Unable to put hay in the field

[Hormonal Filly]

I’ve always put hay in the field when the grass starts to go or it’s frozen.

At my new yard you’re not allowed to, because it’s herds and they might fight. - totally understandable.

We have little grass left and 3 months left in this field before we move. 4 horses on 2 acres, 2 of which are fatties so out 24/7..

My mares weight is currently perfect, don’t want her loosing much more.
I am worried about her being out all day with nothing at all to eat?

Has anyone else been on a livery yard in this situation? did they cope ok?

 

[ihatework]

Yes & it’s frustrating and not ideal, but also with valid reasons from YO perspective.
I have generally found horses cope well though provided genuinely ad-lib overnight.
Give a good fibre based feed before turnout.
If it’s getting to the point they are irritable/hangry then might need to bring in a little earlier

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Yes & it’s frustrating and not ideal, but also with valid reasons from YO perspective.
I have generally found horses cope well though provided genuinely ad-lib overnight.
Give a good fibre based feed before turnout.
If it’s getting to the point they are irritable/hangry then might need to bring in a little earlier

Thanks for the response, I do make sure she has a feed before (sugarbeet and grass based chaff) when she comes in I can hear her belly rumbling, just makes me feel guilty but is what it is

 

[SEL]

I've had this too and my mare gets hangry

I just tended to load her up overnight and once she realised there's only nibbles in the field she seemed ok. My biggest problem was none of them moved much on turnout - it was snooze time - so she needed daily exercise

 

[eggs]

I keep my horses at home and understand this might not be feasible for you on livery but I give mine a full wheelbarrow of hay plus a hard feed each in the morning and then turn them out at about 10 - 10:30 so that they go out with their bellies full. It always surprises me just how much they find to nibble on even when the fields look bare.

I get them in between 3 and 4 to a huge pile of hay in their stables. They then get their hard feed about 5ish.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Mine has coped well on the above routines for over 20 years. Always goes out about an hour after a bulky feed, turned out around 9am and back in around 2 - 2.30pm.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would give a haynet along with her feed before she goes out.

I worked at a yard where most horses just got a bucket feed before turning out even in winter and by the afternoon they start to kick the c**p out of each other if there is not much grass.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

It’s one of the reasons my girls can’t spend the whole day out if it’s nice..nothing to nibble at…

 

[Bobthecob15]

Our YO said this in the summer when our ponies were basically hangry all the time as they had zero grass, we ended up making a rota to bring them in for a haynet in the mornings...we felt so sorry for them. We are full livery but they leave them out 24/7 in summer despite not having enough grass.

Now they are in the winter paddocks with zero grass again (and frost) and they are putting hay out, several piles and more than the number of horses. Its sort of working...2 of them are definitely more dominant so they do see the others off a bit...but they are a;; getting something. 4 in the field.

It's frustrating and another reason we are leaving at the end of the month!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine has coped well on the above routines for over 20 years. Always goes out about an hour after a bulky feed, turned out around 9am and back in around 2 - 2.30pm.

Thats actually not too long I know some that go out about 6am then don't come in until about 6pm that is too long in my view.

 

[magicmoments]

It's quite normal in many yards me, not being able to put hay out. My mare would have a feed and as much hay as possible before she went out,and would try not to leave her out more than 6 hours, when there appeared to be very little to eat. On the days I rode again she would have as much hay as possible before turnout. I would have loved her out for longer as the field was well draining.

 

[Spirit7]

I keep my horses at home and understand this might not be feasible for you on livery but I give mine a full wheelbarrow of hay plus a hard feed each in the morning and then turn them out at about 10 - 10:30 so that they go out with their bellies full. It always surprises me just how much they find to nibble on even when the fields look bare.

I get them in between 3 and 4 to a huge pile of hay in their stables. They then get their hard feed about 5ish.

