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Hi List !
Interesting to hear people panic over feeding alfalfa hay. Here in Utah,
its about all you can get, and you compete with the farmers sending it all
along to California, where it can reach 11.60 a bale ( 120 lbs. ) I am
paying 5.00 a bale for # 1 alfalfa now, and thats stored indoors all year,
and delivered. We had a better selection of feed in Calif. and living in
horse town USA, Norco, had no less than 8 diff. feed stores in one small
town. We have owned horses now for over 20 years. I have always fed alfalfa.
We supplimint with Purina Stratigy, for the babies, and lactating or preg.
mares. They have tried beet pulp, and it was good for keeping weight ON.....(
I know, some of you are laughing....but at 11.60 a bale, and they stood all
day with no pasture, it WAS hard to keep the ones you worked hard, in good
flesh. ) Anyway....Im a bit obsessive about wormming, and we do the entire
herd every 10 weeks, and have yearly teeth checks. I do not pull wolfe teeth,
unless they cause a problem, and only one horses has, BTW. We have been very
lucky to never have a colic or serious illness. In the 10,000 horses that
lived in Norco, Im betting that 90 % of them were fed pure alfalfa their
whole life. Im just glad to be paying 1/2 of what I was used to, and its
beautiful stuff. Im not sure, either if a horse needs to " nibble " all day
long, as mine usually finish their breakfast in about 3 hours, then spend
most of the day, playing, napping, and just hanging around, being horses.
Their last meal at night is finished in around 2 hours, then they go off to
sleep. In the wild, horses did not graze all day long, in fact they traveled
up to 20 miles a day, in search of water, safe places and shade. My horses do
not chew fences, manes or tails. They are happy, and satisfied with their
food, and there is no big deal fussing over hay piles between the small ones
or mares to geldings. They DO seem to pick on Sophie, the 17.2 hand
Belgian, and even a Fjord foal will give her the " look " and send her
running off to find a new pile to eat from. ( She was a bottle baby, and
never got the hang of herd order....shes LAST ) Just wanted to dispel a few
myth's from what we have experienced.
This cold is still keeping me draining....just thought you might want to
know. <ggg> Thanks for the group at chat this last Sun. We enjoyed, PAV
Aussie, Margaret, BKfjords, Amy, Jean from Alaska ( ! ) , Lynda, Sarah,
Michele, Jon and Mary, Betsy, Cowboy, and Joe.
The dates of the California, Martins Auction are : Feb. 11 and 12th.
Orange Show Fair Grounds, San Bernadino, Ca. They have added a 10 % buyers
premium on all tack, primitives, antiques and harness that sells on Fri. so
beware your bid is always 10 % over. The carts, coach's and carriages that
sell on Sat. just have sales tax, unless you have a re-sale #. It costs to
get in and park, and bring chairs, cause they also hit you for a
seat....10.00 a person, even a child. The food is also way high.....sigh,
just is not as much fun anymore.
Later, from SUNNY So. Utah, temp outside today reached 70 *. Waaaa Hooo
!
Lisa Pedersen
