My "easy keeper" is looking underweight... feeding help! UPDATE # 127

[S1969]

@lenapesadie

I have never expected for the average boarding barn to feed my horse as much hay as he needs. I expect I am able to buy additional hay either from my own vendor or by paying an additional hay charge with my board. I don’t see much point in spending money on a luxury pet if I can’t afford what it costs to feed him.

That’s ridiculous though. The issue isn’t the cost, it’s the idea that it should just simply be built in. If I board a horse, I do not want to have to procure and transport hay as well.

Which, sadly, is why I boarded a mare I bought for only 2 months. I have a farm at home - but bought a mare that was on trial at a lesson barn. I was going to keep her there for about 5-6 months so we could ride through the winter. But…no. Not enough hay, not enough turnout, and a lot of other things that were just wrong. So, she got the winter off here.

[RhythmNCruise]

With the sensitive, ear-pinny behavior when you touch her sides, plus the drop in weight and condition, plus the diarrhea, it definitely sounds like she has an unhappy gut.

My guy tends to go that way in winter when the pasture is gone because, like many, my boarding barn doesn’t provide what I consider enough hay. It’s fed AM and PM, and they clean it up in an hour. The rest of the day they’re basically picking at a completely dead/dormant pasture or just standing around with empty tummies.

Last year was my first year boarding after having my own place for twenty years, and my guy, who was always a super easy-keeper, lost a considerable amount of weight. He was about in the same condition as your girl minus the belly. No topline, ribs showing, hair coat rough (even for winter).

This winter I was ready and I’ve kept a trash can stocked with alfalfa/timothy pellets in my horse trailer. I feed him just under 4 lbs (dry weight) of them (soaked) daily. Even if I’m not going out to ride, I go out to feed him his hay pellets. He looks a ton better this year. Topline nice and filled out, no ribs, hair coat is great (that’s thanks to the small fortune in other supplements I’m feeding!).

I’ve also discovered that giving him to Probios soft chew treats a day keeps any winter loose poop away and just seem to keep his tummy feeling good in general.

It’s a little irritating having to supplement the hay when I’m paying $400/month already for pasture board, but oh well. By April the pasture will be up and there will be more than enough for them to eat 24/7.

[lenapesadie]

@S1969

That’s ridiculous though. The issue isn’t the cost, it’s the idea that it should just simply be built in. If I board a horse, I do not want to have to procure and transport hay as well.

Which, sadly, is why I boarded a mare I bought for only 2 months. I have a farm at home - but bought a mare that was on trial at a lesson barn. I was going to keep her there for about 5-6 months so we could ride through the winter. But…no. Not enough hay, not enough turnout, and a lot of other things that were just wrong. So, she got the winter off here.

It is ridiculous that the average boarding stable economizes by rationing hay and over feeding grain. But it remains a true statement. In my area at least. Some horses may not need free choice grass hay plus a flake or two of legume hay plus daily grain meals. Those horse owners don’t have the same issues I do. The concept of buying additional hay bc a BO won’t / can’t is widely accepted. How many posts on this thread have counseled the OP to buy alfalfa on her own for her boarded horse? I would rather see board prices go up and horses fed appropriate amounts of hay based on scientific facts. In my area at least, I’m not the least bit surprised that many boarding barns ration hay strictly. Their prices are too low to accommodate hay, labor, facility, bedding, grain and a profit. If a horse / owner is comfortable with round bale coastal hay and outside board, the chances of getting free choice hay at a low ish price point are much better. Square bale hay fed in stalls is so much pricier for the barns.

I do object to the idea of “well 450 is all I can afford for horse board and 450 board doesn’t include as much hay as my horse needs so oh well I guess horse will learn to live like this”.

Presently, my boarding stable does provide dang near free choice hay to all horses that aren’t in danger of impersonating a blimp on that diet. The cost is above average for the area but the location is prime, the amenities excellent and they feed plenty of hay. I do pay extra for and transport my alfalfa hay as it isn’t included in board.

I’m moving back to horse keeping at home as even with the ability to retain “high end” boarding, the golden trifecta of friends, freedom and forage is almost impossible to attain boarding for my horse. If I had an easy keeper type that wasn’t a known choke risk it would be different.

