Feeding Hay: Recent this Decade

 Miss July could have gastric ulcers as she was always on a restricted (very limited hay...most likely all her life).  Eats continually.

Feeding Horses:  What's Recent This Decade

In the old days horses were fed grain and hay.  Research says no grain unless horse cannot maintain weight.  Research in New Zealand has shown that 2 year old Standardbred in race training developed according to expectations while fed grass/alfalfa mix hay.  Amazing.  Another study similar proved the same.

Scientists say horses are grazers:  they eat almost constantly.  This means the traditional method of feeding twice a day (hay) is not healthy for horses.  Feeding grain and hay to horses is not good for horses either.                                                    

Dr. Kerry Ridgeway wrote an article on Gastric Ulcers in horses.  Similar articles report that 97% of horses have gastric ulcers.  Grain gives horses gastric ulcers, so does isolation (not living in a herd), lack of being able to move (paddock and stall living).  In other words the way most horses are kept makes them sick.

It isn't breed related, age, temperament, but living and feeding conditions that give horses gastric ulcers.

Horses need freedom to move, to have friends (other horses), and forage.  They also need to be treated reasonably.  They need to be regularly attended to by a veterinarian, farrier and caretaker.  Wild horses lived or died.

Indications of Equine Gastric Ulcers

Essentially the horse is not happy, well behaved, mannerly, co-operative, calm, relaxed.
Some is bad handling (human teaches the horse that that behaviour is acceptable).  Some horses are more stoic than others.  The stoic one is the horse that keeps on going without (much) attitude regardless of how he feels.  Other horses are more sensitive and wear their emotions on their sleeves, so to speak.  They are the "problem" horses.

Indicators
• objects to girth/cinch being done up hard and fast (or at all):  pins ears, kicks, tosses head, snaps (even bites), rears, rears and fall over
• doesn't gain weight  The horse is not thin, but not fat either.  There is a limit to how much the horse can eat.
• stereotypies (caused by grain fed, lack of freedom, no friends:  stress)
• aversion to being touched:  tail swishing, tight skin, objects to stomach being touched
• reluctant to work

Causes
Are caused by a lack of forage in the stomach.  Stomach acid sloshing around in the stomach is not good for the horse (eating hay before work helps if not on continuous access to hay)
Fed more grain than hay.  (maximum grain is 5 pounds per feeding, up to 50% of daily food allowance)

What to feed  "no grain" horses
a grass mix is best:  alfalfa grass hay for the protein (12% for mature horses), potassium, calcium ratio to be correct

Mixed grass hay is better than only one type of grass.  A legume mix is more nutirious than a straight grass mix. (alfalfa preferred over clover)

Mineral salt (loose) for free choice eating
Loose iodised salt
(horses do not have cow tongues so cannot lick a block like a cow can)

Grass is considered a great healer.
Access to pasture in winter (after the grass has grown all summer) saves on hay.
 summer pasture with a mix of grasses and plants to choose to eat

Feeding hay 24/7 can be a challenge.  Scientists say horses that are never deprived of hay will eat enough.

Options for feeding hay 24/7

Unrolling a round bale

Benefits
• less injuries in eyes, kicks
• less manure concentrated on field
• everyone has equal access to feed
area where bale was fed is fertilized evenly (no harrowing in spring), reseeded

Challenges
• unrolling the bale is heavy work by yourself if the attachment is not on the tractor
horses over eat
• rain, trampled in the spring during breakup


Haynet
• bale in a net with 2'-1" holes
• It is tough getting the net on when it is exactly the same size as the bale
• no shod, blanketed or haltered horses
• some horses learn to untie the net opening
• some horses chew holes in the net for easier access to hay so repairing the holes is time consuming and should be done every time a bale is put out
• finding the net in the snow can be difficult if there has been a snowstorm
wet nets are very heavy

• 11/2" opening still frustrates some horses
• feeds at the same rate as forking hay
• horses stand around the bale rather than walking around like do grazing
• horses always have hay so not worries about feeding them at same time
• need a tractor or access to strong people
• come in all sizes:  little square bale to huge 5x5 bales



