Hay help - horses home first time vs boarding - Timothy vs Orchard Grass vs ??

[tpup]

Our horses are home this year and we are loving it. They ate our grass down fairly fast since June and we started throwing some Southern States orchard grass mix, 1st cutting a few weeks ago…few flakes each per day. (3 horses). We just fenced another LARGE pasture and tomorrow the gates go on. Nice grass down there so that will help for now. The horses LOVE the Orch. Grass mix from Southern States. But we want to buy it elsewhere since SS is a tad expensive at $8+ per bale. We bought 10 bales to start and have a few left.

I found a supplier that has a lot of varieties. Timothy 1st cutting (seems alot like straw compared to what we have now) He also has an orchard grass that looks a bit better but not what we have now (for $5.25 a bale, $6.25 delivered) Then he has ANOTHER Orchard Grass from MD that is soft, green and very nice. But he called that the “candy” (2nd cutting??) and said to try Timothy or the other Orch. Grass mix FIRST before giving them that. How the heck to I choose? I bought 2 bales each of the Timothy (straw-like) and 1st cutting Orchard Grass mix to try…but as for what to buy in 100+ bale quantities, I am confused…BTW my 3 horses are mixed needs. I know I can feed them differently…a.e. low octane for the 21 yr old, alfalfa for the OTTB even if just at night in his stall so the others don’t get it … All have good teeth. They are:

21 yr old Connemara - EASY keeper, I.R. risk, had TINY evidence of founder in old XRAY that vet said was BARELY anything, but could have been evidence of very slight founder when he was younger - we have had NO issues with him. We do muzzle in spring, sometimes Fall to be safe. Light work.

7 yr old OTTB - harder keeper, typical OTTB. Hungry all the time. Light work, could probably have alfalfa w/no issues, VERY quiet horse

8 yr old Warmblood - easy keeper, NO work/not ridden, pasture pet, stresses easily, anxious, spooky personality

[Simkie]

Has he tested the hay? I find that makes it much easier for me to choose what to buy

[tpup]

Yes - the Timothy is 7% protein - the lowest one he has. The orchard grass mix is 8-9%.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

We feed mostly Timothy hay. They eat the straight orchard like candy and they would probably get fat on just that.

How are your horses holding weight? Do you need a less nutritious forage?

David

[DHCarrotfeeder]

We feed mostly Timothy hay. They eat the straight orchard like candy and they would probably get fat on just that.

How are your horses holding weight? Do you need a less nutritious forage?

David

[Calvincrowe]

I feed second cut orchard, central Oregon origin. I want a hay that my retired horses will clean up. I cannot afford waste-- and the soft, yet long fiber of orchard is very palatable for elderly or picky eaters. I find Timothy to be stemmy and hard to find in good quality bales. ( most is exported from our area). You can mix hay, say some first cut for lunch, second for breakfast and dinner. Try several types and let your horses decide.

[HealingHeart]

What did they eat when they were boarded? Can you ask them where they get their hay. 1st cutting Timothy p, I find is stocky-stall like, 2nd cutting much better. Orchard is good in cooler weather, I find…, but keep consistent as much as possible. Also, just because the price is better from 1 source to another, the key is their consistently,. Ie, clean. Dry and well stored hay. So many times I would get
A load, to open it to find bad hay, then I have junk that I can not feed. I put my hands in the bale when checking, if warm, could have moisture in it. Also, the smell… My nose is good and will sneeze when I find bad hay…

[tpup]

When they were boarded, they ate “orchard grass mix”. First cutting mostly. Years ago, my late Appy lived on Timothy at his barn. This supplier gets his hay from MD mostly. (I am in VA so not far). Southern States got theirs from the midwest I believe, by truckload. They are cleaning up the SS hay (no waste). They love it. But it’s $3 more a bale. There is more of a risk of waste in the field (windy here! like really windy!) I suppose I could do Timothy in field, and the SS in their stalls overnight. They will be in at night from about mid-Nov. to March. They are all shiny and very healthy looking right now, and I’d say perfect weight for all 3 right now.

[Mango20]

Ask the manager at the SS where they get the hay. It might be locally. A Pony Club family was buying $8 SS hay until I hooked her up with my old hay guy, who turned out to be the one supplying the SS! Instead of picking up a few $8 bales at a time, now she gets it delivered for $6. Same hay.

I feed 1st cutting orchard grass hay to my horses. My hay guy’s 2nd cutting is gorgeous, and $1 more per bale. I could feed less of it, but I choose the 1st cutting because I would rather give the horses MORE hay to nibble on during the day, which keeps them from doing things like eating bark off the trees. It’s still good quality, just not as soft.

[Chestnut_Run]

I know everyone has their own beliefs about hay and feeding, so…here’s mine.

I go with the best/nicest/most nutritious hay I can get, and then adjust their feed according to what they need to maintain a healthy weight. I feed our horses free choice , excellent quality hay, in our case alfafa orchard grass mix. When you feed a top quality hay and then adjust grain/feed to just what they need, it is generally more cost effective too, in addition to being better for the horse’s health (my opinion anyway).

I would go with the nicer orchard grass hay. Timothy is a decent hay, but can be harder for the older horses to chew. It also has, in general, less calories per pound than orchard grass.

Sheila

[merrygoround]

I too, feed free choice the best hay I can get, along with pasture as long as we don’t have a foot of snow. Then I balance it out with grain.

The horses winter quite well, with minimum shagginess.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

@Chestnut Run;7837906

I would go with the nicer orchard grass hay. Timothy is a decent hay, but can be harder for the older horses to chew. It also has, in general, less calories per pound than orchard grass.

This is a fair point. I mentioned we mostly feed Timothy, and we do so because it’s not as rich as orchard. All but one keeps their weight no problem and we feed very light grain to the point that some only get supplement pellets. For other horses on other pastures the orchard may be more appropriate.

Maybe the moral of the story is to be flexible - get some timothy, some orchard, etc. Don’t buy a massive load until you’ve bought a smaller quantity to confirm the horses are eating it and it’s appropriate for your herd. Always ask where it comes from, which cutting, etc. Then if you find a batch that’s good quality and good for you, call the hay supplier and ask for all you can afford from that exact batch. Don’t rely on their memory to get the exact same stuff.

David

[Pehsness]

[QUOTE=DHCarrotfeeder;7839158]
This is a fair point. I mentioned we mostly feed Timothy, and we do so because it’s not as rich as orchard. All but one keeps their weight no problem and we feed very light grain to the point that some only get supplement pellets. For other horses on other pastures the orchard may be more appropriate.

Maybe the moral of the story is to be flexible - get some timothy, some orchard, etc. Don’t buy a massive load until you’ve bought a smaller quantity to confirm the horses are eating it and it’s appropriate for your herd. Always ask where it comes from, which cutting, etc. Then if you find a batch that’s good quality and good for you, call the hay supplier and ask for all you can afford from that exact batch. Don’t rely on their memory to get the exact same stuff.

David[/QUOTE]

This is excellent advice - I wish I had read this thread prior to my own hay buying woes.