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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
 
| Heading out Thursday for NJHSRA finals. Gotta haul 4 horses, and have a 4 horse trailer. I've loaded all the hay I possibly can, and it's only 8 bales. Never fed any of these horses the little alfalfa pellets before, but I can get a few 50 pound bags in my LQ. I'm thinking about feeding a few pounds a day, to stretch my 8 bales. Think I'll have a problem? Will there be hay there to buy? |
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Location: Keeping up with the numbers! | Not sure about TN, but there was feed/hay for sale on site at the Iowa NJHRA finals. Best of luck in travels & competition! |
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 Unknown Drip
Posts: 5624
 
Location: Back in MT BABY!!! | Man that's tough...I would be worried to leave to an event like that with out enough hay. You never know what type/quality of hay you might be able to buy and if their body will be able to adjust to it. If you need to subsitute pellets I would be starting them on the pellets ASAP so they can get used to that diet before they leave. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would slowley get them used to the pellets like any other feed, it being new to them I would not feed much at first. So I would start the horses on the pellets now.. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | Could you put a couple of bales in bale bags or garbage bags in the LQ?
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Are there any other families in your area going, too? When we would haul to Nationals, we got together with a couple of families, and hauled an extra trailer with hay, feed, panels,etc. We split the gas. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | Pellets are not long stem fiber like hay. To stretch your hay I would use alfalfa cubes. |
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 Saint Stacey
| They should have feed for sale there. Are you already feeding alfalfa? If so then adding pellets won't be a big deal. If your horses aren't use to alfalfa then you could have some problems. Given that the Finals start this weekend basically, you don't have a lot of time to transition. I don't know how close Criders live to where Finals are but you could try reaching out to Chad if you get in a bind. He might be able to tell you of someone to call. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11511
Location: 31 lengths farms | What about a couple bags of Hydration Hay? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | I think you are seeing one of the biggest benefits of cubes. Can you imagine how much cubes you could haul?
For your situation, pellets would work really well. If they are already on alfalfa hay then it is a very easy switch to replace X amount of hay with pellets. About half and half would work well and double your forage available to haul. If you needed to do more, you could but in that case you might look into cubes instead, if they are available to you. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | There was always hay available to buy all 7 years my family went. Whether or not it is similar to what you have been feeding, of course you won't know until you get there.
I would be concerned about changing your horses' diets (by adding the alfalfa pellets) this close to the finals. Especially when the jockey's are kids. You don't have enough time at this point to slowly introduce the change. And you don't want any surprises in their behavior. |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7551
Location: In The Land of Cotton | I use a hay bag like they sale at Schneiders, etc. Or heck a plain heavy duty plastic trash bag and put the hay in the LQ until you get there.
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 Three in a Bikini
Posts: 2035
| What about buying more hay when you run out?  |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I'd use cubes as well |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | I would stuff hay in plastic contractor (heavy duty) bags and put it in my LQ where ever I could fit it. I've also seen grass hay cubes in my neck of the woods. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | babiemox - 2016-06-14 12:34 PM Man that's tough...I would be worried to leave to an event like that with out enough hay. You never know what type/quality of hay you might be able to buy and if their body will be able to adjust to it. If you need to subsitute pellets I would be starting them on the pellets ASAP so they can get used to that diet before they leave.
This. Use it to decrease what you WILL be feeding, rather than using it when you run out. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Between my 3 girls, we were at THSRA 8 years in a row, there was always hay for sale, feed stores stocked up and were ready. I bet it will be the same in Tennessee. We tried to keep our horses as close to their same routine as possible, lots of hand grazing as they were only stalled at home due to weather, no changes to feed, etc. You will be able to buy whatever you need there, good luck and have fun! It's been 5 years since my last girl graduated high school and I still miss it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| Thanks for the replies. My horses have been on Bermuda grass hay/fescue+crabgrass pasture. The pellets were to stretch my hay, not replace it. The 8 bales should go a long way. I'll probably only be 2 at most 3 bales short. There's 5 in my family. There is literally not a square inch for one more thing. At this point, the pellets may have to slide under my back seat. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Bigfoot - 2016-06-14 11:41 PM Thanks for the replies. My horses have been on Bermuda grass hay/fescue+crabgrass pasture. The pellets were to stretch my hay, not replace it. The 8 bales should go a long way. I'll probably only be 2 at most 3 bales short. There's 5 in my family. There is literally not a square inch for one more thing. At this point, the pellets may have to slide under my back seat.
It is crazy how much you have to pack, we have a family of 6, we had 2 years where all 3 girls were in high school. They made it to state in both events, which meant we had to take all 6 horses. We had to start packing the trailer a week ahead of time to be sure did not forget anything. |
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Saint Stacey
| So I take it that the rodeo won over perfect attendance? Congrats to your daughter on qualifying for Nationals! That's a huge accomplishment! I hope your family has a great time in TN! |
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