RE: [RC] electrolytes, hay and pre-ride feeding - Mellifluous
After reading everyone's responses, I am going to go ahead and give them some hay the week before the ride. I will have to lock them up to do it since they will not eat the hay if I just toss it in the pasture. Now I wish I didn't have a pasture! ;-)
Poor guys, they hate being in jail! Better that than a twisted gut!
Thanks!
Mel
From: Trailrite@xxxxxxx Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:52:09 -0400 Subject: Re: [RC] electrolytes, hay and pre-ride feeding To: brio_gal@xxxxxxxxxxx
A sudden feed change is a sudden feed change no matter if it's going to a ride or not. I know of a horse, that was taken off of green grass pasture and taken to a ride with regular hay. The horse colic during the ride and had twisted a gut and died. This horse had around 4000 miles and never in his life time colic of anything. It was a hard lesson for the owner to learn about green grass to hay under competition. So, yes, I would at least offer them hay (that your are taking to use on the ride) a few days before the trailering date of the ride just to be safe. I would just throw some out in the pasture for them to munch on for about 3-4 days before the ride.
Tammy Robinson (16,000 AERC miles) Trail-Rite Products 18171 Lost Creek Road Saugus, CA 91390 661/513-9269 office 661/713-3912 cell 661/513-9206 fax www.trail-rite.com
In a message dated 4/30/2008 8:59:54 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, brio_gal@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
I know that, but since everyone was talking about hay specifically I just wondered if there is a reason. Plus, some folks say that you should not start feeding hay suddenly which is essentially what I am doing when I go to the ride/show/etc. and give free choice hay. I have not had any problems so far *knock on wood*
I do tend to overthink things quite a bit. ;-)
Mel
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:52:27 -0700 From: bayrabhorses@xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] electrolytes, hay and pre-ride feeding To: brio_gal@xxxxxxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
grass is forage
Mellifluous <brio_gal@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Many of you have mentioned feeding plenty of hay before a ride to make sure the horse's hindgut is full and processing. This made me wonder if I should change how I do things.
My horses are on bermuda pasture 24/7. Once warm weather comes, the grass is plentiful and my guys will not eat hay if it is offered to them, they would rather have the nice green grass. The only way I would be able to get hay into them would be to stall them before the ride and make hay the only choice. I do carry hay to the rides and feed it free choice, it is the bermuda hay that I feed in the winter.
So, would it be better to stall them and feed them hay before the ride, or leave them in the pasture and let them graze the grass? I am wondering if many of you have to feed hay year round by virtue of living in a more arid climate where lush pasture is not as plentiful?
Is there something more beneficial in feeding them hay before the ride?
Thanks!
Mel
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