What to feed in field now grass is so poor...

[phantomhorse]

but not hay! As YO wont let us put hay out in their fields.

I was thinking of supplementing with Grass Nuts but worried about the protein content (16-18%). Does anyone else feed grass nuts to their turned out horses and if so, how much and is the protein level a problem? My horse is 620kg and is normally just fed Baileys Lo-Cal balancer through summer when the grass is (normally) good.

 

[Lollii]

Can you not even hang a haynet up somewhere in the field?

 

[flirtygerty]

Could you not bring your horse in to have a haynet, we have had to do it all year
as our grass is so poor, pity they don't eat weeds.

 

[CBFan]

We can't feed hay in our fields either so when grass is poor, my boy comes in for hay (can you not do this?) and or I give him a high fibre bucket feed (hi-fi Lite, Graze on and high fibre cubes) which helps fill his belly.

Is he in a field on his own? Perhaps you could leave a tubtrug of hi-fi lite as a hay replacer for him to munch on at both ends of the day?

 

[phantomhorse]

Unfortunately, there's no where to hang a net safely: the paddock is electric taped the whole way round with nothing to hang on, and we don't have a stable so I can't bring in and leave to eat hay.

I already have a giant rubber trug in the paddock that I use for feeding the Lo Cal and I could definitely fill that up with something, yes. Good idea. You rekon Hi Fi would be okay? HiFi Lite isn't liked much! ATM I've just added some Badminton High Fibre Complete Nuggets to the Low Cal.

 

[Lollii]

Sorry, but is there really no tree's or shelter? if you don't have a stable, where does he shelter from wind/rain?

If you have a big tubtrug, can you fill that with hay or haylege a couple of times a day?

 

[Cornish on the Cob]

Ours have just moved to a field wher the grass is poor. I bring her in every morning and give her a few handfuls of chaff and she seems to be eeping weight on but on the way back to the field she grabs every bit of grass possible from the side of the lane! The grass must be greener on the other side!

 

[CBFan]

Hi Fi should be ok - but I personally prefer hi-fi lite...maybe mix it with graze on or similar to add a bit of flavour?

I fed my boy about three stubbs scoops in addition to his hay ration ... also added speedi-beet which is a great substitute for grass / bulk fibre also. just watch his waistline...

 

[phantomhorse]

Sorry, but is there really no tree's or shelter? if you don't have a stable, where does he shelter from wind/rain?

If you have a big tubtrug, can you fill that with hay or haylege a couple of times a day?

No, we're not permitted hay/haylage in the fields. Full stop. I expect even accumulated droppings from a haynet would be enough cheese YO off even if I did have somewhere accessible to hang one. There's plenty of shelter, just no where accessible to hang a net. I did try sneaking a section of hay down back along, and tucked it up under the hedge hoping YO wouldn't notice (they did )

 

[Mince Pie]

How do you feed your horse over the winter if you don't have a stable and can't put hay in the field?

Fast fibre is a good hay replacer.

 

[phantomhorse]

Ours have just moved to a field wher the grass is poor. I bring her in every morning and give her a few handfuls of chaff and she seems to be eeping weight on but on the way back to the field she grabs every bit of grass possible from the side of the lane! The grass must be greener on the other side!

Know what you mean! Mine was desperately tearing at the grass on the other side of the fence earlier on when I was changing rugs. You'd think he was starving to death.

Mine has dropped a bit of weight over the past month or so (about 30kg so far) and I dont want him loosing more. If it rains and the grass kicks in he will be fine. I just need to give him a bit extra until (and if) that happens. I guess I'll buy a bag of fibre chaff and play it by ear (or eye should I say). I'll continue with the Lo Cal and High Fibre Complete Nuggets twice a day too.

Thanks!

 

[CBFan]

Another 'chaff' you could try is Graze-on Gold blend. Its a mix of chopped straw and grass and not as rich as plain Graze on it is suposidly coated in oil but to be honest, it's not noticable but may help with his weight.

I feelyour frustraton about hay... we're not alowed it inthe field either. ridiculous really!!

 

[phantomhorse]

Another 'chaff' you could try is Graze-on Gold blend. Its a mix of chopped straw and grass and not as rich as plain Graze on it is suposidly coated in oil but to be honest, it's not noticable but may help with his weight.

I feelyour frustraton about hay... we're not alowed it inthe field either. ridiculous really!!

Thanks for the suggestion as I've not tried Graze-On Gold before, although I do use the plain version for my guinea pigs.

And it IS annoying not being able to put a bit of hay out when you need to. There really is no grass in my paddock at the moment which is shown by the fact the Mr is dropping weight at a time of year he's normally bulking it on and I'm rationing his access. Everyone at the yard is hard feeding at least once a day, if not twice. And these are the people who NEVER feed in summer.