[Lah0808]

@lenapesadie

I do object to the idea of “well 450 is all I can afford for horse board and 450 board doesn’t include as much hay as my horse needs so oh well I guess horse will learn to live like this”.

I don’t really care to get into an argument with a stranger on the internet. Suffice to say you don’t know me or my horse but I assure you I never had the attitude ‘he’ll have to learn to live like that’.

[S1969]

@lenapesadie

he concept of buying additional hay bc a BO won’t / can’t is widely accepted.

I don’t think it’s widely “accepted.” Usually the first recommendation is to move.

[AnastasiaBeaverhousen]

OP
My recommendation is that you should start looking for another place to board.

I understand about finding affordable board. There is always a tradeoff. But by the time you figure in the extras that you are buying, it will probably be less in the long run to pay more up front.

4 flakes of hay to me is not enough. And there is no guarantee that your mare is getting all of it.
So much hay gets pooped on and peed on that a lot of it gets trampled and wasted .

And ideally hay should be fed by weight. There is so much variety in the size of flakes .

I’ve been at barns where BOs try to save money and make it easier by cutting corners but it is false economy.

If you need to supplement feed in the winter, alfalfa pellets are a good way to go. They dont take a long time to soak.

But again , if your mare does have ulcers , this BO doesn’t sound accommodating and you may have difficulty getting her to feed your mare what she needs.

Also talk to your vet or find an equine nutrition expert about just what kind , if any, additional supplements your horse needs.

Just my opinion, but if a horse is getting the right feed and hay they dont really need anything else. Ymmv

Good luck.

[skydy]

@ThreeWishes

Just a thought since you’ve only had her since November. Any chance she could be pregnant? She is too ribby for my liking but does seem to have a round belly. If that’s not likely I do agree more hay would make a big difference. Is the hay she is eating good quality?

The possibility of pregnancy occurred to me as well. Don’t freak out, but do ask the Vet to rule it out when he/she visits.
I think you do need the Vet to come out because of your mare’s obvious abdominal discomfort.

[lenapesadie]

@Lah0808

I don’t really care to get into an argument with a stranger on the internet. Suffice to say you don’t know me or my horse but I assure you I never had the attitude ‘he’ll have to learn to live like that’.

Jolly good then!

[lenapesadie]

@S1969

I don’t think it’s widely “accepted.” Usually the first recommendation is to move.

That may very well be the gospel truth in your experience. Do most boarding barns in your area provide what you would consider appropriate amounts of hay?

In my experience, it’s widely accepted to buy additional hay, special hay, special grain blah blah. But at the same time, most boarding barns here think 2-3 flakes of hay is sufficient for a horse stalled 16 hours. One has to pay “high end” boarding prices to get more hay as part of the regular package. Or one can buy extra hay.

*high end is in quotations because board is affordable here compared to many other areas.

[SusanO]

Well you have to look at what you are paying for board too. I spend about $40 on ration balancer a month for 3 horses. But I spend about 5X that amount on really good hay. Now I am in the South and I am pretty much buying Western hay because when I try to buy local hay I seem to get stuck with stuff that is musty, weedy or my horses won’t eat. I am sure there are people that don’t spend as much on hay as I do but it is still a big expense.

I don’t want to board but I wouldn’t be able to anyway - nobody would pay enough to cover what unlimited really good hay around here costs. I realize others live in cheaper hay areas but still it is a huge pain - it takes a lot of storage space, you are at the mercy of the weather when it gets delivered, you have to get it unloaded and stacked by those unicorns that still unload and stack hay, etc. And some of you can do round bales but you need a good sized tractor and the round bales around here generally are not very good hay. Not to mention the rain and the humidity in this area affecting them sitting out in the weather.

So these are some of the reasons boarding barns do not offer enough hay. And yes I think they should include sufficient hay in the boarding price. But many do not. Thus I am out here slogging through the mud wondering what the horses are going to break next.

[luvmyhackney]

All of this. I have a 26 stall barn that will house my 2-4 horses cause people won’t/can’t pay what it would cost me to provide board. I calculated basic cost plus providing average 30 lbs of excellent hay that I feed my own, and up to 6 lbs of senior feed, insurance, plus a minimal cost of pasture/ring/barn maintenance, I can’t do it less than 600.00 a month, not counting any labor, mortgage, or fencing cost. I would love,love, love to have a few likeminded people on the property to ride with, but I’m not loosing money or time providing a service.

