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Hi, I’m wondering if anyone can give me advice on what I might do to keep my horses from trashing their grass hay? I have two horses, one Quarter horse and one Arab. I give them only two to three flakes at a time. I pull the flakes apart so that it isn’t clumped together. I feed them three times a day, 8:00, 3:00 and 9:00. They throw it around and out of the feeder and then trash much it on the ground. Should I just make them eat what is out there before I give them any more? I have contemplated misting the hay with some water with a little molasses and maybe salt disolved in it in order to get them to eat it better. I don’t know if that would help or if that would be good for them. I have a few bales of hay with a little alfalfa in it but am keeping that for the colder winter weather.
Thanks for your info!I really don’t know much about horses, but if molasses and salt is okay for them and they like it, it may do the trick. Just try a little on the green without the clover and see if they eat it. I know horses like apples but I don’t know how many is good or bad for them. Maybe you can do a mist with some organic apple juice in it if the molasses doesn’t work out.
Thanks for your suggestion. I really hadn’t thought of apple juice but that is a good idea.
I will try it and let you know how it goes :-))Just wanted to update: I did apply some water and apple juice mix in a mister to the grass hay and it did help somewhat I think. I also have been encouraged to show some "tough love" and make them "clean their plates" before I give them more! I have applied that and they really will eat it all up! Horses it would seem are much like our children. They will eat candy or their favorite foods all day long and won’t touch the more boring good-for-them foods unless they see that is all they will get!
I should have known!It’s great to hear that your making headway with them.
If your horses are not underweight I would NOT add molasses to their hay. You could try adding a small amount of alfalfa, which is generally lower in sugar although higher in nitrogen and protein. Many horses can founder if given too much sugar. Visit safegrass.org for more information on founder and the link between sugar and founder. Make sure your horses have a good salt block and mineral. You could consider getting your hay tested (contact your local Ag extension agent). If your horses are generally healthy I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Maybe you are feeding too much, may be the hay is not very tasty. Try feeding them twice a day to give them a little bit longer to finish their morning feeding.
Yes, thanks for the input! My horses are not underweight, actually a little on the "rounded" side which is the way I like to bring them into winter. We have been having some pretty cold weather here so I don’t want them to go for long periods without food and when I am working at home I will go out and feed them twice to three or four times a day so that they clean up what they have but then I give them more so they have a bit to munch on pretty much all day. I decided not to apply any molasses or apple juice to their feed once I realized that they would eat things up if I just didn’t give them so much that they didn’t have time to eat it all before I gave them more. That was my fault. Thanks for suggestions and the website.
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