looking for feeding tips from those that work outside

[PHF Fancy]

For those of you that work outside of the home how do you ensure your horses are getting enough hay throughout the day? Do you have round bales or do you place a bale of hay outside and let them go through it? Right now I'm home and can go out and feed at lunch time but soon I'll be out 2-3 days a week and I'm worried my guys won't have enough hay during the day to stay warm. Horse quality round bales are hard to find in my area and frankly they make me nervous. So, I'm looking for ideas and ways I can ensure my horses are well fed while I'm away. My barn has in and outs so they can come and go as they please so shelter isn't an issue just hay.

 

[HGFarm]

My horses are on dry lots, but do not get free fed hay. They get good quality alfalfa morning and night. I have automatic waterers, so that is one less chore to do (Just a quick glance in the p.m. to make sure all are fine and on weekends they get cleaned and bleached out). If I give more than hay, - like the broodmares get broodmare feed during the last of their pregnancy, etc... ) I do that in the p.m. when I have time. Everything is ready for in the morning, as I leave for work in the dark, so all I have to do is go feed the boys and then my group of mares, and I am good to go.

If I have stuff besides just hay to feed in the a.m., I have it ready in the buckets to just pick it up and feed it.

 

[muffntuf]

My day starts out at first feeding at 4:00 AM, everyone gets their grain in their stalls, while they are eating, I go out and hay in the paddocks. I give them 2/3 of their hay ration - why - because I am gone 14 hours before the next feeding.

Then when I get home, I clean stalls, and bring everyone in to grain and they get individual hay rations for the night.

They get used to the feed schedule after about a week. The only time I alter is if it is extremely cold like it has been for the past couple days. My horses are in and I have a friend come over and pitch the appropriate hay ration to each stalled horse.

This has worked well - horses are happy and warm.

Whatever you do, make sure you stick to the alteration. If you vary more than an hour from your schedule - they get kinda cranky! :Cold-Scared

 

[DrivinTime]

PHF Fancy, I don't know how many horses you have, but I'm using a small-mesh hay net on days when I have to go to the office. My two minis work on that hay all day long and it's usually just about gone when I get home at night. I put some hay into buckets as well, but I'm thinking of buying another hay net, and just putting those out, to really minimize the waste, as I can't afford to run out of hay before next haying season.

My main issue was that my older mare has some ulcer symptoms, and I wanted to keep hay in front of her all day, but my young gelding vacuums everything up within half an hour. The small-mesh nets (from Dovery Saddlery) are working well for this.

If you don't like hay nets, I've seen some hay bags that have small mesh openings, which I think would work just as well. Can't remember where I saw those - there's a link on this forum somplace, I think.

Hope this helps!

 

[Hosscrazy]

I go home at lunchtime to feed my horses, so luckily this is not an issue for me. For the days that I'm not able to go home I have a critter sitter come feed for me. Not sure if that's an option for you - just a thought!

Liz R.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

PHF Fancy, I don't know how many horses you have, but I'm using a small-mesh hay net on days when I have to go to the office.

Hmm, that's one of those things where I'd worry. A lot.

I like the idea of making them work to get the food so it lasts longer but I don't even like to give my horses net haybags when I'm going to be right there, nevermind leaving them unattended with one all day!

They are so easy to get a foot through and then the horse is hung from the haynet all day, struggling, exhausting themselves....yipes. Even hanging them high isn't a guarantee as I've seen young horses rear up to get at the food easier and how easy would it be for them to put a front foot on it in an attempt to steady themselves? Not gonna be an option for me I'm afraid.

Leia

 

[muffntuf]

Hay nets are a worry. Here's another suggestion I got from someone else - its takes about 10 minutes more with chores, but works. I split the hay up into piles and place the piles all over their paddocks. This seems to make them move around and longer to eat their stashes. My paddock is about 200X300 for 6 mares.

 

[Katiean]

I am home all day and I still only feed my horses morning and evening. If they ate 24/7 they would be such butterballs. I feed alfalfa because that is what they like and it maintains their weight. I tried grass hay and they just wasted it and could not eat enough to sustain them. I have worked with riding horses for about 40 years and have never fed them more than 2x's a day. Not even the hunter jumpers or race horses. I do not think a mini has different feed requirements. Just less of it.