Forking hay
• need to be fit and strong
• able to carry hay to different points with more hay piles than horses, 20' apart the piles
•calf sled helps in moving hay out into the • always eating in a clean spot
• tramples snow so have more living area (important when you hae 4' of snow on the ground)


Feeding in the field rather than in a paddock
• no cleaning (or not much) in the spring
• lots of movement for the horses
• horses stay fitter walking in to water, to hay, to shelter
• reseeds field, fertilizes field with excellent fertilizer
• horses don't run around in field because always in it (less chance of injuries)
• fences don't need repairing because horses are not near them

Pasture
Doesn't need to be all good grazing areas.  Exercise is good.  Room is good for movement and lack of injuries, fitness (bone density is affected positively, muscles.)
Look at the muscles on the horses in the photos:  bulging.  It isn't from work or fancy feeding  Runing in the field when it is not due to excitement but feeling good is ok.  Running hard because just turned out not so good as the horse has not been warmed up.  Accidents can happen.
3 year old filly (just turned 3)  She has always lived at pasture

Fenced off/pathways in a field
not sure about this.  Why not just spread out the salt, water, shelter, food so horses have to walk.  They do not stand in one place when out in a field.  Apparently (according to Heather Nelson's blog) the horses run more when turned into the lanes.
I don't want my horses getting comfortable around electric fences.  I want them to stay at least 3' away from the fence.  That means having fencing zigzagging around a field there is a lot of wasted space (because you really don't want your horse tangled in electric fencing (or any fencing for that matter)

Depleted pasture...horses fed haybale unrolled in various parts of the field (to fertilize and reseed)

not much snow now but you can see how much the horses travel in this small area the photo shows

following a path now that the snow is deeper

Feeding Hay to Horses: Different Methods

Haying Horses:  Different Methods

There are pros and cons for haying horses in any manner.  According to new scientific research horses will do better with access to hay 24/7 or almost.  It is a matter of keeping the horse healthy, happy, and sane that feeding as close to nature is important.

When I was attending Crabbet Park Equitation Centre as a student the horses received a lot of hay.  even when there was a hay/straw shortage the horses were fed a lot of hay.  

From what I remember the horses were given a flake (or 2?) of hay first thing in the morning, before mucking out.  Then after morning stables the horses were fed breakfast:  always with a pound or so of bran (more fiber).  Each feed was according to the horse so some horses got oats, or barley or cubes or a high fibre cube.  At 10am the horses were given more hay.  At noon the horses were given their grain (horses out at work did not have their grain ration wetted until it was fed to them as the bran would go off).  I do not remember if they were given hay at this time.  At 2 or 3pm the horses were given hay.  At 5 pm or 6 pm they were given another grain ration.  At evening stables their haynets were hung.  Each horse was fed a certain amount of hay at this time.  One of the horses I looked after was given 30 pounds of hay in his net.  He was 16.3 and used in the student lessons and with some clients.  

The hay was put in a huge cement manger during the day.

Small square bales are usually fed to horses rationed out:  2 or three times a day.  Even 4 times at some places.  Flakes can weight 21/2 pounds each.  Depending on the baler (what set at and the crop).  Feeding this way leaves the horse many hours without hay.  Horse’s stomach’s produce acid constantly which means their stomachs need food in it to protect the stomach lining from the acid.  Equine gastric ulcers are attributed to a low hay diet (and high grain).  Grain does not help the horse’s stomach as it is quickly digested, and high in calories.

An alternative to feeding square bales is it use large round bales.  These bales can be dropped into the horse area where the horses immediately rummage through the hay looking for the choice bits.  Up to 50% of the bale can be wasted when fed this way.  Forking up the hay that has been tossed to the side will help with waste.  Forking the hay into piles should be done twice a day, once minimum.   

