Hay: some thoughts

Hay:  some thoughts

https://www.yukon-news.com/life/haymakers-meet-the-whitehorse-farmers-who-keep-local-cattle-fed/

Feeding Hay to Horses

1. 1-2% of body weight:  1 lb feed to 100 pounds of body weight.  Use a weight tape to determine weight:  over the front of the withers or behind the withers for the tape to go around the horse.  Pull tight.
2. Increase hay when the temperature drops.  About -15 or so increase the feed.  
3. If feeding with a slow feeder net it will be similar to forking hay to the horses but gives them access all day (better for the horses).  No blankets, shoes, or halters on the horses.  Additional hay will need to be fed loose when it gets -20 and colder (when the horses lose weight or are cold and hungry).
1. If no slow feeder need the horses will go through the hay faster, and the loose hay will need to be forked up so it isn’t wasted.  I found the 6 horses went through a bale in 3 days, rather than 6 or 7 days in winter.

4   The white slow feeder nets are the most durable, easy to work with.  I use the Large on my 5x5 bales (1200 lbs.)

5.  Put the hay on fresh snow, in different spots to prevent manure build-up. (grass will grow better if a fresh spot is used).  Feed in the field to keep the paddock clean and to give the horses exercise.  

6.  If forking the hay put it on fresh snow and spread it out 10’ between piles and double the piles.  If you have a really aggressive horse then wider apart.  A calf sled makes an excellent hay mover.

7.  Horses that don’t gain weight, eat only enough will do better on alfalfa mix hay.  Look up gastric ulcers, Dr Kerry Ridgeway.  A lot of horses have gastric ulcers, including pleasure horses.  

8.  Aggressive horses:  take out of the herd for a while.

9.  Water:  heated/warmed water in the winter.  Available at all times so the less dominant horses can drink their fill.

10.  Feeding in winter is not like in the summer because of the temperatures.  Have extra hay in case of early winter, late spring.  This year haying has not started and it is the second week in July.  Maybe next week if the rain stops and the ground drys well.

11.  Beet pulp soaked (1 beet pulp:3 water will add minerals, fiber to the diet).  Alfalfa cubes are better than pellets as long as the horse doesn’t choke (has good teeth and not rushed) otherwise pellets.  Weigh the alfalfa and beet pulp so you know how much you are feeding.  

12. Buying rounds:  buy from a farmer you know puts up good hay.  You can buy a corer to check the inside of the bale.  Smell it for mould.  Heavier than the other bales is not good. 

Brent Stewart in Berwyn, AB. 708 338 3663 will haul hay north.  He grows a lot.  

13.  Net wrapped hay will ship better.  Hardcore bales are heavier than soft bales.  

14.  Grass hay or alfalfa-grass mix is good.  Horses don’t like orchard grass or reed canary grass. Nor ryegrass (high sugar).  Clover:  white, red ok if allowed to dry.

15. By the ton or bale doesn’t make much difference in the price unless the truck is run over a scale. 

What I have found:

5x5/1200 lb. round bale lasts 6 horses 1 week or less if cold.  Therefore I need 5 round bales a month for 6 horses.  Hay from October to May: 8 months if I have good pasture for all 6 horses.    Hay eating slows in May as the grass grows (which slows the grass growing so I have a summer pasture and a winter pasture.  I move the horses to the summer field on the first of July.  Sometimes the grass doesn’t grow much in the winter pasture which means the horses will eat more hay in October.  The horses will paw through the snow until it gets 18” high.  Then it is too deep.  

300 pounds of hay a week/horse?  x 4= 1200 x 8 months = 9600 lbs a winter = 4.35 tons (metric) 4.2 tons (Canadian)

I have a chart that tells you approximately how big a bale weighs by its size (5x5 is 1200lb, 4x4 is 400 - 600 lb,   Your hay will be weighed at a scale so you will know the weight.  (you are getting it hauled up?). 

It also matters if it was a dry or wet year.  Last year was dry so hay was lighter.  Age of the hay too.  

Unless they are under a roof or a very very good tarp it is best not to stack them but rather put them in rows end to end and leave a space between each row..reason for this is in the fall it usually is  wet and damp just before things freeze up and if you stack your bales without covering them they freeze hard and it makes the string very hard to get off as well as it creates a lot of frozen waste…also when it warms up they now become a rather large pile of compost if left that way for long…in a barn I've piled them on there ends two bales high and the top one on its side…it fills space well this way but if your tarping them outside a pyramid formation will shed the water best…just make sure you tie it down well..used tires hanging off each side work well..hope that helps

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-stack-round-bales-of-hay

https://www.dairyherd.com/article/how-much-does-round-bale-weigh

Strapping down hay

tie down straps

1 per bale across the trailer/bale and 2 lengthwise :  for 5 bales:  5 straps

How to tell good bales from bad:  

1.  Good keeps its shape, bad squishes.  (hay with no stems will flatten and be hard to haul as it is soft)

 2.  Smell

Wildies in Alberta, Sundre area

How to Train a Horse

How to Train a Horse

Introduction

Training a horse is fun.  The more skills your horse has, the more enjoyable the horse will be to have around.  Every time you interact with your horse, you are training the horse.  The trainer you sent your horse to can only do so much.  You may be counter training your horse if the horse behaves poorly after several months after returning from the trainer.  It is you, not the trainer.  