 

[lilnickers]

I work 5am-1pm. Daily, they are turned out with hay ( one flake per horse) after I get home, 1:30ish. They come back in around 9 pm in summer and 8 pm in winter. When they come in , they get their grain,and another flake of hay each. They always have fresh water and a salt/minerals available, in or out. They seem to be quite adjusted to this schedule,as there are times that I have gone down early in the morning to the barn and everyone is napping. And of course, this is when a majority of the foals have been born! These mares know when you can't watch them

 

[dannigirl]

We feed only twice a day. They get fed in the morning and let out to play and then brought in and fed in evening. They do not have free choice hay all day. When it is gone, it is gone. We also do not feed at the same time every day. That is because it is not always possible to feed at exactly the same time each day and by not sticking to a rigid schedule, they are used to us getting there when we get there and don't fret or get piggy.

 

[Skyler]

Idont feed at the same time every day either. Mine are fine, and dont get all crazy about it.

My neighbors have horses and he feeds at exactly the same time every day... He is never late.. those horses are NUTS kicking and throwing a fit about 15 mins prior to time...

We feed only twice a day. They get fed in the morning and let out to play and then brought in and fed in evening. They do not have free choice hay all day. When it is gone, it is gone. We also do not feed at the same time every day. That is because it is not always possible to feed at exactly the same time each day and by not sticking to a rigid schedule, they are used to us getting there when we get there and don't fret or get piggy.

 

[Jill]

My horses are on dry lots and they are not free fed hay. We feed them 2x a day... during the week, around 4:30am and 4:30pm. On weekends, more like 7am and 5pm. They get hay (orchard grass) and complete senior pellets at both feedings.

 

[NoddalottaFarm]

I am home all day and I only feed my 2 Minis twice a day. I vary the feeding times slightly because when I was feeding at the exact time each day, Samson was kicking the crud out of the stall and the gate, anticipating my arrival. I feed between 7 and 8 am and then again between 5 and 6 pm. I try to keep it within the hour. I have this schedule because I used to work a full time job that was an hour and a half from my home. I would feed at 6am and not be able to feed again until I got home at 7:30pm. I didn't have anyone who could come during the day to feed them. If it's real cold, or if I *have* to leave them inside for the day, I just give them extra hay. Luckily, we haven't had but one of those days this year.

 

[Marty]

Everyone gets fed hay and grain in the barn 2 times a day.

I"m working part time 3 days a week. On those days that I am not here, I do leave out plenty of hay since it is winter time and there is no grass; enough to last them until I get home. I'm very generous with the hay.

If it's horrible weather and they have stay in on any given day, same thing, they each have plenty of hay to keep them occupied in the stalls.

The spring/summer schedule will be different.

 

[Tatonkas Dream]

Granted this is WELL out of my price range to own, maybe lease - but I still thought it was a neat product for ones who where looking for extra feedings while your not there.

http://www.rfdtv.com/LinkOut/?GoTo=http%3A...blegrazer%2Ecom

I feed twice a day, sometimes 3 but my 3rd is with it cold like it is now - when I go out for my before bed check sometimes I give them some additional costal/native grass hay for the evening.

Depending on weather I either take apx half a flake each horse and spread it out as much as possible (they are dry lotted) or put it in there stalls and leave them free to come or go as they see fit. Wind storms are so bad here I have to place the hay behind the barn to protect it from the north winds... otherwise half the hay ends up over the fence.

There main nutrition comes from a mix of ultium/Horsemans Edge Complete and soaked Alfa cubes twice a day. Grass hay is also given each feeding but its more to give them something to do for a while and or in the winter to help them produce heat.

 

[Roxane Martin]

My sister-in-law and I both work full-time and share a barn. Feed grain and orchardgrass hay twice a day, approx. 6:30-7:30am and 7-8pm. They (2mares, 2 geldings) get hay only around 2pm (mother-in-law feeds; if she's not home, we can usually get someone else to, or they get something when whoever gets home first). Horses are on dry lot with at least 1 stall that they can get in whenever they want. They are left out 24/7, as in addition to the run-in stall is also 10X30ft. overhang.

When I retire, feeding schedule may change to later in the morning.

We haven't tried to do free-choice hay as I certainly have a horse that would pig out.

Horses are fairly flexible; just keep most of feed in fiber for gut motility and always fresh unfrozen water.