Do you cutt back on hay in the summer?

[Leeana]

We're going through hay this winter like crazy, and this just popped in my head.

Do you guys feed hay in the summer/show months like you do in the winter?

Now i plan to feed my QH Yearling the same amount of Hay she is getting now, But for the mini's and shetlands ...how much hay do you feed them each day if there on pasture from around 10am-5pm picking grass most of the time?

I was thinking 1 block AM, then pasture 10am-5pm, then PM There grain.

This is basically what they have now ...exept no grass in the pasture and there getting hay morning, mid day and at night.

Would you take that hay at night out? I know im not giving them midday hay this summer since they will have pasture.

How much Hay do you feed them in the summer when they have pasture 6hrs a day?

Thanks

Leeana

I'm asking because i have more shows for this year and its about time to get a summer feeding plan together and ready for this summer, i didnt really like the one i had last summer with only Coco but showing wasnt anywhere on my mind then either.

 

[KenBen]

During the summer our minis free range all day when we are home. When they come in at night I give them a small amount of sweetfeed. They have about 30 acres to graze on. They only get hay when we are not home.

Ken

 

[CMR]

I don't intentionally cut back on hay, it's up to the horses. I have a specific area that I feed hay/grain in, and they know it. If they're down in the area just standing there, I'll throw them some hay. If they are out in the field grazing, I won't give them any.

I feed hay at seven in the morning and seven at night. There is always a little hay out in the summer, and if I see them finishing that up and scrounging around for more I'll stick some more in their bags. In the winter I go through two bales a day for three big horses a three little horses, and in the summer it will probably be around one bale.

So no, I don't cut back on hay, I give them unlimited hay 24/7, but only in small amounts so it's not wasted. Of course, I don't show(maybe a few local shows), but my horses do/will be getting worked "hard." The minis are learning to pull a cart this summer(and maybe learn some halter), one of my big horses plays Polocrosse and has to be in top shape, my draft is learning to pull a cart(and is still growing), and my Warmblood and I are doing Dressage, so we are both training for that.

You may want to see how everything goes with your horses this summer. Think of a feed schedule now, and if they are still a little chunky looking, cut back according to that. Grass is fattening, if you have lush pasture they will be getting a lot of calories from that. If I did anything, I would cut back on hard feed first. You'll just have to tinker around with feeding and find what works best for your horses.

 

[Reble]

I only show my stallion and gelding, and sometimes a foal. :aktion033:

I find Mares are just not for me showing. They are usually busy with their foals. ( I hope )

They can go in and out of the barn, as they please, only in pasture from noon -- supper.

At night come in, Get their feed. Pasture fenced off.

Unless with foal keep them in their own stall, till they bond with mom.

Slowly let them go back with the herd.

My Stallion and Gelding only for a few hours on pasture. and feed cubes at night.

I had trouble with overweight minis showing, if they had pasture all the time.

My husband had to learn feeding a certain amount is best, not to over feed minis? So easy to do.

Hard to get the weight back off?

Just our experience?

:

: :saludando:

 

[Marty]

Leanna, in the winter, I go through 1 bail a day or more for the Prancers and Sonny. I feed it 3 X a day.

On the summer schedule that gets cut way down because I cut out their morning hay completely and they go out on grass instead. It's up to them when they want to come back in on dry lot or the barn. I leave the gates open so they can decide when to come on in. It's usually when the flies get too bad or it gets to hot, they head back in after a few hours.

I don't give them any more hay until lights out bedtime.

They do get grain am and pm always

 

[SkipsMom]

I do feed more hay in the winter than during the warm months as they use the slow burn of hay in the hindgut to stay warm in the winter. Right now the hay ration is being reduced some as is the beet pulp. They each are fed about 1/3 cup of Purina grain am & pm to keep their system from going into starvation mode which would prevent them from loosing weight.

