Re: Hay Blends

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

As long as the hay is just super-rich and not moldy or anything else
like that that would disqualify it as horse feed, you CAN feed it to
endurance horses, it's just that a little goes a VERY long ways.  I
occasionally get given some hay like that from some of my clients that I
consult for and I just feed it off a handful at a time, and I do mean by
the handful.  I personally prefer to feed something like that around 10%
alfala to 90% grass hay, but I suppose you could go a LITTLE higher than
that, to maybe 25/75.  The only horses I would feed more to would be
lactating broodmares and youngsters and even those I don't go above
50/50.  However, if you're only growing alfalfa and not other grass
hays, I'm not sure how you could dilute it then and there---you might
just crack a bale and point out this is high-octane stuff and qualifies
more as a "supplement" than just a hay!  Not that I go looking for
alfalfa, but when I do, I prefer this kind of really good, leafy stuff,
just because I know I'll be dribbling it out...

Don't know if this is much help to you, probably not.  Geez, I envy you
for having your own hay fields, yum yum...

Susan

Joane White wrote:
> 
> Help!  Some days I think that my mind has been scrambled by all this
> endurance riding!  I leased two farms this summer and am now in the process
> of baling 700 tons of hay--something that certainly interfers with riding!
> (This also means that I have plenty of room for traveling Ridecampers on
> their way through central Utah).
> 
> A lot of the hay is destined for dairy cattle as it is premium alfalfa with
> high protein levels.  BUT I am determined to blend it with some of the grass
> we have here to create "endurance hay" or as close as we can come given the
> fact that most hay in Utah and in the intermountain west is alfalfa.
> 
> I particularly decided to try this because the Agricultural Agent just
> certified the hay and said it was the only certifiable hay in our area so
> far this summer. Soooo, all you feed experts, what can I do to premium
> alfalfa hay to make it good endurance food.  If something interesting can be
> done, we are willing to try it and export the end result.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Joane and the Herd (which now includes not only horses but cows)
> Lyoness@Castlenet.com
>