Selling/Buying a Horse

It is so hard to sell a horse.  Why?  Because I want the horse to go to someone that will do well with the horse.  I know my horse but I don't know the person interested so I have to listen to what they are saying.

I believe that a person should buy a horse they can ride now because they will not enjoy the horse.  Do you need a horse that you "fall in love with"?  No.  The horse you fall in love with is the horse that you wish you could ride, it isn't the horse you can ride.  Think about it.  Is it fair to the horse that you buy if you cannot ride it well?  No.  Isn't because the horse is not able to do what it can do.  Some horses will look after you, other horses, not so  much.  Those are the horses people fall off of and get hurt.

As Denny Emmerson has said numerous times, one needs a horse to ride and do everything with so that the rider gains confidence.  Confidence is the knowledge, feeling you can do it.  Doubt is not a good thing to have with a horse.  One must believe that she can do it.  Falling off, being run away with, hoping you live are not fun things to be repeated.  Kids learn to hold on tight...not good for becoming a supple, elastic, feeling rider.  Adults decide they have other things to do so don't ride.

Buying a horse you can ride gives you a horse you will fall in love with.  Maybe not when you go to look at the horse and try it out, but because you can do what you want with the horse you will come to love the horse.  That is the horse you miss when it has died.

Taking lessons in order to be able to ride the horse you bought...nope.  Too much horse.  Get a plainer horse.  There is more to riding and horse ownership than lessons (and competitng).

When you go look at a horse, don't expect to fall in love, expect to be able to walk, trot, and canter the horse, to be able to lead and groom the horse.  That is the most beautiful, wonderful horse of all.   If your riding skill is not up to doing that, then find a lesson programme with school horses.  Maybe not being able to canter is ok, if you can walk, and trot the horse.  Good natured horses are not pretty, but are priceless.  

The horses and ponies in the photos are not super expensive, but just plain nice.  With a bit of work, they became fantastic at their jobs.

Winter Pasture for Horses

Winter Pasture for Horses:  A Great Option for Winter Feeding

  Feeding horses in winter in Canada is an expensive proposition. Care for your horse will depend on temperatures, precipitation (type and the amount), and wind.  Each region has its own challenges.  Horse owners looking to keep horses outside, in a healthy environment that is also a benefit for the land and easy.  Look at winter pasture as a viable option. 

Roughage, usually grass or hay, is the most important feed for horses.  Digesting roughage keeps horses warm. Some years are difficult getting quality roughage.  Rain, too much or too little at the wrong time, too cool temperatures all make haying a challenge.  Add the cost of fuel, equipment, getting labour, exporting hay, and other crops that pay better:  these all add to the difficulties for a horse owner to affordable acquire hay.  

One option, researched extensively throughout North America, is leaving cattle on pasture all winter.  It can be either grass or a cereal crop, or grass specifically grown for winter feed;  the grass or cereal crops can be left standing or swathed.  Another term for saving feed out in the fields for winter feeding is "stockpiling".   

"In the fall plants accumulate non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) as a way to maintain itself over winter.  Where the NSC is stored will depend on the plant.  For instance, timothy stores its NSC in a corm under the ground.  Some plants are better at storing NSC than others.  Timothy is a good winter pasture grass as it is tall and tends to hold is Water Soluble Carbohydrates well,” explains Grant Lastiwka, P.Ag, Grazing/Forage/Beef Specialist of Alberta Ag Info Centre. 

Grant says,  "Just last weekend (January 19 weekend) I was snow blowing and found the grass underneath the snow to be still green and alive.  This is because the NSC acts like an antifreeze to prevent cell damage.  If the snow insulates enough and the NSC are high enough cell integrity are maintained.  It can even regreen in the spring and regrow from leaves, and tillers (plants within the plant) for a very early quick spring green up and growth." 

  What is needed for winter pasture 

  A fenced area with long grass (hay field or a pasture allowed to grow from mid-July to frost) is needed.  A water source, with electricity for the heater, and shelter (stand of 

B.Kinsey                   Winter Pasture     2

trees or shed).  Access to the field during the winter for putting out hay.  Do not expect the horses to paw through 60 cm of snow and do well.  Monitoring the horses condition and health.  Strip grazing, using electric fencing, can minimize wastage.   Moving fencing in three feet of snow may be a bit daunting.

