turning out on frosty grass

[dottylottie]

So, as everyone probably knows because it’s been going on SUCH a long time, mine aren’t currently turned out, but i’m wondering what to do for the best when they can go out.

if frosty grass is most dangerous when the sun hits it (scientific, i know!), are they better off being out overnight instead? but then surely, they’re spending even longer eating it?

i don’t really have the luxury of waiting until the sun has thawed it all, and if today is anything to go by it won’t defrost at all, today we had a whole 5 minutes hand grazing on it!

as far as i’m aware neither of them have ever had lami, although i’m skeptical about one of them - she’s a perfect weight, the other is just a bit fat but i certainly wouldn’t consider her a lami risk! it would be better for me and them if i can have them out overnight, but it would be even better if i don’t finally put them out only to have to box rest all over again

sorry for the ramble!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Can you put hay in the fields? That what our yard does when it’s frosty, it’s a colic risk.

We have a horse on the yard who has had laminitis who has been on box rest effectively for 5 months. She’s much better now and her vet said she can’t go out if it’s been less than 5 degrees the night before or the day of turnout. So that’s her stuck inside again for at least the next week!

 

[ihatework]

If they aren’t lami prone I don’t really give it much consideration! If the grass was low and icy I’d chuck some hay out.

I’d be more concerned if ruts had frozen and they were going out and being silly

 

[poiuytrewq]

With my horses I used to turnout of frost with loads of hay. They would usually stand and eat hay until it was thawed.
I don’t really trust my ponies to do that and they are laminitis prone, that’s another part of the reason mine are still all out overnight and in during the day. I bring them in early before daylight. I’ve kept the ponies like that for a few years and they have been fine.
I believe it is the thawing that’s more of the issue.

 

[Bellaboo18]

If they aren’t lami prone I don’t really give it much consideration! If the grass was low and icy I’d chuck some hay out.

I’d be more concerned if ruts had frozen and they were going out and being silly

It's this for me.

I don't consider frozen ground a colic risk.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

So, as everyone probably knows because it’s been going on SUCH a long time, mine aren’t currently turned out, but i’m wondering what to do for the best when they can go out.

if frosty grass is most dangerous when the sun hits it (scientific, i know!), are they better off being out overnight instead? but then surely, they’re spending even longer eating it?

i don’t really have the luxury of waiting until the sun has thawed it all, and if today is anything to go by it won’t defrost at all, today we had a whole 5 minutes hand grazing on it!

as far as i’m aware neither of them have ever had lami, although i’m skeptical about one of them - she’s a perfect weight, the other is just a bit fat but i certainly wouldn’t consider her a lami risk! it would be better for me and them if i can have them out overnight, but it would be even better if i don’t finally put them out only to have to box rest all over again

sorry for the ramble!

My laminitics go out after 9am, and I chuck a hay brick out for them. The non Laminitics go out 7 45 ish

 

[scats]

Mine go out with hay on a frosty morning.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I make sure he’s got a belly full of hay or a hayblock before he goes out. Or even a couple of scoops of hifi lite just to line his tummy

 

[Jambarissa]

There was a very recent study reported in *something* I read, wish I could remember where but it'll be reputable like BHS. It said no link between eating frosty grass and colic BUT it didn't say how the horses were before they ate it - out all night? Huge morning haynet? Empty tummy?

I will put out a little hay if possible and always make sure they have a morning net.

With regards to lami the theory would suggest a lami risk (sugars raised by sunlight but too cold to use it to grow) but our grass is very short by this time of year and if it's not growing what you see is what you get so they're not getting much.

Like the poster above I'm more concerned about them being stupid on rock hard rutted ground and getting hurt.

 

[YourValentine]

Is the frosty grass and colic risk linked to them being less likely to drink on cold frosty mornings? Frozen trough or the water just being too chilly.

 

[holeymoley]

I put my ems out slightly later if frosty. I feel there's a line between keeping them off the frost and letting them out for their mental and physical wellbeing. He has hay before he goes out so at least his belly has something in it. Youngster goes out but don't think he's impressed as grass not any good. We can't put hay out in fields either.

 

[SEL]

Does long frosty grass (foggage) have any advantage over short grass? As in less sugar??

 

[dottylottie]

Does long frosty grass (foggage) have any advantage over short grass? As in less sugar??

interested in this! my field is looking fit to bale since they’ve not been on it all summer

 

[dottylottie]

thankyou everyone! i’ll go with out overnight

 

[Orangehorse]

I asked my vet about this. I said I had kept ponies out in the past and never gave a thought to if the grass was frosty or not.
She said to not turn them out on an empty stomach, in other words if they have been stabled to give them some hay in the morning.

