This message is from: Liz Rudy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I'm relatively new to this list and should introduce
myself. I live in Lynnwood, a suburb approximately 15
miles north of Seattle, Washington. I have owned my
first fjord for a whopping total of about two months.
He is a 7 year old brown dun gelding named Torsten
(Mr. T to his friends).
My question concerns grazing. Torsten has been on hay
pretty much totally from before I got him. Good
pasture around here is pretty scarce for a couple of
reasons: too many horses on too little land and the
arrival of developers who are gobbling up the
remaining open space (grrrrrr). It looks like Torsten
will have some "grazing opportunities" this
spring/summer due to generous neighbors who practice
good pasture management and due to fast growing grass
in my backyard :-)
I am trying to figure out how long he should be
allowed to graze when he gets turned out. Can that
time be increased as the year goes on? I know he needs
to be restricted or he will just eat himself to death.
The grass right now is pretty green and lush but gets
much drier by August.
Currently, Mr. T gets 4 flakes of a grass/alfalfa hay
per day and a handful of pellet feed with his
vitamin/mineral supplement in it. He was slightly
underweight when I got him but has filled out nicely
and seems to be maintaining a good weight on this
amount. Like most fjords he just lives to eat. His
level of activity at this point is low, pretty much
just ring riding.
If anyone has some thoughts on how long to let him
graze I would appreciate hearing them. Thanks!
Liz Rudy and Mr. T
in Lynnwood, WA
