Re: feeding pasture horses at rides

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

You guys don't need me, I think y'all already have it pretty much figured
out.   :-)  Yes, it does potentially make a difference when you take a horse
off pasture and then ask him to eat hay at a ride.  One, you may or may not
have a pretty drastic feed change if the pasture were grass, and then you
asked him to eat a totally different kind of hay at a ride, like alfalfa.
Two, as Jim has already noticed, alot of horses just don't eat quite as
well, because they're looking for that nice, juicy green grass and you're
handing them a plate of Soylent Green.  Just the decreased intake can have
an effect on performance and well-being.  And three, because you're changing
the horse's drinking patterns overnight (he has to drink alot more as
opposed to just getting it in the grass) and that isn't always a sure-fire
thing right away.

There are a few suggestions I might try, and all of you that have commented
have already intuitively figured this out.  First, I would try to provide a
hay at rides that is at least similar to what the pasture is at home.  Stay
away from alot of rich alfalfa (a little bit is okay), and try to find good
quality grass hays, first cutting if you have a choice (the first cutting
grass hays are usually more digestible than later cuttings).  It doesn't
have to be exactly the same type of grass, just try to stick to similar
types of hay (as opposed to a legume or a cereal grain hay if at all
possible).  If you can, try to provide the temperate grass hays at
rides---those such as timothy, orchardgrass, etc.  If the horse doesn't eat
bermuda hay at home, I would prefer not to introduce it at a ride---it's a
tropical grass hay, not as digestible as the temperate hays and a little
more likely to cause problems if you suddenly made a change, especially if
the horse were a little dehydrated.

I would definitely do what Jim and Karen have suggested---try to provide
some of the hay at home, so it's not as drastic a change.  Jim, in your
case, you might also increase the double-handful for Sunny for maybe the
week before the ride.  But the product you described sounds great.

I would also definitely take advantage of what beet pulp will do for you in
increasing hindgut fluid reservoir.  Try to feed a bit regularly at home and
then increase it during ride week.  While at the ride, keep providing the
well-soaked beet pulp and also see if you can wet the hay as well---alot of
horses like it better that way and the more water in the system, the better.
Trail-Rite makes a terrific mesh manger that works really well for stuffing
full of hay and then wetting down.  If you really soak grass hay, it almost
rehydrates back to a sortof green grass forage.  Just for fun at home, I
used to throw a flake into a half barrel of water and let them all play
U-Boat Commander.  The only time I've ever seen more water being thrown into
the air was when I fostered a baby river otter and made the mistake of
letting her play in a full bathtub, rubber duckie and all.<g>

Don't rely on bran to increase hindgut water, it doesn't do that.  Horses
coming off pasture onto hay I would REALLY pay attention to e'lyting very
well to encourage water intake.  It also won't do any harm to cheat a little
if they're obviously not enthused about that dry old hay.  Sometimes just
sprinkling a handful of brown sugar over the top of the hay will do wonders.
Not very fancy, but it works.  I had a buddy once that used to do this with
her pasture horses, worked a charm, but then we forgot the box of brown
sugar like a couple of idjits, so we used some Orange Tang instead.  Worked
GREAT.<g>

What a great question. :-)

Susan G