Mine two little guys live in a large dry lot but once the backyard has grass they have turnout time for an hour or so several times during the week. Being overweight can kill them and cause many problems. I've learned that it is a delicate dance to keeping them happy with what food they are given and to not let them become so bored that bad habits (cribbing, wood nibbling) take over. It's very hard to be little and an easy keeper.

 

[billiethekid40]

Wait a minuite Leanna, stop and think this through. You stall your horses at night right? And you wanna give them their hay in the am, turn them out to graze all day, then put them up in the stalls all night with no hay to munch? They willl finish their grain in a few minuites and then their tummies will be empty all night! I've always been a firm believer that horses rations should be split so feedings are the same. Rather than feed hay in the AM and grain at night, feed them half of their hay and half of their grain at each feeding. Or, if you insist on having one grain and one hay feeding, at least feed hay at night when they have no pasture to occupy them.

But to answer your question, yes, I do feed less hay in the summer. Not because he goes on pasture, but because he doesn't need hay in front of him all day to keep himself warm. If I had pasture too, he would get even less hay, provided it was GOOD NUTRITIONAL grass. I wouldn't cut out the night time hay though, I would eliminate the noon hay feeding, and not feed as much hay in the AM and PM feedings, but still feed hay at each. If I had good pasture, he probably would only get hay in his stall at night and none in the morning. But I wouldn't cut out the PM hay for a stalled horse, its not fair.

 

[Leeana]

billiethekid40 Posted Today, 03:41 PM Wait a minuite Leanna, stop and think this through. You stall your horses at night right? And you wanna give them their hay in the am, turn them out to graze all day, then put them up in the stalls all night with no hay to munch? They willl finish their grain in a few minuites and then their tummies will be empty all night! I've always been a firm believer that horses rations should be split so feedings are the same. Rather than feed hay in the AM and grain at night, feed them half of their hay and half of their grain at each feeding. Or, if you insist on having one grain and one hay feeding, at least feed hay at night when they have no pasture to occupy them.

But to answer your question, yes, I do feed less hay in the summer. Not because he goes on pasture, but because he doesn't need hay in front of him all day to keep himself warm. If I had pasture too, he would get even less hay, provided it was GOOD NUTRITIONAL grass. I wouldn't cut out the night time hay though, I would eliminate the noon hay feeding, and not feed as much hay in the AM and PM feedings, but still feed hay at each. If I had good pasture, he probably would only get hay in his stall at night and none in the morning. But I wouldn't cut out the PM hay for a stalled horse, its not fair.

I had not thought of that. I'm thinking of spliting the grain so 1/2AM and 1/2PM. Then i might just give them all a small block AM to start them off for the day, then at night another small block.

Thanks i had not even thought of that yet!

:

Leeana

 

[billiethekid40]

I figured you hadn't thought of it. But when you think of it, it just seems nicer (and safer!) to give them their hay at night since their body gets used to grazing all day. The other way is kinda asking for an impaction colic. Give it a try, I think you(and they LOL) will like it and its not that much extra work really.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I only stall the show horses- this year I shall have six, so everyone else is out 24/7 on good grass all summer- no hay, no grain.

Broodmares are given small amounts of grain for the first two weeks, after that, nothing.

Show horses have ad lib hay, and turnout of - well it varies with the weather.

Show horses are grain fed as well, but not huge amounts- depends on their needs.

 

[midnight star stables]

IMO NO hay am. Grain then pasture. Then grain again then their block at NIGHT er 5 pm.

They need something to keep thier tummies from getting ulcers fromlack of food at night.

 

[jleonard]

We cut back to just enouth hay to fill their feed dish (those little round rubber ones) at night and a cup of omelene 100 at night. They are on pasture from 8:30 in the morning till about 8:00 at night. They are also muzzled either half a day every day or all day every other day. As rich as this KY Bluegrass is, we cannot afford to not keep them muzzled. Founder is a big problem in the minis and ponies around here when the grass first starts popping up.

 

[scout]

In the summer, all my horse just get grain in the morning, and go out for the day. The same goes for the night time feeding, unless they are staying in for some reason and then they get hay.