Oat straw - heating??

[RoughcutDiamond]

Anyone with experience??

We have had a delivery of beautiful oat straw for bedding in the last week - my frustratingly-good-doer has taken rather a shine to munching it, which in principle doesn't worry me too much as was considering mixing his hay with straw this winter (he has access to plenty of water and his intake has increased since change of bedding).

However, last 2 days he has been a cheeky monkey, rather wired and full of high jinks like I have never seen in 6 years together. Change of bedding has coincided with a drop in ambient temp and he is now changing his coat so I suspect that a combination of factors may be at play. I am, though, curious as to whether anyone has seen a pony heat up on oat straw.....sure I read somewhere that it was a possibility.

 

[Miss L Toe]

In Ye Olden Days a plough horse was fed sheaves [google] of aots, ie the head of the oats plus the straw, they ate the lot.
Oat straw is edible and not suitable for bedding.
Wheat straw is bedding straw.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

Your pony has just died and gone to heaven. He is being bedded on the most delicious picnic any pony could dream of. It's like us sleeping on a bed of chocolate hob nobs.

You must be his favorite person!

 

[RoughcutDiamond]

Interesting Miss L Toe...usually the yard gets wheat straw, or the odd bale of barley (which doesn't seem to get eaten)....this is the first time since I've been there it's been oat.

 

[RoughcutDiamond]

TT, lmao. Guess I will have to find a way of making it unpalatable and just give him it mixed in hay as I originally planned!! Every day is a school day! He was always on shavings til I moved him to present yard - much prefer straw though.

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

TT, lmao. Guess I will have to find a way of making it unpalatable and just give him it mixed in hay as I originally planned!! Every day is a school day! He was always on shavings til I moved him to present yard - much prefer straw though.

Straw will be cheap this year grab a big round bale of barley or wheat straw from your local farm (should last about 5-6 weeks) and then take the oat straw as a feed stuff.

 

[RoughcutDiamond]

Yeah, will ask YO to request it - I wan't clear but meant need to make it unpalatable until can get a change/new delivery. Thanks for your replies!