Rather than dropping the bale out with the horses the bale can be put into a bale feeder.    Bale feeders also have their downside.  In order to prevent a huge build up of manure the feeder needs to be moved every time a bale is put out (Rocco Tiani, farmer).  Eye injuries can happen as the horses toss the hay looking for choice bits.  The type of feeder is important as you don’t want the horses rubbing their manes off with a cattle typed feeder where the head is ducking under the feeder.  A tombstone feeder is acceptable as long as the horse doesn’t put a leg through the narrow opening.  Horses have been known to get into the feeder as well (but not get out)

Using a huge haynet to put the round bale in has many good reasons and a few not so good.  The horses will have access to hay 24/7, but not be able to eat all they want.  The down side to this is that horses are not moving around as they eat, or between eating sessions.  Horses need to move.  It is part of the digestion process as well as for emotional health.  Choosing a different place to put the net is easy.  One just drives to another part of the pasture.   

the hard part of using a haynet is putting it on.  The bigger your haybales, the heavier the net.  Using a net the appropriate size is important as you don’t want a lot of loose net for the horses to stand on and trample into ice made by their weight.  

When feeding with a hay net horses cannot wear shoes, blankets or halters as these will catch on the netting.  Strong netting will not break easy.  

In the winter or rainy season a dry net is nicer and easier to work with.  A place to hang the net to dry is nice.  A second net makes life easier.  

Another way to feed horses is to unroll the bale.  This is a good way to fertilize and reseed the field.  All horses have access to the hay at the same time (this is good).  The question I have is do the horses eat enough, or stand and it as much as possible?  

If your tractor has a bale unroller you are set.  Otherwise carrying the bale out to a hill and pushing it down a hill helps.  As long as it unrolls the right way (hay bales are like toilet paper... one way is easy, the other not so easy).  

The field will not need harrowing in the spring as the manure is distributed.  Grass growers thicker and better.

If it snows the horses will paw through the snow to get to the hay (exercise).  The horses seem to move more when fed this way.  Of course keep an eye on the horses that they are not losing weight.

Scientists have studied young racehorses in training and found that a grass/alfalfa mix fed to the horses was enough.  If a youngster in race training can do well on only hay then a horse doing lesser work should be able to maintain weight as well.  

Access to mineral salt (loose) ensures the horses obtain necessary minerals.  A very easy way to feed.  No stress at getting home in time to feed.  Horses are not anxious.

Winter pasture is when horses (and other grazers) have access to grass that has been allowed to grow all summer.  As long as the snow doesn’t get too deep (about knee high) the horses will be able to paw through the snow and eat grass.  The palateabilty of the hay changes in the winter.  It is recommended to strip graze the field.

Grooming Your Horse:  How to, etc

Grooming is essential for people that are using their horses to.  Grooming gives the person information about the horse (multi-tasking).  The horse should enjoy being groomed.  

Information about the horse grooming time will give:

1.   Heath:  shiny coat, that is smooth and laying flat
1. Dull coat is not good.  Change nutrition, check for worms, temperature 
2. standing up coat:  cold horse?  
3. Rough:  not shedded out.  Shedding process varies between horses:  colour (light coloured horses have a lot more hair than a dark horse, warmth of the sun, shelter the horse, health issues, too thin (cold)
4. lumps on the body, scrapes, injuries can be hidden by a long winter coat.  Lumps should be monitored.  Swellings. (wasp? reaction to feed or bugs or product used not he horse?)  
5. behaviour of the horse:  more docile than usual, restless, tail swishing (discomfort indicator), alert, 
6. posture of the horse: resting 1 leg, front leg pointing, both front legs pointing, tense, very docile with head down lower than usual
7. stomping a foot, head shaking (turning to you), ears back, tail swishing, moving away from you, biting (at you or onto something), tight skin, tight muscle

Monitoring the horse is most important because then something can be done before it becomes a “big issue”

Horses should enjoy being groomed.  It should not be torture.  Using good tools helps.  

Good dandy brushes (long narrow, long bristled brush) have:

a) natural bristles (these are quite expensive but last for decades.  Don’t lend)

b) bristles that bend a bit with some pressure

c) have lots of bristles per square inch

d) bristles are about 3” long

Clean with a metal curry comb or brush cleaner after a few strokes

Used:

a) on a horse that lives out

b) after using the curry comb

Stiff, hard brushes are acceptable on dry muddy areas or hooves, but not for general grooming.  

