|
|
 Veteran
Posts: 134
 
| Hello - i am getting conflicting information on the right hay to feed. I have always tried to feed second to my atperformance horses. I ran out of 2nd cutting and i have noticed my mare is doggier, not just when she is completeing but in general and her coat isn't as nice. I am looking to add something to bridge the gap. I already feed herTribute GC and EZ. There are a few options for this, alfalfa cubes or pellets, Tribute Essential Alfafa, or a daily vitiamin additive.
What are you findinng to be the best combination? would a hair analysis show this? bloodwork?
TIA
| |
| | |
I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Here's a bump for you. I am interested in this too | |
| | |
 Regular
Posts: 53
| Two of my uncles in Colorado and New Mexico are premier alfalfa farmers. They don't advertise and most of the hay is contracted out before the season arrives; two years ago they had a contractor who was shipping it to Japan and Germany given the quality. The eldest of these uncles has a Ph.D in agronomy and went all over the world learning how to master his crops. I've learned the most from him...
Thus, my argument: depending what you are feeding and who is farming will determine how well your horses do. I hate to say it since I grew up on a farm and I think the WORLD of farmers, but there are plenty of farmers out there who don't really know what they're doing in terms of farming horse hay. They sell First Cutting as Premium and in reality it's more like B-grade hay, but demand is there and for the most part the nutrient density is good. However, if your farmer cannot tell you about the nitrates and nitrogen in his soils OR if he doesn't have a major appreciation and pride for his land and his product, look elsewhere. I say the latter since I know my grandpa didn't know anything about the nutrient makeup of his soil, but he lived for farming and passed it down the generations.
I personally prefer to feed my horses 2nd and 3rd cutting. It doesn't even have to be Premium as long as its clean. I stray from 1st. If the the soils were poor during the summer before or if the remaining hay I have in the fall and winter is getting too dry, I'll start supplementing with free-feed Timothy. The free feed will usually kick any laggers back into the condition I like. If not, I know there's something else going on metabolically. Also, I notice that some horses start to falter in their body condition if they don't have free access to plain white salt blocks. I like to keep them in winter to prevent colic, but in the summer the salt really seems to bring out a natural bloom. For my younger ones I like to allow them access to molasses tubs. They get sticky and dirty from playing in it, but I know that they do much better in terms of growth and maintenance when they have access than when they don't. These two things might be something to try.
Anyhow, many of my horses aren't on grain (the presence of Chinese melamine has made me weary of feed companies, especially Purina. I might have a degree in economics, but I don't agree with a lot of the Chinese trade policy). With good hay I know what I'm feeding.
If you can find a farm which caters to the elite farms, you've found an excellent source and you don't have to pay for testing on your own. Several of the fancy eventing and dressage farms in California run regular panel testing on our hay in order to determine nutrient quality and since many smaller racing and performance farms know this, it generates a demand (which can't always be filled) and it instills confidence and loyalty in buyers. My best advice is to find a farmer who knows what they are doing and who takes PRIDE in their product. Another thing is that since farmers are price takers, there isn't too much of a cost difference between what you'll pay.
As a note, you can have your hay tested in an equine nutrition lab. There are several. It's like $40 and you'll get an idea of what your horses are eating. Compare that sample to a richer sample, say of a first cutting and you can discern quality.
I hope that helps. Before setting out for economics and medical school I earned my first bachelors in Animal Science and though I learned a lot about nutrition in those courses, I always prefer to look to the source first. In this case, the farmer.
Sorry my response is so long. Good luck! | |
| |
| |
Folks on-line