Yes I’d agree, mine at home, a few small piles (about a small net each over all) out at 8.30am in about 7pm, I feed lfibre feeds morning and night and ad-lib hay overnight. They have woodland and brambles but no edible grass atm

 

[MagicMelon]

I couldnt imagine not feeding hay at this time of year unless they had massive fields of grass. Cant they just spread big piles of hay out everywhere, surely that would minimise fighting?

 

[Highmileagecob]

We have twelve out on a two acre turn out paddock. Absolutely no way is it safe to put food in the field. Unfortunately, it's use the turn out or leave him stood in.

 

[Spirit7]

We have twelve out on a two acre turn out paddock. Absolutely no way is it safe to put food in the field. Unfortunately, it's use the turn out or leave him stood in.

That’s a lot of horses on not a lot of land!!

 

[Highmileagecob]

It is, and we have tried too implement a turn out rota, but people will not co-operate on the basis that all day turn out is allowed therefore they will take it. We are extremely lucky that the herd is quiet and friendly towards each other.

 

[Clodagh]

I’m no nutritionist but perhaps something slower digesting and less insulin peaking than sugar beet for breakfast? I may well be talking rubbish but if I had a marsbar for breakfast I’d be starving by 10, porridge I’d be fine.

 

[ycbm]

I couldnt imagine not feeding hay at this time of year unless they had massive fields of grass. Cant they just spread big piles of hay out everywhere, surely that would minimise fighting?

Lots of yard owners won't allow this. It does leave patches of mouldy rotting hay stalks that stops the grass growth under them, and without horse-goggles on, it does look a total mess.

 

[Spirit7]

Lots of yard owners won't allow this. It does leave patches of mouldy rotting hay stalks that stops the grass growth under them, and without horse-goggles on, it does look a total mess.

My paddocks look awful and I see my other half cringing, the other side of our drive has a perfect lawn (refuses to fence) that belongs to a lawn gardener…..I wish I was that yard owner lol

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I’m no nutritionist but perhaps something slower digesting and less insulin peaking than sugar beet for breakfast? I may well be talking rubbish but if I had a marsbar for breakfast I’d be starving by 10, porridge I’d be fine.

She is fed speedibeet, which is unmollassed sugarbeet with some grass based chaff.

 

[MagicMelon]

We have twelve out on a two acre turn out paddock. Absolutely no way is it safe to put food in the field. Unfortunately, it's use the turn out or leave him stood in.

Yikes, but surely they fight because they're hungry since there cant be any grass left (and no hay)?

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t put forage out .
I want the horse moving during turnout not standing eating .
I would give a forage based breakfast before turnout .

 

[expanding_horizon]

Lots of yard owners won't allow this. It does leave patches of mouldy rotting hay stalks that stops the grass growth under them, and without horse-goggles on, it does look a total mess.

If spread it out thin enough with rake once no longer being eaten it is actually beneficial to land long term. Seeds might grow and helps mulch.

 

[ycbm]

If spread it out thin enough with rake once no longer being eaten it is actually beneficial to land long term. Seeds might grow and helps mulch.

It's not beneficial if the paddocks are never rested, and many these days are not. Lots of yard owners will not allow hay in fields for this reason. It makes a mess of areas of the field.
.

 

[marmalade76]

I’m no nutritionist but perhaps something slower digesting and less insulin peaking than sugar beet for breakfast? I may well be talking rubbish but if I had a marsbar for breakfast I’d be starving by 10, porridge I’d be fine.

Sugar beet is highly digestible fibre

 

[santas_spotty_pony]

Another that keeps them at home and gives them a feed and a haynet in the morning before they go out. They don’t eat all the hay but eat their feeds and then make a start on their hay for half an hour or so before they go out. I have a fair amount of grass and it has grown again in the recently mild weather but they seem to find plenty. They have another feed when they come in and ad-lib hay at night. I tend to bring them in when they are ready - they wait around the gate when they are and it’s generally from 3pm at the moment depending on the weather.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

Years ago I was on a livery yard where they did this. My TB was there just over a year and had colic three times in the winter. I put it down to not eating in the field and then gorging when he came in.
He has lived at home with me for 7 years now and never had colic since