Curry comb

metal curry combs are excellent brush cleaners.  That’s it.

Rubber curry combs:

a) are excellent for cleaning deeply by bringing the dirt to the surface.

b) Good for using on lightly shedding horses

c) massage

d) Use by pressing with all your bodyweight behind it on muscles in circles.  

e) Use very lightly on legs and bony areas.

f) Knock out the dirt every so often. 

g) Oval with strap on back with attacked teeth (v shaped) last longest

Body brush

oval short bristled brush with strap on handle

a) Very dense, hard bristles are best for cleaning the horse.  These are expensive but clean thoroughly and if looked after will last decades

b) Bring out the shine

c) massages the muscles

d) press hard on muscles

e) clean after several strokes

f) remove the horse’s weather proofing

Used after the dandy brush to remove fine dirt.

g) brush with the hair

Mane and tails 

1.  Use a dandy brush on mane if short, not on tail

1. People hair brush (with nylon bristles)
1. Start at the bottom and work up
2. Thick bristles will break the hair and pull out hair.  Some horses object a lot to this.

3. Tack store bristles brushed need to be used carefully as will break and pull out the hair

4. Mane combs are used for braiding (dividing the mane into sections) or pulling the hair.

5. Big plastic toothed combs are ok if used with care

Cloth

For wiping the fine dust off the horse.

Natural fibres are best (linen is traditional)

Sponges: 2

-one for eyes, nose, and mouth 

-one for under tail, sheath and udder

There are numerous other tools for grooming on the market.  These are the basics and most commonly available.

How to Groom

1.  Tie horse.

2.  Use tool in left hand on left side of the horse until go to brush hindquarters then switch to right hand.  

3.  Start as shoulder and work forward to head, then belly then flank (lightly here) then hindquarters.

4.  Keep other hand on the horse at all times.

5.  Stand a bit away from the horse so you can lean in.  Your are massaging as well as cleaning.

6.  If your horse objects by tail swishing, swinging head to you, pins ears and rolls eyes to you, moves away:  your horse is telling you that she doesn’t like it.  You must then figure out why?

a) brush too stiff

b) tight muscles

c) pain from ?

d) bruised

e) pressing too hard on a sensitive area (bony, flank, around the sheath and udder

Ears turned to you means the horse is watching you.  Pinned is when flat to neck and lips crinkle (not good manners)

Could be habit, not you (horse OTTB? been to a busy trainer?)  You need to decide what is causing the reaction.  

Always keep other hand on the horse.  The horse stepping towards you will push you away if your hand is on the horse.  You can feel tensing happening.  Don’t get sloppy because your (current) horse is “ok”.  The next horse you groom may not be.

Keep your feet out from under the horse.  If you get stepped on more than once, then you are not keeping your feet out from under the horse and the horse is not staying far away from you.

Head

I use a dandy brush lightly.

Feet

Pick out front feet by:

1. Stand beside the front leg, facing the rear
2. slide your hand down from the withers down to the hoof, changing to the front of the leg at the knees
3. Horse should pick up by then if accustomed.  Hold the hoof/toe area.
1. if not: repeat run from withers to hoof
2. bump horse with your hip
3. tap with hoof pick  (it is better to have the horse offer the hoof than for you to force it up ..in many ways)
1. pinching a nerve is rude

4. Pick form heels to toe, cleft of frog, around the toes

Place the hoof down (dropping is rude and teaches behaviour you don’t want)

If

1. horse leans on you:  poke girth area with thumb while holding up hoof
2. horse swings leg:  hold on and go with the horse (you cannot out muscle the horse so go with it).  Hold the toe and pull up if possible.
3. horse rears, takes leg away (hold more under the horse, you are pulling the leg out).  Horses with tight elbows cannot have leg pulled out sideways.  It hurts!
4. puts foot down when finished on own (someone has been dropping the hoof so horse knows what to do).  Pick up hoof and then place it down. 

