Whoa! Rein 'em in here and show your horses! 2023

[Ddski5]

I don’t know how a horse post got on my Facebook but those are all statements from different individuals.

https://www.facebook.com/100063496666249/posts/pfbid02aGMMi2Cn2axV3X9dsMoaNs7vAeuJSDpjZQDebz13Et8c4NiKdQDnZKMtYPFNvu5nl

If you have Facebook, type in horse laminitis. Look for the post that was started by Kelley Brown Equine Podiatrist. She says she is in the UK but the comments are also from Virginia, and the East coast.

I know nothing of horses except for the grave mistake I made getting on a cutting horse in a pasture of cows.

I just thought it was crazy the folks comments were about horses eating grass in fields. I never would have thought that grass would be detrimental to horses.

 

[Rits]

My mom's horse had Cushing's so she was very aware of the high sugar short grasses gave and would purposely let her pasture get somewhat long. She also grazed him overnight during the summer to give him relief from bugs and the grass is lower in sugar at night.

"These guidelines are for North American summers where sugars in the plant’s diurnal (daily) cycle are lowest at 3 a.m. and start rising again after sunrise."

The Benefits of Grazing Horses at Night – The Horse

Grazing horses at night can help keep them at a healthy weight and reduce their sugar intake.

thehorse.com

When you think about it, free roaming equines aren't grazing on freshly mowed grass 24/7 or grass with short roots. They are grazing on native grasses fully grown.

 

[JanS]

If you have Facebook, type in horse laminitis. Look for the post that was started by Kelley Brown Equine Podiatrist. She says she is in the UK but the comments are also from Virginia, and the East coast.

I did see that one yesterday. Thankfully we have never dealt with it but we have to feed hay year round since we don't have much grazing land.

 

[MyBuddy]

She also grazed him overnight during the summer to give him relief from bugs and the grass is lower in sugar at night.

Hmmm, that's interesting that the sugar is lower at night. I didn't know that although I did know that early morning it was lower so it makes sense that overnight is the same. But relief from the bugs? I always felt bad when my neighbor's horses are out overnight because of the bugs! I mean, if I don't bring mine inside in Summer by dusk they are getting bit up by mosquitoes! Especially my palomino. I don't know if it's because we see it more on her or what but I am always trying to get them inside before they get eaten up by bugs. The bugs are bad in the daytime too so I don't know! I just always feel for myself I would not want to be out on the grass overnight. There's no easy answer I guess.

 

[Rits]

But relief from the bugs?

The gnats and flies are what bothered Hunter and would eat him up between his front legs. Then that area would get a little swollen. Of course this is with fly spray but even that doesn't last forever.

 

[MyBuddy]

The gnats and flies are what bothered Hunter and would eat him up between his front legs. Then that area would get a little swollen. Of course this is with fly spray but even that doesn't last forever.

Oh yeah the fly's and gnats are horrible during the day. They love the chest area between the front legs. Cheyenne especially would get it in the groin area. She learned to walk up to me and a little past me where she had that area right where I stood. It took me a while one day years ago to understand what she wanted! Until I put my hand under there and felt all the gnats attached to her. Oh my God! She actually got swollen there too. But now I know and spray it or apply Swat ointment. But she'll still come up to me sometime like, would you please scratch me there? LOL

So gnats and flies and horse flies during the day and mosquitoes and no-see-ums and moths and what have you at night. You just can't win.

 

[MyBuddy]

Of course this is with fly spray but even that doesn't last forever.

I remember when I read the bottle and it said it lasts for 2 weeks. What a freaking joke that is.

 

[MyBuddy]

Saturday May 27th

It's hay time again! And you know what they say. Make hay while the sun shines! Well, these last few weeks have been wonderful for cutting hay. It's dry, dry, dry! No need to worry about a sudden burst of rain to spoil a cutting.

So my girlfriend's husband has been cutting as much as he can!

I had a ton of hay left over from last year. Almost 100 bales! You always worry that you won't have enough. And I'm sure we did that again this year! Because we had 100 left, I told my husband I think we only need about 170 from this cutting and we'll be set til next June.

So we unloaded and stacked one rack that held 124 bales. Then went back for the second rack and he just kept taking it off the rack until we had taken 195! Usually he's the one that says, 'we have enough!' And I'm the one begging for more 'just in case.'

So it just so happened it was the weekend that our daughter and 16 year old twins were in town. I told my grandson if he's interested I'm paying $25 an hour! He loved it LOL He would have done it for nothing I know. But I would have paid someone this year anyway to help out. And he's trying to save for a car! It just worked out all the stars aligned and my grandson was here, my son was available and the weather was awesome! What a joy to do this with some help and not on a freaking 100° day! It seems like every time hay is cut it's 98° and humid! This was so, so much better! Still warm for the guys working but not like it is when it's hot and humid. I've done it. I know. I just about passed out one time. It's not something I can do anymore. I never did much as far as lifting it and stacking. But I can get on the top of the hayrack and get it down to the edge for someone to take. But it's a job! You need to be young and strong!

Pulling in the first rack


They filled that whole wall with 124 bales. My son in the white T-shirt, 16 year old grandson in the red and our son's youngest in the blue. He'll be seven in July. He is a real worker. He always wants to help!


I was very grateful that our son came to help. We really needed the three of them.



They took the first empty rack back and of course they all had to ride on the rack giving Grandma a heart attack.

"At least sit down!!"


The next 70 bales went into our Fourth Stall across from the horses stalls. They put up a board and our son slid the bales across the board into that stall. It worked out pretty well actually. They did a few with the board like you see.


Then as the stack got higher, they moved the board all the way up on the top of the hay on the hayrack, across the top of the stall frame. As he slid it across the board, my husband and Grandson would catch it and stack it in place. Sure was better than walking each one into that stall.



We took what we wanted and then they took back the rest. This time everyone sat in the bed of the truck. It's only about a half mile down our road to my friends house. And rarely traveled.


Ha! B&W makes it look like the 50's or something!

 

[JanS]

Wow they won't even start cutting hay here for a few weeks and those are the early ones. It's good you're getting it now in case it continues to be a dry year.