If your horses don't eat it maybe just say to her that yours don't like it and what can be done about it. As its not fair you paying for something they don't eat.

We used to get some dodgy bales of haylege - when the outside layers were a but mankit, but inside it smelled ok and they would eat that.............we just used to skip all the stuff that was not 100%.
 
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