Hmmm question about vacation

[Magnolia_dream]

Ok i have a mini and a shetland. We are going camping about an hour away from home for 3 days. Would it be ok to just throw them a bale of hay,and let them eat of of it for a few days. I'm going to have someone check on them everyday, but as for feding would it hurt them? They usually get 3-4 flakes of hay a day, and some crimped oats. Actually my mini needs to put some weight on this might help her! lol

 

[lilhorseladie]

I wouldn't change your feed if you won't be home to monitor it. Mine would eat the whole thing on day one and then be starving by day three. I would have who ever is checking in also feed them.

 

[Frankie]

For me, at my house, there is no way I would even consider doing that.

Why couldn't those checking on them feed as well?

 

[Magnolia_dream]

Well i haven't exactly contacted the person yet, she might not want to take on that responsibility. I don't know it's so hard to find a reliable petsitter

 

[Pandora]

When we're away showing, a family friend comes and waters the horses and gives them hay twice a day. We skip the grain part so the person doesn't get overwhelmed.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

If I cannot find someone to look after my horses in exactly the way I do it, I go nowhere

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

Not a chance. You're asking for trouble there. They will eat or waste the bale the first day and go hungry the rest.

Lucy

 

[minih]

When we leave for a show weekend I always have the same person come and feed for me. That way they know more of my routine and I am not always reexplaining things. I also pay every trip he comes over, it is work, and you get exactly what you pay for. I figure I spend alot on my horses why scrimp at a time it could make a big difference in their health. If I have a horse with a special needs diet or something a little more complicated I just get a big bucket and hang at the outside of that horses stall and put the feed in labeled ziploc baggies. That way I am sure what they are getting. This works great for me and I come home to a clean barn, and happy horses. He also has a young son that loves all over them while we are gone---they like that!

:

 

[GREENWOODMINIS]

In no way would I leave them like that...that really is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[chandab]

Vacation? What's a vacation?

 

[outlawridge]

I also have a person feed and check on everyone if I must be gone. But a word of caution regarding the ziplocks and baggies. I won't have any even near the barn, corrals, or pasture. A person I knew had a horse die of impaction that picked up a baggie that blew into her paddock. It smelled of apples and she swallowed it. Well, it stayed intact and formed a pocket in her intestines that captured everything trying to pass. She couldn't be saved. All of my portions are either measured out and labeled in tupperware too large for them to swallow, or I have also marked portion lines and each horses name on a scoop or two for those that get the same mix. Another thing we do is print out a complete but brief list of instructions and staple it to the barn wall. I keep one in my computer updated in case I have an emergency and need to leave fast. It reads alot better than a handwritten one done in haste.

 

[Jill]

They really should be fed 2x a day. If I threw mine a ton of hay, what they'd do is stand there and eat and eat and eat and then they'd have no more hay.

We really don't go on vacation. I have to travel for business fairly often but my husband can take care of the horses when I'm gone. When we are gone more than 12 or so hours, we have someone to come and feed the horses.

Is there a way you can show someone how much hay to give them each day (preferably 2x a day) while you are gone. When we go, I don't have our person fool with giving them their pellets, but they do get fed hay and have the water checked in case anything happened with it.

My horses are pretty lucky I am so boring. As far as vacation goes or anything goes, my favorite place to be in the entire world is Whinny For Me Farm

:

 

[BallynoeBaby]

Ok it is not a good idea to do this for minis as they do just eat eat eat. We do this for our herd of thoroughbreds. Not just when we are on vacation but when they all need feeding. Your best option is to get someone to feed them then you are reasured that they are getting the right amount and will be fine until you get back.