 

[HelsB]

but not hay! As YO wont let us put hay out in their fields.

I was thinking of supplementing with Grass Nuts but worried about the protein content (16-18%). Does anyone else feed grass nuts to their turned out horses and if so, how much and is the protein level a problem? My horse is 620kg and is normally just fed Baileys Lo-Cal balancer through summer when the grass is (normally) good.

You can get high fibre grass nuts which are only 9% protein, worth it if you want to scatter them around to mimic normal grazing behaviour - google them

 

[CBFan]

Yeah the gold blend is quite new and I'm lucky that my feed merchant has just started stocking it... for how long I don't know as I guess it depends on popularity. I want to feed it instead of hi-fi lite as I want to see if cutting out alfaalfa stops my boy having a scurfy coat...

I think lots of people are suffering at the moment... everyone on my yard is feeding at the moment when they wouldn't usually be... unfortunately my boy is one of those who if he doesn't have access to pretty long (not necessarily rich) grass he looks all tucked up and pathetic so tends to have some sort of hay ration all year round... but he is 17hh and still growing so a big lad with a big belly to fill!!

Good luck!

 

[CBFan]

You can get high fibre grass nuts which are only 9% protein, worth it if you want to scatter them around to mimic normal grazing behaviour - google them

You could also fill a snack ball with nuts and chaff but there is of course the danger he could push it under a fence

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

phantomhorse
is that your dog being chased by a horse

looks like the horse got him ?

 

[Theresa_F]

My two get high fibre nuts, speedibeet, just grass, ruff stuff and green gold (alfa) chaffs split between two feeds each day - basically they are on winter rations as the grass is not gone, but is very low and I am feeding them so there is something left.

I can feed hay, so they get two slices of hay at night.

They are keeping their weight - although they are a gypsy cob and a clydesdale, they are 7 and still growing, hence the need to feed them, plus Farra is a real grump to Stinky if she is left to be very hungry.

 

[unicornleather]

phantomhorse
is that your dog being chased by a horse

looks like the horse got him ?

Glad you asked that as I was wondering too!
Oz

 

[phantomhorse]

How do you feed your horse over the winter if you don't have a stable and can't put hay in the field?

I'm not at this yard in winter, although those that stay are moved to the large 'hay making' fields in winter and large round bales are put out for the horses to feed on. I don't know why the yard have a no hay in field policy in summer. When I asked, when I first moved there, I was just told, "It looks messy". They do run a B&B so maybe that's their reason. It's never made any difference to any of us until this year. Normally we're all moaning because there's too much grass.

 

[phantomhorse]

phantomhorse
is that your dog being chased by a horse

looks like the horse got him ?

Glad you asked that as I was wondering too!
Oz

Fear not! It's not my dog nor is the horse really attacking the dog. It comes from a German article - http://www.metro.co.uk/news/366536-horse-and-hound-in-mad-chasing-game
and
http://funlock.blogspot.com/2008/12/horse-chasing-dog-or-dog-chasing-horse.html

 

[Mince Pie]

Oh I see, was just curious. I would just put a trug of fast fibre out for him to pick at during the day, he can have it alongside his hard feed if he gets any.

 

[phantomhorse]

Can you feed FF unsoaked? I normally feed SB and Copra in winter but am reluctant to in summer for fear of it going off if left in the field.

 

[Mince Pie]

It should be soaked but only takes a minute, if you make up enough for each day then it shouldn't go off.

 

[Elsbells]

What is fast fibre please?

 

[phantomhorse]

It's an Allen & Page product. Cereal and mollasses free. It's a tiny pellet that you soak in twice the amount of water for about 60 seconds. It goes mashlike.

Google it

 

[Mince Pie]

What is fast fibre please?

http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Rest-and-Light-Work/Fast-Fibre.aspx

Used successfully as a hay replacer for horses that can't chew hay

 

[Elsbells]

Ahhhhhhhhh, thanks guys.

 

[CBFan]

I can understand why people think hay in the field can look messy... after all some people aren't too thoughtful about how or where they put it and a lot can get wasted and walked about the field and thus the field gets trashed.

I've always found if you put 'just enough' to keep them satisfied (not quite add lib) and put it in several small piles (i.e. 4 piles per horse) spread out and in different areas each time, i.e. mimmicing normal grazing behaviour, you get little wastage and little trashing of the ground... but thats just me... either that or have a permanent hay feeding area so it is only a very small area getting 'trashed'.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Its not just YO's who won't let you put hay in fields. OH won't let me put any in our field nor will he let horse graze down drive where there is plenty of grass. He mowed it the other night just to spite me!!

Just wait until harvest time, OH is tractor driving till the wee hours every day and I'll have the horse on the drive for a couple of hours a night at least. Yippee!! No point in wasting free grass!!

He'll never know....