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 Knowledge is Power
Posts: 4051
 
Location: wherever my daughter's running | My first grandchild is due in February which means I will be along way away from this senior horse. I will have someone feed while we are gone. I am trying to figure out how to make things easy on them and keep this old guy happy. Since it's winter would it be okay to leave large trash cans of his feed already soaked? That way they would just have to scoop it out and put in his bucket. The others will be fine just eating hay, but this guy can't eat hay any longer. He just chews it a bit and spits it out. Thank you in advance for your thoughts or other suggestions. |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
  
Location: Florida.. | No.. I personally would not do that.. can the people add water and let it soak for 5 minutes? purina sr only takes about that long to get mushy..the beet pulp if you feed that only take a few minutes as well if its small shreds.. |
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Knowledge is Power
Posts: 4051
Location: wherever my daughter's running | Thank you Biblia. That's what I'll do. He does get soaked beet pulp, but I used the pellets. Will get the shreds for when I'm gone. I also soak alfalfa and oat cubes to add to his food. It takes me awhile to mix up and soak to a mush even with carrying hot water from the house. Then I go through his by hand to be sure there are no chunks that are still hard. Just trying to figure out what is best for him and easiest managed by the person feeding for me. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Bibliafarm - 2015-12-27 7:35 AM No.. I personally would not do that.. can the people add water and let it soak for 5 minutes? purina sr only takes about that long to get mushy..the beet pulp if you feed that only take a few minutes as well if its small shreds..
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
Location: NE TX | Personally I wouldn't leave it to soak either. You can get zip locks and ration out the different feedings so that all they have to do is add water and if they are feeding more that 1 they can ration out the feed for that one, prepare the food for the others, then feed them all. Congrats on the baby and good luck with your senior! |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I've found having senior horses is like having a milk cow, it's hard to get to go anywhere. I usually have buckets filled with the amount of feed that needs soaked for each feeding. Then if it is summer, I have a bucket of water in the tack room that can be added for each feeding. In the winter it is harder because it will freeze in there. It's usually my in laws doing my chores...I hate to be gone. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Are they feeding twice a day, if they are, I would have them soak the evening feeding at the morning and vice versa this way it has more time to soak.
Even feeding once a day, when I used beet pulp I always let it soak overnight |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | I fed for a friend who had a senior horse a few years ago ! He had to eat soaked feed also! She fed equine senior that was soaked! I would take a thermos of hot water with me when I went to feed! It softens the feed quicker! Maybe if you have electricity in your barn you can get one of those electric keddles that heats water quickly, if they are not willing to bring warm water with them! Soaked feed that sits will sour so you can't do that ! Congrats on grandbaby! |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would also leave your Vets number with your friend just incase, and let your Vet know that you are going out of town and leaving his/her number with this friend that is taking care of your horses. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Id premake baggies of his food .. put everything in it.. then caretaker can take it home with a small bucket and when she leaves to feed addd hot water . its ready when she feeds,, shreds dont need soaked overnight.. they get mushy pretty fast.. i hate leaving to its so difficult for the special horses we worry..lol congrats on grand baby!!! you could also just feed the sr just increase a lil and just have them add water.. |
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Knowledge is Power
Posts: 4051
Location: wherever my daughter's running | Thank you all for the great advice. My mother who will be 90 in January and lives beside us spent Christmas in the heart center and is doing okay - but not great. I am her only child - so I am really stressed about leaving her and our old guy. I've lined up home health to check on her and a neighbor will spend time with her. My mind has been mush and just couldn't decide what to do about our old guy. I am so excited to be a grandmother, but I'll fret the whole time I'm gone. This horse is my daughter thats having the baby second barrel horse and he earned his forever home here. She left him here because at his age we felt he would be happier here in the south than in the cold fridged temps where she now lives. Thank you again. |
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