  Pros of Winter Pasture

  The benefits of keeping a horse out in pasture for the winter are numerous.  The horses keep themselves fit moving from eating to sunbathing spots, to water, and back to the food.  Their bones and soft tissues strengthen using low impact, low intensity, long duration exercise.  All horses have equal access to feed. All the horses should be in good condition.  The horses are happier because they have the freedom to move, such as they are designed to be.  There is less bullying as the lessor horse can keep away from the dominant horse. The field is thinly fertilized and reseeded.  The next year (and subsequent years) grass crop will grow thickly and lush.  Harrowing the field will not necessary (as long as supplemented hay is spread out) in the spring.  

  Supplementing with Hay

 At some point in the winter, the field may run out of grazing or have so much snow that expecting the horses to paw for forage is ridiculous.  Put hay out in the field, again spread out so that field and horses get maximum benefit. Unroll round bales to spread manure and hay seeds;  it will, also, ensure all horses can eat their share.  Feeders pack the ground, concentrates the manure and wastes hay.  Lessor horses may not be able to eat their fill or eat in peace.

 Care of the Horses at Pasture

 A nutrient analysis of the grass will give information on the quality of grazing.  Supplementing may be necessary depending on analysis results and the horses condition, age, and body type.  Check the horses over looking for signs of injury, lameness, or just different normal.   When looking at body condition, remember there will always be at least one horse that does well.  Look at the lesser horses in the herd for condition.  Hooves need trimming.    Snow will not wear down hoofs.  Ideally, horses are barefoot for being out in the pasture. 

 The cons of keeping horses in winter pasture

 A longer walk out to see if the horses if you are not able to call them in. Haying may be a bit of a challenge.  It all depends on facilities, location and planning.  Hoping for the best does not work.

Take a page from ranchers.  Turn your horses out.  Top seed with no effort from yourself. Get incredible grass.  Keep your horses fit and sound, and healthy.  Spend your time having fun with the horses instead of on the tractor.  Enjoy walking among the herd.

References:

Grant Lastiwka, PAg

Grazing/Forage/Beef Specialist

Alberta Ag-Info Centre

Agruicultre and Rural Development

201 Provincial Building

5030-50 Street

Olds, Alberta  

grant.lastiwka@gov.ab.ca

Winter Grazing Options, February 2008, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Manitoba Forage Council www.mbforagecouncil.mb.ca  and at www.manitoba.ca/agriculture

ww.agr.gc.ca/env/greencover-verdir

or phone 1 866 844 5620

 Harper, Dr. Frederick, Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee, Department of Animal Science, 

Winter Horse Feeding,  Voice, 2004

Feeding a Balanced Ration for competition horse

Excerpt from my Feeding assignment from Equine Nutrition through University of Guelph


I chose to use a Ration Balancer with the hay so that the horse would be eating as much hay as possible. He is in a stressful situation when competing and travelling therefore, at great risk to develop gastric ulcers, tying up or colic. Ideally, he would be on free choice hay at all times. Being able to eat hay constantly will ensure his well being. If necessary hay can be increased to 3% of his body weight or so. It is currently calculated at 2% of his bodyweight.

The ration balancer is being fed to offer vitamins and minerals he will not be getting in his hay. It is a concentrated feed and to be fed in small amounts, according to the bag’s instructions. The bags instructions for feeding must be followed so daily requirements for food, vitamins, and minerals are met. As completion season progresses the horse’s feed will be reevaluated to ensure all nutrients needs are met. The ration balancer can be increased another .5 kg.
Ration balancer required for the time away will be easy to transport. The hay will not be. Additional hay should be available for sale at the competition and can be blended in with the hay from home.

He is living outside without shelter in a field so hopefully he is getting a rainsheet or flysheet put on to protect him from the elements or the field is large enough that natural elements will provide some protection from wind and sun. It is spring and the temperatures are reaching 15o during the day so care must be taken as there is no shelter/building while he is at pasture. Monitoring his water and weight should be done regularly so that changes can be dealt with before problems develop.

Simplicity in feeding will ensure the staff follow feed instructions as the horse is boarded. The ration balancer can be fed either by the owner after the horse has worked or the staff can give it to the horse an hour after he is brought in.

I did not use the other options as the more complicated the less likely it will be done. Keep it simple and the horse will get what he needs. Purchasing, storing, and travelling with the feed will be easy as it is one bag. The hay provides most of the daily nutrients in excess of minimum daily amounts while the ration balancer provides the lacking 

Equine Parathyroidism: Too Much Phosphorous

Equine Parathyroidism:  Too Much Phosphorous

Barbara Kinsey

Introduction

Equine Parathyroidism is a recognized disorder in horses (Little, Redding, Spaulding, Dupree and Jones, 2000). It is also known as Miller’s Disease, or Big Head (Petalia, 2009, Kentucky Equine Research, 2013).  It is caused by feeding cereal grains without balancing the phosphorous (Crabbe, 2013) The feeding of processed feeds rather than the stable manager mixing grains has decreased the incidence of parathyroidism in horses.  Research into feeding horses has helped educate the managers of horses so that they are aware of the necessity of balancing feeds (Little, Redding, Spaulding, Durpree and Jones, 2000).

