Stressing out.

[Equi]

This weather is killing me. My hay has ran out, my supplier is 800 bales short and thus no hay coming in until i can find another supplier NOW...fields crisp and dry with no growth so its likely i wont have any in winter if this continues (my good doers are loosing weight...thats fab...but my youngsters are needing fed) and ive just had word that if the rain doesn't come soon the big horse yard will be coming in to hard turnout and last years haylage. Only went out in may!!

Im seriously pissed off and fed up. And its not a situation anyone can help or do anything about. Im just panicking now.

 

[Finlib]

Our volume of hay made this year is the same as usual as is our neighbours .We usually make between 50 and 55 large round bales and this year made 53 neighbouring farm also has same volume as other years.Due to the grass growing like mad in May we are making another field amd will make around 150 or so small bales ftom that field to sell to a neighbour.
In March ee were worried that grass wasn't growing by May we were falling over grass! It always seems to sort out in the end.
Not sure we need to panic yet .
.

 

[pippixox]

The hay has grown well by us and dried very well!! Recently baled. I do wonder how the second cut will go if we don’t get much rain. Currently waiting on a delivery as he is too busy doing the new hay and we need some of last years to keep feeding the fatties on restricted grazing.

Mine were on a track which is now a dust. I couldn’t get my field topped a month back as suddenly had ragwort influx that I’m still trying to get rid of (horses off that area). But has worked in my favour as well, as the long weeds have provided shade for the grass so it isn’t so burnt to a crisp as the short bit.

 

[Spottyappy]

Should be plenty of new hay about, been perfect weather.
Why is the horse yard bringing horses in, it’s hard but far from muddy? Can they not feed Haylage in the fields?
I am fortunate (touch wood) as I have my winter fields to use if I need, plenty of grass in both at the moment. Obviously, if we get no rain it’s possible the grass may die. I have enough old hay for a few weeks. Not ideal if I have to use it, but flipping that round when it does finally rain,the grass will go mad, so won’t need to feed it until later into the winter.
Not ideal I know, but can you not get hold this years hay? If you’re careful, it can be fed. Soak if necessary.
I am worried about my mare if it rains unexpectedly, or when it does actually happen because the laminitis risk will go through the roof. She will,have to be sectioned off in a small area with hay. Which I can do if I know it’s going to rain,but not so easy if the forecast doesn’t tell us it will!
Hope you get sorted, am sure you will find someone with this years hay -worse case scanario.

 

[ycbm]

You're stressing out? Half the farms in this area have no water and we are about to start going out and pumping from a local stream and bringing it back in a bowser.

There is tons of hay about right now and it is so dry it can be fed immediately. I don't understand why horses would need to be brought in just because the grass has died off. Why can't the haylage be fed in the field?

 

[southerncomfort]

Try not to worry...the Great British weather being what it is, no doubt you'll get a stonking downpour soon enough.

My hay supplier has kept back some of last years round bales for me (apparently I'm the only person who wants old hay!) so I'm ok on that front. However, I'm sort of in the same position as in Winter, in that I'm having to allow one field to be trashed and completely eaten down to save the grazing in the other paddocks. It's just a dust bowl so I'm feeding hay and only allowing the oldie in to the next paddock which is also sparse but has more grass than the other paddock.

We don't yet have any kind of water restrictions here and the farmers are watering the fields if they need to. They hay yield looked good but not sure they'll get a second cut off it.

 

[Northern]

I honestly think that as horse owners we need to be prepared for the fact that some years won't be as good as others. This means stockpiling hay, hard feed or even just putting aside some extra money for hay if it becomes scarce and more expensive. Having multiple hay suppliers in your repertoire will help too.

Granted I am in a different country with a different climate (Australia), but we are also currently experiencing a drought, there is no more hay left in the state and it is being trucked in from 1000s km away. The prices are going up and suddenly people with 10+ horses are panic selling because their pastures are just dust and they are hand feeding. I fail to understand why, in a country that is notorious for drought, people are surprised this is happening. If you can't afford to hand feed your horses when the pasture goes to crap, you have too many IMO.

Why bring the horses in? The ground will recover quickly when the rains finally come, the soils in your area of the world is young and fertile, I doubt a few weeks of dry will completely trash them to be unusable... I feed out hay in the paddock, but I start doing that before it's completely trashed, so luckily I still have a lot of grass left compared to others. Don't stress out, it WILL get better but it pays to be prepared.

 

[Equi]

My yo is very field proud. They would not consider feeding in the fields cause it would look messy. Trust me I won’t be letting him come in, he’ll be moved first.

 

[Sukistokes2]

I still have loads of grass, I think some places must be over grazed. I'm struggling with keeping weight off my horses, hay is the furthest thought from my mind, i'm more thinking grazing muzzles. Kent has been very dry and its looking to continue but I'n sure weather will soon break..... no more flash floods though please !!!!!

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Equi, if you would be okay feeding this year's hay and can collect, then try Hilltop Hay on FB (Millisle based). They messaged me a while back saying they had small bales available that would be usable in the next week or so.

We need rain!

 

[Pinkvboots]

My yo is very field proud. They would not consider feeding in the fields cause it would look messy. Trust me I won’t be letting him come in, he’ll be moved first.

a lot yards don't allow hay in fields as it can cause fighting between horses and agree it can make a mess but cant you just bring your horse in for a few hours a day for a haynet what is wrong with that? at the end of the day this is down to hot weather it is summer after all and a good one at that, sometimes you just have to change your horses management due to the weather that's life I am afraid.

 

[Rowreach]

Where are you? Loads of hay in Fermanagh and Tyrone and some fab small able haylage in Islandmagee.

 

[Equi]

a lot yards don't allow hay in fields as it can cause fighting between horses and agree it can make a mess but cant you just bring your horse in for a few hours a day for a haynet what is wrong with that? at the end of the day this is down to hot weather it is summer after all and a good one at that, sometimes you just have to change your horses management due to the weather that's life I am afraid.

Yes I understand that but I’m on my yard would be in to the turnout paddocks like they do in winter. It was such a long winter and my horse won’t be stabled during in summer he goes absolutely mental so would have to stand in the hard turnout all day/night.

Can I please just have a moan ?!?


Have got hay sorted now thankfully

 

[Pinkvboots]

Yes I understand that but I’m on my yard would be in to the turnout paddocks like they do in winter. It was such a long winter and my horse won’t be stabled during in summer he goes absolutely mental so would have to stand in the hard turnout all day/night.

Can I please just have a moan ?!?


Have got hay sorted now thankfully

ok fair enough glad you got some hay I just really like this weather

 

[JFTDWS]

Can I please just have a moan ?!?

Absolutely. It's frustrating - mine are in at night at the moment, which I'd rather they didn't have to be. The grass is burning off and the ground is rock hard, so hacking is dull.

Yes it's just summer, and it's normal. Doesn't mean I have to like it though

 

[Equi]

Exactly 😂😂😂 not even had a blast in the fields cause they’re so hard and I worried my horse would slip on a hill with shoes on. Maybe being a bit over the top cautious but hey ho.

Have started emptying out the water troughs so when they drink they at least get a bit of a footspa