what kind of hay to feed?

[Hillary_Indiana]

What kind of hay should I feed my horses? We don't ride them barely at all in the winter...we just need something to keep their nutrition and weight on them. What do you all reccommend? I get lost in all the hay lingo...orchard grass, timothy, alfalfa, etc.

Thanks alot guys!

 

[Mike Franklin]

The most popular hay fed in South Texas is Coastal a type of bermuda. The very distant second is Blue Stem. I only feed Blue Stem if I can't get Coastal. Some Alfalfa is fed but not much and pretty much only by the show people. We do feed grain also and I understand that some places don't feed grain.

 

[Hillary_Indiana]

We feed 10% all grain from TSC...about a feed scoop apiece. We've been feeding hay with about 30% alfalfa, I give them a bale a day. I just think they probably don't need the alfalfa considering we don't work them or ride them at all right now.

 

[Mike Franklin]

How much I feed is based on how my pony looks, I'm down to one right now. I don't like to see ribs. If it's cold I add some corn or veggie oil to the grain ration. I used to feed that all grain stuff from TSC mixed half and half with 10% sweet feed. I just switched over to a mix of 10% sweet feed mixed half and half, by bulk, with crimped oats. My pony really seems to like the new stuff. I'm headed out shortly to get a jug of oil. I love oil as it's easily digested and the amount fed is so easy to regulate. BTW, I add oil to my cat and dog food too, they love it.

 

[Hillary_Indiana]

We fed that Sweet Feed from TSC for about 10 years...but that was just when we had our QH and donkeys. After we got the TW gelding and the Spotted Saddle mare we had the worst trouble with them choking on any kind of feed that contained pellets. Finally we decided to not feed any kind of feed that has pellets in it, and really the 10% all grain was the only thing we could find besides just feeding them crimped or rolled oats (which will cost you twice as much). I've been pleased with the 10% all grain, and all of them love it.

 

[tukie]

We feed grass hay alfalfa mixed here. It is the best of both worlds...Keeps them fat without getting too hot. A lot of the people around here like Timothy hay too, but it's really expensive. We tend to go with Orchard grass mix.
Hope it helps.
T.

 

[Hillary_Indiana]

That helps a lot! That's what we've been feeding...my worry is how much alfalfa is too much? I heard that it tears up their insides and makes them feisty if they aren't worked hard. And, like I said, we don't even do any riding in the winter.

Hillary

 

[tukie]

I wouldn't worry about too much alfalfa. When we couldn't buy hay here, all we had was alfalfa and that's all they got for a while....about 4 months. They got really hot, but as soon as we could get the other, we switched to half and half, then 2-1 flakes-grass/alfalfa, then straight mix. Usually the mixes are about 50-50 or more grass than alfalfa. If you have to buy separate, we feed two flakes grass to one flake alfalfa.
T.