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.
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