Explanation

Horses learn best with positive and negative reinforcement.  Punishment training creates a fearful or, worse, could not care less horse (learned helplessness).  

Positive reinforcement is where a reward is given to the horse:  treat, scratch, rest, click.

Negative reinforcement is where the reward is the removal of pressure, touch.  Pressure/touch should be appropriate to elicit a response, with no overreaction or lack of reaction. It takes a skilled person to know how much to use.  How much will also vary with the horse, that particular day, that particular session, that particular time, so the trainer needs to be aware and adjust her touch?

Horses trained with positive and negative reinforcement learn rapidly, calmly, and without fear.  They are willing to learn.  The horse will focus on the trainer rather than outside influences (e.g. noise, grass, birds, etc.)

Positive reinforcement forms vary with the horse (what the horse considers to be a reward), situation, and what is being trained.

The first reward is usually food.  Most horses like food. Finding the food the horse prefers may be a challenge.

The most important rule for using food rewards is that the food is immediate, not gratuitous, and small.  Some horse may become pushy and less than polite in accepting food rewards.  In this case, another reward should be found.  

Punishment is reserved for dangerous behaviour.  Biting, kicking, squishing you are not acceptable at any time.  It is best to stop this behaviour before connection occurs (horse snaps at you but does not connect, swings a hindleg at you, but again, does not connect.  Punish the horse:  slap, yell, chase off (even all three).  You want the horse to learn that this is not acceptable behaviour.  Don’t make excuses for why the horse bit or kicked you.  It is not acceptable.  And stop whatever it is that you are doing to make a horse bite/kick you!  You are training your horse to become dangerous.  Once a horse learns a skill, it doesn’t forget it.  It will reoccur in the future.

Know what it is you want to train.  Read up on the aids, what it looks like, what horses doing it, even if you have done it once or twice or more in the past.  Maybe this time, you will learn something that makes training your horse easier.

Break down what you are teaching into baby steps.  Write the steps down.  Write down the mistakes the horse may make.  Write down the corrections to the mistake.  Find alternate ways to teach the skill.

What does the horse need to know before the new skill?  How well does the horse perform it?  The pre-knowledge skill does not have to be 100% consistent.  Maybe 50% consistent?

For example, to perform a turn on the forehand:  the horse needs to stop and respect the stopping aids to some extent; the horse needs to respond to leg aids. (turn on the forehand is good for confirming the leg aids and the halt aids.

"Mistakes" of the Horse 

The horse really hasn’t a clue what you want, but good-naturedly, usually, tries to accommodate the rider.   The horse is not “bad”, “ignoring you”, or some other term.  The horse just does not understand.  It is a rider problem, not a horse.

For example, if the horse walks forward when the leg is applied in turn on the forehand. The horse is responding as he has learnt: leg means to go.  The horse is supposed to be learning to go sideways with the hindquarters, not forward.  

The rider was too slow or too inadequate with the stop aid once the horse moved.  The aids are given in sequence:  leg, hand, relax, repeat for the next step.  Simultaneous aids will confuse the horse.  (Principles of Learning).  

loose in the arena;  the first stage

Once the horse learns the first concept, more can be expected from the horse (after the third day).  

For example, once the horse moves to one side with the hindquarter, the horse is then expected to cross the hindleg in front of the other hindleg (turning to the right, the left hind leg crosses the right hind leg).  The rider will feel the horse’s backlift when this happens.  (exciting)  

It is not fair to the horse to expect the horse to cross legs in the beginning.  It is nice, but not expected. 

 A skilled rider may achieve more sooner.  A flexible horse may be able to cross from the beginning.  

The horse should always be willing to move forward after a training session.  

In turn, on the forehand, for example, after the horse stops, the rider should ask the horse to walk on to maintain forward motion.  

The repeat, the rider stops the horse and asks.  It is best if the rider is organized before stopping so the halt is limited and the horse remains willing to move.

Each training session is limited to 3 times, for 3 days.  Some horses will respond faster, so the repetitions can be reduced, or more can be expected.  Caution should be used in case the horse doesn’t really understand what he is supposed to do.

Ask for the skill to be performed in different areas of riding, right from the beginning.  Then, change where you ride and ask for the new skill.  Raise the bar, and expect more from the horse.  For example, you can do a “working turn on the forehand” where the horse’s inside front leg walk a small circle with turn on the forehand.  

If the horse is sticky, it is best not to insist the horse does what you want.  The horse is saying he doesn’t want to do it (politely).  It is up to you, the trainer, to figure out why.  Too many repetitions?  Too many of the same thing when the horse already has learned it? Why is your horse refusing to do it?  That is the most important question.  Are you doing something different?  What are you doing that is not the same?  