So I get it and if you like everything else at the barn, just supplement hay.

[sportyspicepony]

@skydy

The possibility of pregnancy occurred to me as well. Don’t freak out, but do ask the Vet to rule it out when he/she visits.
I think you do need the Vet to come out because of your mare’s obvious abdominal discomfort.

The only real way to rule it out is with a blood test right?

@luvmyhackney

I calculated basic cost plus providing average 30 lbs of excellent hay that I feed my own, and up to 6 lbs of senior feed, insurance, plus a minimal cost of pasture/ring/barn maintenance, I can’t do it less than 600.00 a month, not counting any labor, mortgage, or fencing cost.

I’m crying because 600 a month would be so reasonable for stall board to me but in my area the average is more like 800-900, and the barn would be rundown af and they’d still throw minimal amounts of hay, and the ring footing sucks and the pastures are flooded half the year

[trubandloki]

@sportyspicepony

I’m crying because 600 a month would be so reasonable for stall board to me but in my area the average is more like 800-900, and the barn would be rundown af and they’d still throw minimal amounts of hay, and the ring footing sucks and the pastures are flooded half the year

Is looking a little further away an option that might find board slightly more reasonable with better care included?

I do agree that it is frustrating when a boarding barn does not check all of the right boxes. But then, I have yet to find one that does check all of them.

[S1969]

@lenapesadie

That may very well be the gospel truth in your experience. Do most boarding barns in your area provide what you would consider appropriate amounts of hay?

I don’t know, I only boarded at one place and they did not. My point is that I don’t think people consider it “acceptable” just because it happens. It’s not expected in a full board situation that you should have to supplement your horse’s hay. It is reasonable to expect that you provide special items - special feed, supplements, etc. But hay is supposed to be part of the package.

[lenapesadie]

You’re right there. Adequate hay should be the basis of a horse’s diet. One would think that paying for full care board would include that basic dietary requirement. Alas it is often not the case.

Here, it’s a function of cost. Coastal Bermuda hay costs at minimum $6 for a 50 lbs bale. A bit more for Tifton. A lot more for Timothy or Orchard. Way more for alfalfa. Stalled for 16 hrs, my horse will eat almost an entire 50 lbs bale of hay daily. When I calculate how much that hay costs, add some grain costs, bedding costs, labor costs, facility costs and heaven forbid a bit of profit for the BO it’s plain as day why low cost boarding barns are going to be cutting corners.

[luvmyhackney]

But you missed the part that I would be boarding your horse without paying myself any labor or counting my mortgage or any fencing that your horse would damage. Why would I work for free and not recoup some of my property cost? If I spend an hour a day taking care of your horse at 30 days a month @ 15.00 an hour, That would add an additional 450.00 a month of labor cost. That bumps board to 1050.00 a month. How many people are going to pay that?

[luvmyhackney]

Sometimes you get what you pay for and the BO prioritizes what they can to stay in business and its finding a BO that prioritizes what you think is important. I gave up having a ring and multiple things to have 24/7 turnout/dry lot with unlimited hay. I paid accordingly and had an upcharge during winter months.

I don’t understand how people want a 2k a month facility at 500.00 a month. Realistic expectations would make everyone a bit happier. Calculate your BO’s cost and see how much they are really making, its probably barely enough to feed themselves and keep the lights on.

[lenapesadie]

Precisely

The old saying “you get what you pay for” is absolutely true for board bills.

It’s expensive as heck to keep horses. More expensive to buy the facilities to house them then I like to think about too much.

[sportyspicepony]

@luvmyhackney

I don’t understand how people want a 2k a month facility at 500.00 a month. Realistic expectations would make everyone a bit happier. Calculate your BO’s cost and see how much they are really making, its probably barely enough to feed themselves and keep the lights on.

You’re right, which is why I’m actually not planning on moving anywhere anytime soon because I do believe my current situation is the best I can get for my money at this time. But I’m just lamenting the fact that it seems to be much easier in different areas of the country to get more for your money… I live in Charleston SC, which I’ve seen described on here as “horse hell” more than once and I would die to move to Aiken if I could!

[lenapesadie]

The good news is that your horse may do fine with just some small adjustments. A bit more hay, a bit of alfalfa a bit more balancer. Plus the grass will be coming in soonish.