Picking out hind foot

1. Stand facing the rear, inline with hindleg
2. Run hand from croup, around the leg at the hock to the back of the leg, to the fetlock.  By this time the horse should have picked up.  Hold the hoof/toe area.  It gives you more control.
3. Pick from heel to toe, around the toe, frog
4. Place foot onto ground

If

1. Horse pulls leg forward when first picks up:  go with it.  Horses do this.
2. Horse pulls leg from you (bend knees more as the hoof is too high behind (hock issues))
3. Horse pulls leg from you:  pulling leg out sideways too far.  Stop it. You are at fault.
4. Kicks:  someone let go of the leg when the horse swung its leg and taught the horse to kick
5. Stomps down immediately after picking up foot.  tap hoof so horse picks up willingly.  (I think it is a soundness issue but some people think it is a trained response from letting horse put leg down)
6. Won’t left you pick up hind foot:  kicks at you:  stand closer (against the horse) and hold on.
1. Use clicker training and touch leg with a stick:  do not let horse get touch off the leg.  This is what teaches the horse to kick.  Reward what you want.  Ignore the other.

7. Horse leans on you or kicks at you and cannot hold onto hoof:  repeatedly, fast poke with thumb on nearest (flank, hindquarter, ribs?) until horse stops.  (figure this out on your own but works like a charm)

Checking the feet:

1 cracks (toe or quarters) and horse is trimmed regularly (every 8 weeks +/-):  not balanced hoof…farrier issue

2.  spreading feet:  farrier issue if trimmed regularly (every 8 weeks +/-) (horse is landing more on that side)

3.  Smell: cleft in frog goes to heels, black gunk in frog cleft:  thrush

4. Bars:  come from heel along the frog:  should have a ridge then, not a line (new farrier needed)

5.  Angles:  front:  1 straight line along the front of the pastern and hoof;  heel line is sloped to same angle (parallel)

1) coronary band parallel to bottom of hoof on ground (no hills and dales)

2) both sides of hoof wall when looking at front are parallel 

If not ask your farrier.  Need a new farrier.  Feet are the key to soundness.

You want big feet on your big horse.  

A farrier can trim to make feet small.  Some horses are bred to have small feet (don’t buy or breed)

Chips:  soft feet if trimmed every 8 weeks +/-.  Try feeding a supplement (brewer’s yeast, has access to free choice mineral salt?)

Train your horse to like being groomed.  Scratch where the horse likes it and go lightly where doesn’t.  Horse should accept being touched everywhere.

Thoughts

Ears:  

Train horse in 1 session not to accept ears being touched:  when horse lifts head let hand slide off ears.  It is as easy as that.  

Keep hand on ear (just touching) and horse will let you in the end.  Just keep your hand there no matter what the horse does.  Reward with a rub.

Tense muscled horses do not like being groomed.  

Sensitive skinned horses need a lighter touch, different brush.  Massage with your hands to loosen.  

Stroke with your hands to give a good massage and shine.

Manual of Horsemanship (Blue Book) by the British Horse Society is easy to read.  Good for learning good horsemanship but assumes you have a well mannered horse.

New standard in safety is to wear a helmet when handling horses.  In the old days the groom always wore a cap for head protection.

Keep your hand on the horse when going behind. 

Say something when approaching a horse.  Especially if the ears are not turned to you.

Some horses have past issues that you can train out with time.  A little bit at a time.  

Wet horse

Don’t brush.  Wipe dry.  If muddy, dry the mud first. (assuming you don’t have a wash rack

Sweaty horse

Cool, dry then give a good grooming.  This is the best time

Tacking up

Light brushing with good grooming (30 min or so) after working.

Tack areas

If horse is muddy:  clean these areas well and ride.  Then know off the mud with a curry comb.

Must be clean as lots of pressure here.

Where to groom

Out of a high traffic area where the horse can see other horses is ideal.

If find a stall too dark.  But if your horse is not mannerly (kicks, bites) it is a better place than the aisle. (for other people)

A 12x12 or so grooming stall would be wonderful.

I like cross ties as the horse has more restricted movement.  Loose is not an option as then you teach the horse can move off whenever even when you are touching them. (start of hard to catch)

Photographs to come