Does anyone just feed hay and mineral to their horses. No grain or concentrate at all (Omnis and Renew ahold I’m putting in this category). This would be a range of ages and activity levels from babies to teenagers.

i just keep wanting to do free choice alfalfa and grass hay (orchard grass) and my Vitazine w/Zesterra minerals. Trying to figure out why not? Both types of hay is tested so I know what I’m getting..

I feed and am a Bluebonnet dealer and have fed just about every type of feed including what a I mentioned above.  it’s just my animal science degree keeps nagging at me to do less, lol. I have horses in dry lots and orchard grass pastures.

All you can do is try it. From a nutritional standpoint I think youd have all your bases covered. I'm all about feeding less, myself. Trying to simplify my program as well. 

Yes. 

If fat didn't give them such a shine my show horses would be on hay only.

And I have a 23yo pregnant broodie who has always been a hard keeper so she gets some bagged feed. 

My open broodie is hay only and my yearling and 2yo are hay only, my show stallion gets a handful of beet pulp shreds, sunflower seeds, and one quirt of oil per day (to stick his lobelia), and my show mare gets the shreds, seeds and oil twice a day. 

The alfalfa I use is western alfalfa and a premium price. I use a local timothy as the grass hay. 6-8 lbs alfalfa and 10-15 lbs timothy. And they all have a little grass to chew on between meals. 

We have our herd (from yearlings to performing to aged/geriatric horses) split into a few different feeding programs, with some getting straight alfalfa/grass hay (dry lot), alfalfa/grass hay and pasture, alfalfa/grass hay and supplements/concentrates. All have access to salt and mineral blocks. It sounds like you know what you're doing, and if your horses are healthy, the feed itself is adequate, and you're not having any problems- then why add more? Yes, simpler is better, however some horses have greater requirements than others (which you seem to understand). So if what you're doing is working for you, I say stick with it!

Yeah that premium price is high but I get it. We raised alfalfa for 7 year and between the resistant pigweed and staying ahead of bugs AND not having help it just sucked lol.  I would love Bermuda pasture but they are also high maintenance to do it right so we are gonna ride out the orchard grass and then revamp them in a few years to Bermuda..  the only untested hay we will have is the round bales of orchard grass of our farm. I should but I’m not selling any so ????‍??.

I just was curious if anyone else was doing it. I know there are ranches do it. Thanks for the input and it’s an interesting topic for me. 

This sounds ideal to me. Do you utilize mineral tubs or blocks for your growing babies or is the grass hay enough to offset the cal:phos ratio in alfalfa? 

I have to admit that a couple months ago I finally found a supplement that I was happy with that offsets the high calcium of the alfalfa -- sunflower seeds. I get the hearts and chips. 4 to 8 oz per day balances that ratio plus adds a lot of other vitamins and minerals and fats.

So everyone gets a bucket with a handful of shreds and the seeds now.  I've seen the weaner lick her feeder looking for more of the seeds so I think they like them a lot!

That is all we do... free choice hay and salt plus a mineral tub. We have everything from 2-20. Everything looks and feels great. Our hay varies depending on time of year but grain hay, grass, alfalfa we rotate through. 

I am not having success.  But the kicker tho is horse is allergic to rice bran, oats, barley and do you know how many feeds have rice bran in it? and soy  He is losing topline and he is not even back to running barrels or been rode yet.  But he is moving better and definetely feels better and happier.  I been trying to feed forage base only bout 3 years now.  Tried all different ways and I'm at a lose!  He throwing me off because way he feels and breathes better than he ever has!  But I cant have him losing all his topline!  He doesnt look great!  His back looks like its dropping because he losing his topline. 

All my horses are on alfalfa, grass hay, pasture, and have free choice mineral. I have 2 young horses on RenewGold, but honestly they don’t look any different or better than the others. I think the one of the most important pieces in keeping them looking good is making sure their teeth are good. Last spring my 3 yo started going down hill even while on knee high grass, alfalfa hay, & RenewGold. My horse dentist came out and he said they were the worst 3 yo teeth he had seen. This colt had been checked the prior year too and was fine. A lot can change in their growing mouths! 

Kind of. When I get really good hay. Which around here to me is a nice 50/50 alfalfa mix. Mine go on just enough oats to mix in their supplements. if they didn't need those they wouldn't get any.

This year I only got a straight grass and it was just not enough to keep them round and shiney so everyone is on a good grain to try to maintain until new hay and pastures are in. 

I do free choice alfalfa, turn out on pasture 24/7, and free choice bermuda (always in slow feeding hay net, they rarely touch this).  I recently found this mineral (link below) to help offset the high calcium and im reallly happy with it.  It also has probio in it.  I also keep out 3 types of mineal blocks (plain salt, high selenium, regular ole red block) 

https://horsetech.com/equine-supplements/daily-vitamins-minerals/high-point-alfalfa?fbclid=IwAR096XnDCJLP8_YqEOPKYg1wullFFQIiz6HdC8lqWSt8gny1olGiX5zO2JE

The babies don't really get grain, until they are in hard work. My coming 4 year old filly is only getting alfalfa hay and pasture grass - currently being ridden 1 to 4 times a week easy. I will start graining her if she starts not being able to keep weight, or her workouts are more strenuous. I'd arather not grain them if I don't have to!  =p