 

[Jellymoon]

I don’t really think about it that much either, they have their breakfast and go out as normal. If they are struggling to keep weight on, I would put hay out..
Possibly more risk of colic keeping them in…better moving around??

 

[Jellymoon]

I also don’t give much thought to them racing around on rutted ground - they tend not to do this when they go out every day.
They take their chances, I walk away and try to forget about them until coming in time!!!

 

[spotty_pony2]

Mine have food before they go out, they are in for a bit during the day with hay and out overnight - their breath melts the grass as they eat it anyway - we have quite a bit so I don’t put hay out yet. None are laminitic though.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Mine have food before turnout - then I put a hay brick out for her so do others

 

[Dave's Mam]

If I didn't turn out on frosty grass, Dave would have been in for over 48 hours now.
He has lots of hay overnight & has breakfast before he goes out & plays / mooches about with his herd.

 

[wiglet]

Mine has breakfast before turnout then goes out with hay... which she sniffs then walks to the bottom of the field and nibbles on frosty grass

 

[TPO]

Mine has breakfast before turnout then goes out with hay... which she sniffs then walks to the bottom of the field and nibbles on frosty grass

This!

Ours have adlib hay overnight. Fat Cob goes out on a bare paddock so is out with hay anyway. This morning the two with grass had the remains of their haycubes put out with them.

They'd rather eat icy grass too but at least I tried.

I float apples in water buckets and top with boiled water to take the chill off when they are in overnight. I make very sloppy, warm feeds too so they are getting fluids.

Fat Cob usually gets soaked hay but while it's below freezing he gets steamed hay like the other two. So there's more moisture in that than dry hay overnight too.

Isn't it fun to always have something to stress and worry about

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mine are in at night at the moment. They get a scoop of chaff from me at about 6am, and then they are turned out at about 8.30/9am.

They get hay and a very wet feed with lukewarm water in the field, so they put their heads down immediately and don’t throw a freedom party, and I know they are getting some liquid before the water warms up in the field. Mim does not like putting her nose in cold water

 

[Pinkvboots]

Mine are still out most nights they get hay in the field pretty much constantly, they tend to have some left by morning at about 8am when they get another net or come in, if its frosty I give them a warm sloppy feed of sugar beet and grass chaff.

 

[ponyparty]

Mine's out 24/7 so I can't do much about frosty grass! No metabolic issues and plenty of grass as they get a new section weekly. No running about throwing shapes either, as they're out all the time so don't bother with being silly. They're not drinking much though, I'll be taking 20l of hot water up later to make mine a sloppy feed and add to their buckets to take the chill off slightly.

 

[SEL]

I did some reading yesterday because I need to move fields and the winter field has impressive grass growth.

It's the base of the grass plant that stores the sugar and it's fructan - debatable as to whether that is a laminitis trigger, but it is a gut trigger which can cause feet problems. The cold ground itself can be a problem for laminitis

So very long grass is unlikely to have much of a risk because it's dead and stemmy stuff. Short green grass will be sweet after a frost.

All the advice is to turn them out with a belly full of their usual food or hay so the frosted grass doesn't disturb the biome.

Back to rain on Monday so I'll be lobbing them into the new field then I think and watching them stuff themselves

 

[YourValentine]

Does long frosty grass (foggage) have any advantage over short grass? As in less sugar??

Yes, in that they will have to chew a lot more fibre to get the same amount of sugar.

Compared to if they were out nibbling soft, green, fresh grass

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’m still strip grazing into fresh frozen foggage by moving the fence twice daily, but they only get access to the new stuff after they’ve been brought in for their twice daily feeds and some steamed hay.

At least the frozen foggage contains lots of moisture, tbh I’m more bothered about the risk of impaction colic due to them not drinking as much when the weather is like this.

The Haygain steamer is still working (not frozen up) although I’m careful to drain it after each use in this weather. I have been known to set it up in the house…

It’s a balancing act, for sure .

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I make sure he’s got a belly full of hay or a hayblock before he goes out. Or even a couple of scoops of hifi lite just to line his tummy

My horses are 25 yrs & 21 years & they are stabled over night. When we go down early morning to muck out etc we always feed them more hay. They've had a hay net all night & we see that they have more in the morning prior to turning them out. This ensures that any frozen grass they eat will warn up & not cause them any issues when it arrives in their already fairly full stomachs. We've done this for 20 years or so & it seems to have worked.

 

[suestowford]

I have two arthritics here. One also has Cushings so he's prone to laminitis. But since both are so stiff if kept in I leave them out 24/7, with plenty of hay mind you so they are eating more of that than they are having grass. I take out hot water to warm the troughs so they drink plenty also.