Feel or watch what your horse does.  Is he able to perform the skill equally on both reins? (ideal)  If not, make a mental note to do some suppling, strengthening work on the weaker side.  Is it you?  (for right-handed people, the right hand tends to hold more, whereas the left hand gives more)

Session Length

Repeat 3 times in a training session but end on a good note: the horse is quiet, calm, even if you had to stop the new work.  That is ending on a good note.  Ask less, rather than more, if the horse is not responding as you want.  Between the repetitions lengthen stride, 2 point, grids, something very different.  Do conditioning work if the repetitions went well so that the horse is building up his strength.  Even stop and get off it; the results you obtained were momentous.

Rewards for the horse

Food is not necessary every time but helps in the beginning when doing groundwork or if the horse becomes anxious while ridden.  

Loose rein, a good stretch at walk, trot, or canter (no transition, just loosen the reins)

Move forward freely (after collection or complicated work, e.g. piaffe, half halt, canter to halt transitions)

Stroking the neck from poll to wither (not patting, which is a hit)

Scratching the wither

Uberstechen with one or both reins (give with the inside rein or both reins for a few (3) strides

Stop and look around.

Change the location where riding, on a long or loose rein, e.g. walk around a field after schooling in an arena (end of work reward)

Jump, trot poles  (if the horse enjoys jumping after intense schooling)  A change of pace.

Punishment for the horse

Slapping

Loud voice

Whistling (the horse will also slow down to a whistle)

Big kick to move away

Hitting with reins (over and under)

Working alone

Repetition (more than 3 times)

Training is fun.  If it isn’t fun, then don’t do it.  Read more, find out what it is that is wrong.  If you get stressed, frustrated.  Stop, do something easier.  If the horse just doesn’t respond, change what you are doing.  Do something the horse can do.  Rethink about what you are doing.  Chances are you are expecting too much for your skill level or the horse’s learning ability. 

All training should be according to the horse and rider combination.  But, generally, three repetitions for 3 days is a good starting point.  Some horses will take longer, others slightly less.  It depends on what is being asked, how it is being asked, the horse's history, and handling of the horse.

more information

TRTmethod.com. Tristan Tucker. on YouTube also

"Unleashing Harmony:The Man Who Dances With Horses" on Slice Wild on YouTube. (Frederik Pignon)

Inverted horse/Marigold

Marigold came back from training with a well developed lower neck muscle.  This just goes to show that even a horse that doesn't normally go inverted can be trained to go inverted.  In 2 days Marigold was moving better and not pushing with her lower neck.   She did this on her own.

The trainer called her "lazy".  When I loose schooled her she was zipping around like crazy.  No relaxation, no calmness, just running.  Half way through the session, she started to relax and listen to me. (session lasted 10 minutes).  Marigold changing how she moved had nothing to do with me.  It had gotten really smokey so I wasn't working her.  She changed in the paddock, which was interesting as she was in a huge field.

Marigold has also changed ...no long hard to catch but coming to me when she sees me.  Annie Alice would like to come, but I guess Marigold doesn't share.  It was difficult to see Marigold running away from me when I went to get her.  And the dancing around while tied was hard to see.  How does one teach a horse that normally stands quietly to dance?

Now to figure out where to go from here.

can get her hindleg underneath!!

inverted trotting

inverted trot...see how the neck is pushing forward?

well developed lower neck muscle.  It even makes her neck look short

but as you can see from here inverted isn't her conformation

showing a longer topline, now to build up her muscles

no muscle from the withers along the crest:  this winter 

Hooves

Hooves

 Lola Front

Lola side

Miss July front

Miss July hind

 Lola

Lola showing laminic rings

Alex

Alex

Alex:  white line disease

Alex

Peter Pan

I sent Peter Pan for training and decided that I would sell him as people were interested.  I didn't think he would be a good school horse/pony.  That means something as none of the school horses/ponies are your typical schoolies.  They choose to do lessons,  If the horse ddin't like the lessons, then I would use them.

He was sold to a person, who had ridden as a kid (not sure how long ago or how well, or for how long).  I got emails telling me how much she loved Peter Pan.  First, sign of incompatitbility:  love.  She loved that he came to the fence (an easy fix if your horse is not socialable).  In Peter Pan's case because he was given endless treats and had no manners it was a warning to me.  A horse coming to the fence to talk to you should not be a good reason to buy a horse. (and if you saw the fence you would be worried about the horse getting hurt).  It could also mean he is hungry.  Peter Pan is always hungry as he wasn't fed well as a youngster.

Another email told me that she was having trouble putting a bridle on him.  Ooops.  Can't bridle her horse?  Must be banging his teeth with the bit.  Banging teeth is a sure way to teach a horse to be difficult to bridle.  Anyone buying a just started horse should be able to bridle and unbridle a horse and to figure out what is wrong if there is a problem.

Another email told me that she was having trouble leading him from the field because the other horse was in heat, there was another horse calling to him.  Never had that problem before.  He was always willing to leave with me or one of my students.

My advice to her was to sell him.  She wasn't going to do him any favours keeping him becasue she couldn't handle him.  End of emails listing her complaints about Peter Pan.  I don't see things going well for him.  Too bad.  I told the trainer he wasn't for beginners. (he never would be for beginners).

What a shame.  Another person bought a horse she wished she could ride.

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.