Pack horse panniers for your horse to carry hay to field??

[Penks]

This is potentially going to sound like a silly question, however. Been thinking about preparing for cold weather coming.


In winter trying to get the hay up to the field for 10 horses/ponies is a nightmare, it's an approx 1 kilometre walk to the field from the yard and it's uphill mostly and in winter the ground can be treacherous once in the field. We manage between a combination of using wheelbarrow for part of the way and have the hay in large bags that we then carry up the field or drag several times a day depending on the weather. (Horses are out 24/7 all year)

Obviously this isn't ideal. And I was thinking about utilising the resources we have - ie the horses themselves. Are there some sort of panniers that could be used for the horses to carry the hay up. Presumably they would need trained/desensitised before using them?

Is this a ridiculous idea??

 

[Capriole]

I saw these on a website. No idea if they would suit or if they can make them in different sizes or what, but...

http://www.journeyman-leather.co.uk/klibber8.html

 

[Enfys]

Big thick saddle pad, breast girth and roller, tie hay nets together and sling over (the roller helps stop them slipping) I hooked nets over the rings. I used to carry hay up the side of a mountain for mine.

No need for special equipment and your horses will very soon get used to it.

 

[Irishbabygirl]

Could you get a farmer to run a big round bale up there for you?

 

[Enfys]

Could you get a farmer to run a big round bale up there for you?

Much easier

 

[Arizahn]

Nice idea that, very practical.

 

[LittleBlackMule]

You can get pack saddles and bags for horses, but a decent set up is quite expensive. It probably wouldn't cost much more to get a harness and a flat cart, providing you are capable of breaking one of the horses to drive.

Or you could do what I did last winter in the snow - put a breast plate and roller on the donkey, tied a sledge to the roller with lunge lines, and made him pull his own hay down from the farm. But then I'm a cruel mum..

 

[Annagain]

You can get pack saddles and bags for horses, but a decent set up is quite expensive. It probably wouldn't cost much more to get a harness and a flat cart, providing you are capable of breaking one of the horses to drive.

Or you could do what I did last winter in the snow - put a breast plate and roller on the donkey, tied a sledge to the roller with lunge lines, and made him pull his own hay down from the farm. But then I'm a cruel mum..

I was about to suggest a sledge (for you to pull not the horses) I've used them to carry camping gear at festivals and they pull surprisingly easily over/through even quite deep mud. You don't really notice the weight unless you hit a rock or bump and have to lift it over. Getting the horses to pull them would be even easier!

 

[POLLDARK]

As a child I used to carry a bale (all small in those days)of hay across my ponys' withers with me riding him bareback. It got the sheep fed & was really easy. ! You could give that a go.

 

[Penks]

Could you get a farmer to run a big round bale up there for you?

Unfortunately this isn't an option

Thank you everyone for some great suggestions and ideas. Gives us plenty of time to try some of them out

 

[Ladyinred]

I'm going to try Enfys idea.. can't think why I never thought of it before! It would have been a godsend for my pregnant daughter last year. How many nets can you safely attach to one horse?

 

[Enfys]

I'm going to try Enfys idea.. can't think why I never thought of it before! It would have been a godsend for my pregnant daughter last year. How many nets can you safely attach to one horse?

A 12h welshie could carry 4 full haynets, probably about 2 regular small bales. Probably more but I only had 4 nets, if pulling a sled/travois certainly more. She wasn't impressed at first but then she sussed that she only had to turn her head a little to grab some hay

 

[Landcruiser]

I have a grand plan that when I (ah, one day...) get my own place I'm going to have all my horses pack/harness trained so that they can help as necessary. I plan a poo-picking pony, who will follow me round and I can just shovel the poo straight onto whatever cart/sledge/travois is suitable for the terrain. I can't understand why people don't do this more.

 

[hollyandivy123]

as you are thinking ahead, how about getting hold of some pallets and heavy duty tarp, take the hay up this summer and place on the pallet and wrap with tarp and if you have an electric fence run that round to stop the munching?

 

[Suechoccy]

Yep roller and haynets, with a breastgirth to stop roller slipping back as you're going up hills.

I often ride Choccy with a haynet slung across his withers (a bit itchy on my legs despite jodphurs) if I'm meeting a friend in the village carpark who's giving us a lift somewhere in her trailer or lorry. And I've led him with haynets tied across his saddle too for same reason.