Okay, all of you taking an interest in equine nutrition --come on over! I've got some questions for you:
I will be coming on board to take care of 23 horses (and 1 mule and 1 goat --yeah, a zoo!) in the next few weeks. The horses (and mule) will be working about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, under the hot Alabama sun doing some trails (nothing too nasty but some big hills are involved) and riding lessons (mostly intermediate so no 4 foot courses, etc).
Currently they are working as trail/guide horses but it seems that their workload will increase a bit when they get to me. They are on pasture (well, what's come in at this point), as well as free choice of hay (Timothy, Orchard, Bermuda) ...decent hay. They are also supplemented with a bit of 14% Nutrina pellets.
Now when the horses come to me, they will have grass --for about a week until they eat it down. There is absolutely no way to rotate, so unfortunately they will be on a dry lot with round bales; however, these bales are like last cutting from last year, and basically although safe, have absolutely no nutritional value --time killers, basically.
So my question(s) to you: Speaking from a health and cost perspective, what are my feeding options? Mom and dad do not approve of any sweet feed/pelleted mixes which means I have to feed the 14% as it's the only thing available to me in purely pellet form. I was hoping to start with 12% and change over to 14% for a few horses here and there, if need be, but now I will be with the 14% for everyone from the start. Does it make sense to any of you out there to feed a reduced ration of the 14% (since these guys are coming to me in shape and already working --as opposed to those types that have sat all winter in a herd of 200 and fattened up) and use beet pulp to mix in with the pellets to:
a) add some calories for anyone that might need them without making anyone hot
b) substitute some calcium, etc to make up for what they will not be getting from the 'forage' portion of their diet
I've had issues in the years past where I simply had to stop using horses because I could not keep (what I thought was) sufficient weight on them. The only thing at my disposal was the fall back corn oil but I'm thinking I may be able to slide the beet pulp through the budget if I can pass it off as 1) a dilution to the grain and 2) an additive that will help decrease grain rations even more due to the nutritional value it will be giving in place of the **** hay.
Okay, sorry for the novel, just wanted input. I don't mind the 'hassle' of the beet pulp (I actually don't see it as any hassle) and I've done enough research that I feel completely comfortable feeding these horses beet pulp without fears of 23 seperate cases of choke, I'm simply looking for some input on the nutritional/cost side of the issue.
Oh, and if anyone, *anyone* knows anything about mules, their nutrion, etc... please let me know, I'd love to pick your brain!
Thanks so much guys,
Laura
I will be coming on board to take care of 23 horses (and 1 mule and 1 goat --yeah, a zoo!) in the next few weeks. The horses (and mule) will be working about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, under the hot Alabama sun doing some trails (nothing too nasty but some big hills are involved) and riding lessons (mostly intermediate so no 4 foot courses, etc).
Currently they are working as trail/guide horses but it seems that their workload will increase a bit when they get to me. They are on pasture (well, what's come in at this point), as well as free choice of hay (Timothy, Orchard, Bermuda) ...decent hay. They are also supplemented with a bit of 14% Nutrina pellets.
Now when the horses come to me, they will have grass --for about a week until they eat it down. There is absolutely no way to rotate, so unfortunately they will be on a dry lot with round bales; however, these bales are like last cutting from last year, and basically although safe, have absolutely no nutritional value --time killers, basically.
So my question(s) to you: Speaking from a health and cost perspective, what are my feeding options? Mom and dad do not approve of any sweet feed/pelleted mixes which means I have to feed the 14% as it's the only thing available to me in purely pellet form. I was hoping to start with 12% and change over to 14% for a few horses here and there, if need be, but now I will be with the 14% for everyone from the start. Does it make sense to any of you out there to feed a reduced ration of the 14% (since these guys are coming to me in shape and already working --as opposed to those types that have sat all winter in a herd of 200 and fattened up) and use beet pulp to mix in with the pellets to:
a) add some calories for anyone that might need them without making anyone hot
b) substitute some calcium, etc to make up for what they will not be getting from the 'forage' portion of their diet
I've had issues in the years past where I simply had to stop using horses because I could not keep (what I thought was) sufficient weight on them. The only thing at my disposal was the fall back corn oil but I'm thinking I may be able to slide the beet pulp through the budget if I can pass it off as 1) a dilution to the grain and 2) an additive that will help decrease grain rations even more due to the nutritional value it will be giving in place of the **** hay.
Okay, sorry for the novel, just wanted input. I don't mind the 'hassle' of the beet pulp (I actually don't see it as any hassle) and I've done enough research that I feel completely comfortable feeding these horses beet pulp without fears of 23 seperate cases of choke, I'm simply looking for some input on the nutritional/cost side of the issue.
Oh, and if anyone, *anyone* knows anything about mules, their nutrion, etc... please let me know, I'd love to pick your brain!
Thanks so much guys,
Laura
