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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 1, 2008 14:03:14 GMT -5
It is that time of year the old hay from last year has run out and first cutting has come in and I must say it is a bit fresh and pretty green. A few of my horses are feeling the change of hay. With a bit more runny manure..yuk  I have had to braid my Morgan's tail it is so bad and hose her hide end off daily. A few of the other horses resemble cow butts where the swishing of tails is evident with the green marks on their backsides. I would expect a bit of adjustment period, from not so much of a reaction to a bit more extreme. What I find odd is my wild mare Salsa has no reaction to the new stuff at all. Yet again this mare amazes me. You know she has never been sick a day in her life, she does not seem to have any issue with food other then she can live off to next to nothing or eat the the finest. Either way it works for her. I do not grain this mare she just gets her 1 scoop of horse guard a day. Salsa turned 26 this year and looks great. Of course she is not asked to do much more then make the pasture pretty with her presence. I am curious with others out their that own wild horses do you find this common among Mustangs. That they are just hardy and easly adapt to change? |
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Post by prizmbluekigers on Jul 1, 2008 14:38:44 GMT -5
Tiffany,
I have had to cautiously switch hay mid year before and have never had an issue (bless the sturdy constitution of a mustang). I try to do it gradually and we just go hay from Powell Butte last week baled right out of the field and none of the 6 including the babies who munch and nurse showed any ill effects. My husband says I worry too much about their digestive systems, but he has never seen a horse in the throes of colic. My opinion is that in general, these horses show far fewer “issues” than the finicky race horses or hot Arabs I was used to. When I feed anything commercial I feed LMF Stage One, low carb (mainly to administer meds that are needed and can be fed). One of my mares is getting the “air fern syndrome”. She seems to hold onto every calorie that she takes in now. With the last foal 2 years ago she trimmed down. This time she isn’t, but then again she is not worked hard at all. I have had the two mares and foals in the same pasture, but I think I need to split them and monitor the fat mare’s intake better.
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Post by DianneC on Jul 1, 2008 19:59:17 GMT -5
Tiffany, maybe some probiotics would help?
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Post by canadiankigers on Jul 1, 2008 22:03:12 GMT -5
Dianne:
What type pf probiotics would you suggest?
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Post by stlkigers on Jul 1, 2008 22:26:21 GMT -5
I am curious with others out their that own wild horses do you find this common among Mustangs. That they are just hardy and easly adapt to change? Tiffany: OH YEAH....My mustangs are the easiest keepers of the crew....The TB's I have had the worst over all.....I was amazed when we got the little orphan looking weanlings at Burns in November....Not even thinking that they'd been on straight alfalfa we brought pure brome hay....It didn't cause them a moment's hesitation though! And they handled the shipping incredibly well....And I've never noticed any problems when I have to switch hay... Angela |
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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 2, 2008 13:49:37 GMT -5
Yeah my Morgan mare seems to have the worst reaction to change, right after her is my Pintaloosa. The draft mare and the mini mare are showing little reaction as well as my daughter's Pintaloosa. The captive bred Kigers are having a bit losser manure which results in messy tails but that is about it. Thank goodness I have never (Knock on wood) had to deal with colic in all my years as a horse owner. I surely do not want to start. Until adjustments are made I just keep some tails braided up out of the way and keep rinsing off the back sides, so no one gets a rash.... ;D
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Post by nrly on Jul 3, 2008 0:33:32 GMT -5
lol Tiffany as I read this I thought of diaper rash and desitin... do you go through this every year, or ever time you get hay, if it comes from a different grower? I have not had to deal with that problem, thank goodness... keep us posted
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Post by fantasykiger on Jul 3, 2008 11:51:51 GMT -5
Well everyone is fine and dandy now. I go thru this when we run out of hay from our hay supplier and have to settle for hay we buy in small quanties else where while waiting for our regular supplier to cut and bale. It is always first cutting and sometimes pretty darn green and fresh. You figure towards the end of last years hay it is pretty dried out and not so green, then bam they get hit with some right off the feild. We always think we purchase enough to make it to first cutting but sometimes fall a week or so short. This year things were thrown off by our hay suppliers divorce and sale of his property.
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I have had to braid my Morgan's tail it is so bad and hose her hide end off daily. A few of the other horses resemble cow butts where the swishing of tails is evident with the green marks on their backsides. I would expect a bit of adjustment period, from not so much of a reaction to a bit more extreme.
