What are you feeding

[pasolucy]

I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where the climate is fairly mild and have pasture for the horses. Just wondering about the differnt climates and what people are feeding. Right now I have four mature horses on a 10 to 12 acre pasture and they are on pasture only. I do throw out 2 flakes of hay every now and then but it takes them 2 or 3 days to nibble that to nothing. I have 3 young horses on a diffent 10 acre pasture and they are getting fed 2 times a day, grain , beet pulp and some oil. They are not eating much hay either, a flake or 2 once or twice a week. In the spring I will have to lock the horses up off of the pasture or they will grass founder and that is when I feed most of my hay. This past year we had a very hot dry summer and I did have to supplement and feed more that I have every had to feed before, but mostly my biggest feed bill is from March to July when the grass is so rich that I have to keep the horses from eating too much of it. Just wondering about other places in the country, climate, feed bills and what is normal for you?

[Barbwire]

I am feeding one Paso and one Shetland. I don't have any pasture at all, so I feed hay year round and go through one small square bale of timothy/orchard grass a day. I feed the Paso 2# of Farnum senior feed each day, and the Shetland gets a couple of handfuls.
The cost of hay varies between $2.00-$2.75/bale and the grain is something like $14.00/50#.

[Terri]

Like Barbara I too don't have any pasture. Although last summer I did electric fence the whole yard so one horse could roam around and eat green grass. The neighbors thought it was weird, but we didnt' have to mow the grass much. But I have always figured on feeding about 1/2 bale per day per horse. I read some where that you should figure on 1.5-2 lbs of hay per 100 lbs of horse per day (assuming no pasture). So 1/2 of a 40-45 lb bale, while on the generous side is not too much, particularly in the winter when the act of chewing the hay actually helps to keep them warm. I feed 1st cutting grass hay. So I have 5 horses (only actually own 2) and feed just a little over 2 bales per day. The bales cost me $4.50 and that is a real bargain around here, the grain store sells it between $6-8. I also feed a mix of Purina Equine Senior and Equine Adult. I like the fiber in the Adult and the protien in the Senior. The amount depends on the horse. Mico, Nieta and Manito get 1 measuring cup full 3X per day. Rio who eats like a Clysdale and the token quarter horse get full big horse scoops 3X. They all also get a daily warm (this time of year) beet pulp mash that I supplement with 1000 U of vitamin e and a little probiotics. They are all round, furry and happy. I would be interested also to see what everybody else feeds.

I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where the climate is fairly mild and have pasture for the horses. Just wondering about the differnt climates and what people are feeding.

Millwood feeds excellent quality timothy and sorgham hay morning and afternoon with an evening snack. In spring when keeping on weight isn't an issue, they'll receive straight timothy hay. Our older horses get additional Purina Senior as a supplement three times a week. In spring, that will be decreased to once a week. We also let them graze in hand on the hillsides that always have some green grass even in winter.

Our climate here in the Bay Area is mild. It never gets colder than about 35 and rarely gets hotter than 80 degrees. We do have a lot of rain in the winter, so most of the hillsides stay green year around.

Rita

[Trail Rider]

I live in South Alabama and this time of year my pasture is gone. I feed my adult horses about a quart of Purina Horse Chow 100 10% protein twice a day. I split a bale of hay between 3 horses daily. My 41 month old horse I feed about a quart of Omeline 100 twice daily along with the 1/3 bale of hay daily. The hay is a local grass hay.

[CarolU]

I feed hay year round, prefer a grass/alfalfa mix, light on the alfalfa, 10 lbs/horse/feeding. This year's hay is all grass and I don't think it's enough for anybody, so I'm adding Senior Manna twice a day for everyone. Right now while it's cold (14.5 this morning) they get 4C each, but I'll cut everyone but Buddy down to half that once it warms up. Buddy (35 months, 15 hh) is still growing. I hope he stops before I need a ladder. Each horse gets 2 carrots/day all winter for vitamins.

In the summer I irrigate and have pasture. Not enough to amount to much, but nibbles. I have two founder-prone older horses and they don't get out except maybe an hour/day on weekends and after the spring grass is gone. Not worth the risk.

