feeding fjords in the spring
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Juliane Deubner) Hi everybody and thanks for all your responses. I may print out some of this and show it to the people where I board. They are a very nice couple, but like 99% of the horse people around here, not knowledgeable on how to feed our type of horse. But they seem to be willing to do whatever we suggest. During the winter our horses where/are on some grass hay and a mixture of complete feed/sweet feed and a mineral mix. They are looking great and trim this spring and are being fed twice a day in a paddock apart from the other horses. Once the grass comes in it would be quite a job to catch them each day after a couple hours or so of grazing to put them back into a paddock. The pasture is about 20 or so acres big with hills and bluffs - that could turn into quite a workout to catch 3 'hungry' fjords. May be we will fence off a smaller area with our electric fencer.Thanks everybody for your suggestions!!! Greetings from Saskatoon - some days it almost feels like spring up here Juliane
Re: feeding fjords in the spring
This message is from: "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Julianne, I try to have my horses fairly trim before the grass starts coming. Also, if all else fails buy a muzzle. The muzzle allows the horse to move about and be with the others but they can only get a few blades. This may be bothersome for the owner of the stables to put on and they may accept leaving the horse in. Jean Gayle Aberdeen, Wa. -Original Message- From: Juliane Deubner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, March 29, 1999 1:08 PM Subject: feeding fjords in the spring >This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Juliane Deubner) > >I am sure this topic has been discussed before, but I only discovered this >forum a few weeks ago. So if you don't mind I would appreciate hearing >about your strategies of feeding (or should I call it restricting access to >fresh grass) your horses in the spring, when the pastures turn green and >invite overweight horses and founder. My problem is that I am boarding my 3 >mares, and it is difficult to explain to people, who are used to keeping >thoroughbreds, that especially this type of horse should not be send out to >pasture in May for 24 hours a day. I would appreciate any suggestions that >could work in a boarding situation, that means resonable amount of work >involved for the people who take care of our threesome. There are 2 big >pastures (native grass) and a couple of paddocks, also could possibly use >electric fencing. >Thank you all >Juliane Deubner, Saskatoon, Canada > >
Re: feeding fjords in the spring
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't know about everyone else, but I cut way down on grain during the summer. Baldur gets just enough to make sure he gets his Bioten supplement. The paddok he is in has very little grass, what grass does grow is quickly eaten. I try to make sure he gets mostly hay since my belief is that a primarily roughage diet is best for all horses. I don't think it's the grass so much that makes them founder as the fact that they are being fed primarily grain then they go out to the fresh grass and gorge themselves on it. Causing an overload of nutrients. We have a 25 yr old Morgan at the farm whose life was saved by giving him free roam of the farm to graze. He almost died in the fall of choke and lost all his weight while being unable to eat. He now looks like a 15 yr old. He grazes all day and gets plain pelleted grain, no supplements. My plan for Bladur is to give him just enough grain so he doesn't get upset when the other horses are fed (less than a cup) and make sure he gets enough hay and grass. We did this last year and it worked out great. I will be interested in what everyone else does and whether your horses are in work or just hanging out. Kate (who is so excited that it's finally warm in CT!)
feeding fjords in the spring
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Juliane Deubner) I am sure this topic has been discussed before, but I only discovered this forum a few weeks ago. So if you don't mind I would appreciate hearing about your strategies of feeding (or should I call it restricting access to fresh grass) your horses in the spring, when the pastures turn green and invite overweight horses and founder. My problem is that I am boarding my 3 mares, and it is difficult to explain to people, who are used to keeping thoroughbreds, that especially this type of horse should not be send out to pasture in May for 24 hours a day. I would appreciate any suggestions that could work in a boarding situation, that means resonable amount of work involved for the people who take care of our threesome. There are 2 big pastures (native grass) and a couple of paddocks, also could possibly use electric fencing. Thank you all Juliane Deubner, Saskatoon, Canada