Define the problem

Too much phosphorous in the horse’s diet which will result in health issues in a period of months.  Pastures may be high in phosphorous.  This may be a result of chemical fertilizer applied to the fields (Crandall, 2016)  Wheat bran contains ten times more phosphorous than calcium. (Lenz, 2016).  A diet low in Vitamin D is also attributed to causing Secondary Parathyroidism (Capen & Rossel, 1989;  Sojka, et al, 2014).  A low calcium:high phosphorous ratio  in the feeding of the horse (Veterinary Treatments and Medications for Horsemen, 1977;  David, et al, 1997;  Little et al, 2000;  Kentucky Research Staff, 2013) causes this problem.  Feeding cereal grain, which is high in phosphorous without balancing with a high calcium feed will cause  secondary  parathyroidism in horses. (Veterinary Treatments and Medications for Horsemen, 1977) 

Clinical Signs of an Excess of phosphorous/Secondary Parathyroidism

The bones become weaker as the calcium is depleted.  Lameness, swelling in the bones and bone formation issues.  The horse may have a stiff movement (David et al. 1997)  The horse may have many little fractures in the long bones (David et al. 1997).  

The skull of the horse will show changes, which is where the “Big Head” name comes from. (Little, et al, 2000).  The horse may have trouble chewing due to changes in the skull configuration (Norton, 2013, Petalia, 2009)

Diagnosis is only after a other causes are ruled out.  A feed analysis, x-rays, bone density, and other tests are done to determine that the problem is caused by too much phosphorous (David et al, 1997).  

Management Strategies

Feed a balanced diet.  Attention must be paid to the calcium:phosphorous ratio.

Balance alfalfa with wheat bran or grass hay (forageplus staff, equisearch staff).  Beet pulp is balanced with bran by adding twenty-five per cent bran immediately prior to feeding. (Equisearch staff)  Grass is balanced in most areas.  In the Prince George area  grass hay is analyzed at 1:1 calcium:phosphorous. (Best, 2016).  In the UK, grass analysis shows a high calcium content (forageplus.co.uk).  Another method for avoiding a calcium phosphorous imbalance would be to restrict cereal grain by feeding hay.  Most horses do not require cereal grain added to their diet as they are able to maintain their condition (a Body score of 4-6 would be good).  Adding bran to working, growing or lactating mare’s diets would ensure that the calcium phosphorous levels are close to the ideal. (forageplus.co.uk staff)

Wheat bran contains an average of 2.4 grams of phosphorous per 220 kilograms of weight. (minimum of 1.71 grams to a maximum of 3.5 grams per 220 kilograms).  (forageplus.co.uk)

Offering a vitamin A, D, and E in the winter months will help.  Horses in Canada are not exposed to enough sunshine during the winter. (People need to supplement Vitamin D in winter as well).  Find out what minerals are deficient in your area.  (Crabbe, 2013, Crandell, 2013, Larson, 2015)

References

Best, C, DVM, in conversation with, November, 2016

Capen, C.C. and Rosol, T.J. (1986). Calcium-regulating hormones and disease of abnormal mineral metabolism.  In Kaneko, J.J. (ed.): Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals, ed. 4. San Diego, CA:  Academic Press, pp. 678-752.

Crabbe, B. DVM, (2013)  Horse Health:  Vitamins and Minerals, http://www.equisearch.com/article/horse-health-vitamins-and-minerals-13326?ctid=2

Crandell, K. November, 2016, in conversation with

Crandell, K, (April 11, 2013) Vitamin D in Equine Diets, http://www.equinews.com/article/vitamin-d-equine-diets

David, J.B., Cohen, N.D. and Nachreiner, R (1997). Equine Nutritional Secondary Parathyroidism. The Comendium, 19(2), 1380-1388.

Norton, J. VMD. (2013). Your Horse’s Endocrine System, http://equimed.com/health-centers/general-care/articles/your-horses-endocrine-system

Equisearch Staff.  (2005), Feeding Brans. http://www.equisearch.com/article/feeding-brans?ctid=2

Forageplus Staff.  Should I feed bran to my horse.  https://forageplus.co.uk/feeding-wheat-bran-to-my-horse/

Kentucky Research Staff. (2013). Prevent nutritional secondary parathyroidism in horses.  www.equinews.com/article/prevent-nutritional-secondary-hyperparathyroidism-horses.

