RE: [RC] Desperate Times for Horse Owners and for Horses - Ranelle Rubin
Jill,
It is likely too late to do this for most folks, but something to think about for next year. I moved to NV in August and immediately started on the hunt for good hay to put in for the winter. Fortunately, I have the space to store enough for two horses.
I looked at grower's sites, Craigslist, etc..everyday. I found some gorgeous, huge (over 125 lbs) bales of 3 way Oat/Barley/Wheat for $12. delivered and stacked..bought all the guy had on the trailer when he got here it was so beautiful. He had 68 bales. Then I looked for decent grass hay and paid $14./bale delivered from a grower. Then, because I am one of "those" who believes in a diet with up to 25% alfalfa..I bought alfalfa from a grower for $10./bale.
So, 50% of their diet is the three-way, 25%-40% grass hay and the rest is alfalfa..
I figure it is costing me about $75./mo to feed each horse. My horses are big Arabs..well over 1000 lbs each and we regularly have below freezing temps at night, so they pretty much have hay in front of them all day.
Each night they get a small amt of beet pulp, and 2c Dynamite PGR (grain ration) with their Dynamite vitamins. I also installed a tank heater, and am amazed how much water they are drinking. My horses are in good flesh going into winter, which is what I like..I don't blanket as they have a very nice barn out of the wind.
I would watch the growers though..as I suspect some of them around here thought they would sell off their hay early and are looking to sell if for fall prices right now.
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
> Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:46:00 -0800 > From: jillcohndc@xxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [RC] Desperate Times for Horse Owners and for Horses > > Hi Everyone, > > I was just reading the email re. the giveaway of Queenie, who would > otherwise have to be put down. I'm so happy that's the alternative. > To me that's a compassionate, although difficult, solution. > > Today I heard that around here--urban NorCal--people are "stalking" > trailers parked while riders are off on trail and tying their unwanted > horses to the riders' trailers with the hope, presumably, that they'll > be given a good home. It's a very tough time to be a horse. I'm > currently paying $18/bale of good grass hay and it hurts. > > Do people have tips to keep costs down in horsekeeping? > > Jill in Berkeley, CA > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. > Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp > Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
