Why aren't people allowed to put hay in field?

Cazza525

Cazza525

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As title really.......I know it makes a mess, but it can be raked up!

Maybe its the fighting over it that's the worry.

I am a YO and I have never had a problem with it.........
 
Our yard owner doesnt like it because of the mess, we can put it in the middle of the field though at the moment (to stop them eating the snow!) so long as it doesnt blow out of the field at all - i think it will all get taken away when the snow goes though
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We are allowed and we do put hay out, but it is tricky where there are several DIY livery horses out together, if one owner puts their hay out and others don't. Although I don't care at the moment, they NEED the hay out there so everyone has to chip in! Like it or lump it
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It causes fights at our yard between people(some horses eating more than others ect) and horses the YO still insits they put it out because otherwise the horses have nothing to eat
 
I have always put hay in the field and never had a problem. I always put a couple of extra piles and make shore they are well spread out.
 
we are ind t/o so its up to us but we all do, my last yard would not let it again ind t/o because it looked messy - glad I left there tbh
 
Its normally YOs putting aesthetics of the field above horse welfare. I wish more YOs were as diligent as you
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Poaches the ground and damages the grass underneath according to YO.

Plus some of the other liveries are numpties and put piles too close together, to close to the fence and don't use enough hay.

We do a couple of horses that are food processive and would kick the others.

The horses that are still out at night are having hay in a seperate field, mine are only going out in the mornings atm as they would be out with the horse that doesn't like my pony otherwise.

Once the snow has gone mine will go back out at night and the seperated 3 will go back out with them in the big field (25 acres) as there is always enough to eat even in winter.
 
We don't need to put hay in the field as the grazing is very good all year round. Now that there is snow on the fields the horses go out for a shorter period of time, and don't suffer any ill affects.
 
We've been dumping hay in the field lately because of the snow - several heaps widely spaced to avoid fighting - but when it's wet and muddy we don't because the ground gets really poached and lots of hay is wasted when it gets trampled into the mud. We hang haynets up for them instead: less waste = more cost effective.
 
Unless you have individual turnout how on earth would it work on a livery yard? Unless you were expecting YO to do it for you?
 
YO should regulate that everyone puts in the same amount of hay. And organise yard in such a way to make it viable.

Too many horses are kept to the YO convenience at the expense of their health/welfare. It is detrimental to horses to be out for hours with no food and the finer types need the calories.

There are ways around it, not always easy and requires work and co-operation but tough!
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Most yards around here are livery yards, and all of them hay the fields when its needed before they turn the horses out, and then when the ground gets boggy they change the location of where the hay gets put. simples really
 
I put the remnants of the hay barn in the field, gives them something to pick through.
Come spring i harrow the ground and job sorted! no poached ground and the grass grows through no problem.
 
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Unless you have individual turnout how on earth would it work on a livery yard? Unless you were expecting YO to do it for you?

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You have to liaise with the other liveries to agree how much you put out. TBH in the current conditions there's not much disagreement!
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It takes the piss really (excuse my bad language) but our yard had been hayed for 17 years , then suddenly one livery turned up and wouldn't have the field hayed, now for someone who has horses who live out, I find the haying essential, especially as my horse cannot come in as she weaves, and this livery is the first to make rude comments about it.
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I never realised this was an issue on livery yards, particularly the reasoning that it causes a 'mess'!!!

they are horses, they are experts at making mess
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Ours (at home) only have hay out occasionally, I didnt want to move them on to copious new grass while we were getting hard frosts so they got some hay instead for a week or so. They might get a bit at the very end of the winter if we run out of new grass paddocks. If you move it around, and clear up waste = no poaching and no impact on grass.
 
i have 25 here most liveries some (too many) my own, but all part or full livery! the hay is put out twice a day, sometimes big bale haylage. the fields are fine in the spring, after rolling, harrowind, re seeding resting and spraying! mine go out every day, some out full time. i really cant see why YO s are so picky as grass is very resiliant if looked after and in my opinion horses need to go out every day and need something to eat and amuse themselves with! yes my school and walker are still useable, but no stuck in, bored stressy horses here!! DIY yards do need a ruling, but if one livery doesnt want to put hay out then thats the one that should be stuck in! (i think)
 
I've never been on a yard where you cant put hay out, but have been on yards where hay isnt put out, because the other liveries wont, and if you do then you are feeding everyone elses horse!

I dont have that problem now I'm on my own, however I make sure I don't put the hay in the same place too much as it can get a little churned if its wet. I'm lucky in that I have lots of grass and rotate them around, so feeding hay in the field is reserved for when its frosty or covered in snow (!). However when I do put hay out I never have even a strand of hay left over, one of mine is the ultimate hoover and picks up every tiny little bit.
 
Thankfully my YO lets us do it, in fact I could not move to a yard that would not allow it, unless I had absolutely no choice!
Most people have individual paddocks at my yard, my mare only shares with one other very similar mare so we put out hay and they prefer to eat together, if we spread it out they go to the same pile!
 
I don't have any problems because I'm on my own and make my own rules!!! But I talked to the sheep farmers next door, and any leftovers get raked up and thrown over the fence for the sheep, who are not fussy in the least!
 
We don't hay the fields, as there is so much grass out there that they always choose that over the haylage even when it snows. They have huge natural hedgerows made of gorse and natural trees and they simply graze on those. I won't put out haylage as I would have to pay for it and I would have to do it. Our horses are out from 8.30 till about 3 and they are all really happy meandering about, picking at what they can find and playing. they have adlib haylage at night so can eat solidly from about 3 till 8.30. All have a breakfast before I turn them out. We have no fights, no stress and non are desperate to come in.
 
I am on a DIY yard with 14 horse including YO's under normal circumstances we dont put hay out as we have ample grazing, however since the snow we have been putting hay out, my mare is out with 4 others and we just make 7 piles and make sure they are far enough apart and not too near the fence so if they do argue there are spare piles and enough space for them to get out of each others way.
We have all agreed to do a stint driving the quad and harrowing come spring to get rid of any mess.
 
We cannot put hay out, its a diy yard with a few 'assisted' liverys. Its the first yard I have ever been on that doesn't put hay out, Ive worked with horses for nearly 20 years. Its annoying as I would like my boys to have it out in the field. If they fight its only them who would be injured as its 2 geldings to a paddock, the geldings are all split up, the mares are in 10 acre paddocks and don't need hay! I'm managing to have them out a short time as they have no grass under the snow so soon get bored. Roll on the summer!
 
Our yard owners control it at my yard - its not the horses that cause the issue its the people.

YO put out 6 bales today for 15 horses - she will charge the cost on a per horse basis - no charge for time, effort etc. Horses were out at 7am and many will not be caught in till 6pm tonight - its a DIY yard.

Tonight i have heard the following:-

1. My horse did not go out till 11am
2. My hores came in at 2pm
3. Last year i was charged £4.00 for a weeks field hay
4. Well he just wont get any tonight
5. My horse is the lowest in the pecking order and got nothing (we put each section of hay in a different pile - i know becuase i was helping her at 6am and i dont even have a horse in that field !)
6. My horse needs soacked hay - what in this weather !
7. My horse is on a diet !!!!

you see what i mean......
 
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