[Ginger]

Straight up low-pro, pellet/molasses/grain mix sweet feed (the five dollar a bag kind) year round- one pound per horse, twice a day. Hay in the cold, nasty, bad months, and they have free access to pasture year round.

Occasionally corn mixed in, but very, very rarely anymore.

Oh- and MSM for the old farts.

[DebbieS]

I'm feeding 4 right now. They all get a mix of Purina Senior and Woody's Sweet 12 (small coffee can ea). The 2 older guys get twice that much. They each get a thick flake of hay alfalfa/grass mix twice a day plus have access to 20 acres of pasture. Right now, there's a bit of snow on the ground, so they mostly hang out near the barn until the next feeding.... I usually just feed hay November - mid-April. I have 2 fatties that have to be off pasture when it's new and green in the spring so they will be on hay for awhile longer and can 'nibble' in a little 60X120 paddock.

Our 3 y/o is at the trainer's. I know he has grass hay available 24/7 (and grained twice a day) but he's still growing and doesn't have access to pasture.

[halfmoonfino]

We live in NC and board in Wake Forest, about 20 minutes from our house in the city. We board Pitty, a 13hh, 700lb. Paso Fino who is the definition of easy keeper, and Ebby, a 16.1hh, 1200lb. TWH who is the definition of hard keeper.

I pay $165 per month for Pitty who is on pasture board. He has all-day access to fescue round bales which run about $30 a piece and last his herd of 6 horses roughly three days. He eats 1/4 qt. of pelleted grain, 1 cup of beet pulp, and approx. 1 lb. hay pellets (alfalfa), and 2 oz. yucca pellets, 1 time per day. I cover the cost of Pitty's beet pulp, yucca, and hay pellets, a decision of my own. If Pitty eats twice a day he is the equine equivalen of a candidate for the biggest loser.

Ebby is full board at $275 per month. He also has all-day access to the fescue roundbale. He eats 2 quarts of grain, 1 quart of crimped oats, 2 oz. of yucca, and 2 cups of beet pulp twice daily. We cover the cost of his oats, beet pulp, and yucca.

Yucca is $10 for a 6 lb. bucktet which lasts about 2 months. Beet pulp is $12 for a 40 lb. bag and lasts for a looooong time (not sure how long just yet, but at least several months). Steamed, crimped oats are also roughly $12 for a 50 lb. bag and last about a month and a half. Hay pellets are $8 a bag, by Blue Seal feeds, and last over 2 months. Grain and hay are supplied by the stable.

Our horses are on free-access hay, so it's up to them how much they choose to eat per day. Pitty is a good eater, and has his usual "eating times". In the summer we do have some pasture, but in the winter there's only sparce grasses here and there. So we pretty much have to have round bales.

I think that feeding costs at this time, especially coming out of a drought, are pretty economical.

[Paula]

Oats and alfalfa year round.

[Pam M]

I feed 7 and they're pretty varied. I have 10 acres but the grass is terrible - pretty much nonexistent right now - and I do keep them on hay year round. For feeding (they're in groups):

*5 y.o. Paso (2 lbs. Nutrena xtn) & 2 1/2 y.o. QH (5 lbs. xtn) - 1 bale coastal/bahia hay daily
*24 y.o. mustang (4 lbs Sr.), 5 y.o. QH (2 lbs. xtn), 6 month Paso (2 lbs. omolene) - 3/4 bale hay daily
*7 y.o. QH/Morgan & 7 y.o. App - each get 1/2 lb. xtn & 2 flakes daily (easy keepers)

When the paso mare has is fully weaned off baby she'll go back down to 1/2 lb. xtn daily and be moved in with the easy keepers. And the paso filly is showing sings of being good that way also. My 24 y.o. mustang doesn't have many teeth left so he's pretty dependent on his feed. And I forgot to mention the extra doritos, peanuts, carrots, cookies, poptarts, etc. he gets every day! When I get good hay in 60-65 lb. bales, I'll only use 1 per day. Right now my hay looks like grass clippings and I'm using 2 per day. And when summer gets here...hallelujah!!!! My costs will cut in half!!!