Larson, E, June 18, 2015, Do blanketed horses get enough vitamin D?http://www.thehorse.com/articles/35953/do-blanketed-horses-get-enough-vitamin-d

Lenz, T.R. Horse Health, www.aaep.org/info/horse-health?publication=2313

Little, D., Redding, W.R., Spaulding, K.A., Dupree, S.H., and Jones, S.L. (2000). Case report: unusual presentation of nutritional secondary parathyroidism in a paint colt. Equine Veterinary Education, 12, 6, 297-302

Petalia, (2009) Big Head (Nutritional Secondary Parathyroidism). www.petalia.com.au

Sojka, J., van der Kolk, H. and Toribio, R. (2014) Endocrine:  hyperparathyroidism. Vetstream Equis.

________Veterinary Treatments and Medications for Horsemen, Grapevine, Texas: Equine Research, 1977

Making a Wooden Vaulting Barrel

16 - 1 x 3" boards glued and nailed on

1 x 3 boards laminated to make the legs

16 boards were used plus 2 for each leg

1 x 3 boards, 5' long nailed and glued into place onto 4 pieces of plywood cut identically

shape could be rounder, not as wide this is 2' x 2'

4  1" plywood pices:  2 ends, 2 in the middle

glued 1 x4 boards for the legs Handle is coming off as it is not needed for moving the barrel

Making a Wooden Vaulting Barrel

Materials

1- 1' or ¾ " plywood  
16 - 1x3" boards
2 - 2x4' boards (unless using left over 1 x 3 boards)
wood glue
12 carriage bolts (⅜" by 3 ½ ") to attach the legs
nails:  2" common

Tools

hammer

saw
wrench or ratchet

Procedure

1.  Cut 1x3 boards to 60"  (be accurate so you don't have to trim)

2.  Have a skilled woodworker cut the plywood into an arch shape.  must be identical,  Cut 4 arches:  20" diameter by 20-24" tall (2 ends and 2 middle supports) (sides rounder than the one in photo)
2' wide is a bit too wide for comfort

3.  Glue and nail the 1x3 boards onto the plywood.  A gap can be left, which will happen on the curves.

4.  Cut 2x4 into 4' lengths (or shorter if you want a short vaulting barrel)

5.  Attach legs to each end of the barrel on the inside:  angled for stability
     • At least 6" attached to the end of the barrel
     • Drill holes for the bolts (plywood end and 2x4).
     • Nuts go to the inside.  3:  staggered up the board.

Cover

• 1" or ¾" foam (seat foam is very dense and durable) 60" long.  Duct tape can be used to join the foam to make wider.  Duct tape did not come off easy.  I attached narrower pieces on the lower sides so that the joins were not in a high stress area.
• Cover foam with fabric:  outdoor furniture fabric, boat cover, thick vinyl..feels nice, has a tight weave
  • Tack around the edge of the barrel to hold into place
  • from the centre on both sides out to the ends, alternating the sides tacked.  1 tack on each side of the ones already in place
  • must be pulled tight as you can, no wrinkles
• velcro with stick on one side was attached to the foam and barrel on the ends, middle so the fabric could be pulled tight.  Worked very well.
• Fabric (dense, outdoor fabric that had a nice feel) was stretched over the barrel and tacked into place with fabric tacks
• The barrel end could be covered so it looks nicer

or sew a seam around the end edges, thread a cord through and pull tight.  Add webbing straps at the sides to pull tight under the barrel

• Cover wood with carpetingc• velcro with stick on one side was attached to the foam and barrel on the ends, middle so the fabric could be pulled tight.  Worked very well.
• Fabric (dense, outdoor fabric that had a nice feel) was stretched over the barrel and tacked into place with fabric tacks
• The barrel end could be covered so it looks nicer

Handles

• Buy vaulting barrel handles from Skyline Vaulting in Langley, BC   (easiest)
• Attach with tie down straps, attach to barrel to stop twisting. (grommet and screw)

Notes

• 1x3 boards that are unplaned would be better than planed boards. (thicker)
• Carrying the barrel at the bottom edge of the barrel is easier than attaching handles
• Wheels on one end make it easier to move by one person

Not tippy, seems to be sturdy enough when 11 year old boys are jumping on it and with multiple kids

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.