My mistake---it was R&L where I used to get
my hay, anyway Rick and Lucy Van der Meer. Not anymore, I'm up in
northern Colorado now. Anyway, the only objection I *sometimes* have to
alfalfa/grass hay mixes is that the optimum quality alfalfa doesn't grow in
the same season as optimum quality alfalfa, so if grown in the same field, one
or the other is sometimes not the quality I'd like. There are PLENTY of
exceptions to that and a good producer makes all the difference. Anyway,
when I bought bermuda grass hay, the best quality (ie, most digestible) was
that grown in cooler weather; and best quality alfalfa (for my purposes) was
generally second or third cutting, summerish months. I finally realized
that I wasn't any further ahead by feeding alfalfa at all except to the
broodmare (and even that in limited quantities), and so stopped buying more
than a bale here or there.
I got all my hay and grain from R&L, my beet
pulp from Caballeros. When I first started asking for beet pulp at
Caballero's in around '94, they said I was the first person they'd sold it to
that wasn't feeding cattle. When I left So Cal in Aug of '99, they said
they were selling ten times as much, most of it to horse people.
:-)))
BTW, for anyone within range of Chino,
Caballero's was willing to order in FatPak as well.
As far as the bermuda causing impaction (or at
least more than other hays), I think it's largely urban legend, at least in So
Cal. The earlier cutting hay is definitely more digestible (less lignin)
than those grown in really hot weather, and it also definitely isn't that
melt-in-your-mouth dairy quality alfalfa available all other the place (about
the only thing to recommend it *is* that it's really digestible). When I
was working at the Chino equine hospital (I was their foal supervisor while in
undergrad), I did see alot of colic surgeries go through, but those impactions
attributed to bermuda had been switched abruptly, or there were other factors,
like dehydration, etc. Anyway, I paid alot of attention to those sort of
things and you still wouldn't catch me back in So Cal feeding anything other
than either bermuda or that nice mix Beth and Lynne seem to be getting these
days.
As for whether vinegar and/or psyllium are
beneficial...well, come to Reno and you can hear about it during my seminar on
Saturday. :-)
Anyway, enough rambling, gotta get back to
work.
Susan G
Hi ridecamp, Jennifer and Susan- I suspect you too might be neighbors! I
too live here in the San Gabriel valley. I have been giving some "beet
pulp a la Garlinghouse", but also find it inconvenient when I'm working, and
not around. I have been able to get a nice 4 way Oat hay from R&L
feed in Chino (ph 909-628-7016) sometimes at Caballero feed, in Ontario (ph
909-947-3814 or at San Dimas Grain 909-592-1951. However, nobody has had
any for a month or two. It contained, Oats hay, Barley, Alfalfa, and
Grass, and the horses ate it well. I know a guy who was snooping around in
Ontario and found a feed store with 5 way. I'm not sure what the fifth thing
was. I also get "Low Energy" pellets, made by Ace High, and they are
Alfalfa, Oat. I saw some other mills make an Alf/Oat pellet
too, at the Equine affaire. I just haven't seen them around here. The
problem is getting the little darlings to eat the nutritious meals I prepa!
re. Almost like kids. What I am doing now is get a clean muck
bucket, and I mix up the oat hay I have, with some alfalfa. (One of
my mares languishes if she doesn't get any alfalfa) The alfafla is so
tasty it causes them to eat the oat hay, while trying to get the
alfalfa. If I have someone feeding for me, I'll make the hay up the day
before, I weigh it, and put it into empty feed bags so the person feeding for
me can just pour the bag of feed into the feeder and the horses get what
I prepared. I was giving a little bermuda just for browsing during the
day, my boarder had a coronary, 'cause she knew a vet who said it also
caused impaction. But I don't believe it to be so if you give it in
moderation, not as a complete meal that they may bolt down, and I think
the wet beet pulp also helps in this regard. I've been to the Chino
hospital many a time, trailering friends horses or visiting, and
they! have a collection of enteroliths you wouldn't believe, they could
practically sell the things they get so many. Like for teaching or something.
One of my friends lost a Quarter horse when he had one removed, and then moved
another one the day after surgery, and got impacted again. (Too bad they
missed that second one...) They had to put him down finally. I think
it's a peculiar Southern Calif. problem that is very common here. I have heard
local folks say they give some Apple Cider vinegar every day to try to prevent
it, also Psyllium for sand colic, but I don't know if the Vinegar has been
studied or proven (Susan?) Hope some of this may help. See
you around! Beth Glover
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