MOD.PLEASE DELETE,TY

[BriarwoodAcres]

Please delete

 

[Marty]

You lost me somewhere back around Gidget. lol

........but I will always prefer long stemmed forage first. A lot of people like cubes which they soak or compressed bales, but I think your buddies might have a field day with that also. eeeewwww Maybe you can get everyone to buy you out so you can move and do your own thing and not have your stashed raided.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

hahah I know, its a lengthy rant. But, we are looking for a place that can suit us soon. I feel really funny using a complete feed as a sole complete feed without some kind of roughage.

 

[Marty]

I don't believe in the complete feed thingy without having pasture or hay to offer too. That "completeness " can be any number of junk from corn husks to who knows what they are stuffing in there for filler but that's just my humble opinion. Keeping in mind horses are actually grazers and need that grazing action I really do prefer hay and pasture grass with food..

 

[chandab]

If you have access to a TSC and can get the compressed bales, they would probably be ideal for your situation. [Or even the TNT Chops.] I bet you could find a Rubbermaid (or similar) container that would fit in your SUV and also be just the right size to hold one (or maybe more) of those compressed bales (or bags of TNT Chops). [if you go with the compressed bales, I'd probably pic the alfalfa/grass mix bales, you might even get lucky and be able to get straight grass (they make them, its just a matter of whether or not your local store carries them).]

There are other companies that make compressed bales or bagged chopped forage products, just depends on what's available to you.

Triple Crown has a complete chopped forage product (it forage and supplement all in one), they also have bagged timothy and bagged alfalfa.

Lucerne Farms has chopped bagged products: http://www.lucernefarms.com/ Don't know if they have a dealer locator on their website, but you can look.

I've been in a boarding situation, where my hay was used by the owner to feed everyone else's horses, because it was convenient to pull from my stack and I had better hay, I was not fully compensated (its been awhile, but I think they eventually replaced the used bales with their hay, which wasn't as nice, but it was clean hay).

Good luck.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

Could you store your hay at your hay dealer's . We can here with the farmer I buy from

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

I could, but I'd be paying "rent" on it as he pays rent where he keeps it.

 

[disneyhorse]

Put the hay in your garage and bring over flakes daily as needed.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Thats not an option either Disney. His parents have "hotrods" and they're all taken apart in the winter for upgrades and such. The grarage is full with no room to put them.

 

[disneyhorse]

No, your garage or yard, not theirs. Transport daily hay when you go over to care for the horses.

Otherwise, we don't know your situation so just do what you need to do if we can't help you.

 

[Minimor]

I think she means that her garage is filled with hotrods and parts; she lives with her boyfriends family.

It doesn't sound like you have too many options--it would seem to come down to paying to store hay with your hay guy, paying for the extra hay to be fed to the other horses, or buying the compressed hay a bag or two at a time and keeping it in your SUV.

I don't suppose it is possible to buy one of those little temporary carport/garage things to put up in your inlaws back yard, and keep some hay in there?

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Is it possible for you to buy a small lock up shed, or even a trailer?? I have used to chopped forage but never as a hay replacer- I know what you mean about complete feeds- never liked them, never will use them! What you need is a small self contained unit- that is why I suggested a trailer as it would go with you easily when you move and you are going to need a trailer anyway....

 

[hoofhearted]

Those carports are $600 here...trailers $800 minimum. For the amounts you'll need, a plastic tub to hold a compressed bale, and filling it twice a week or so (if TSC is nearby) might just do the trick. It will be a pain, but better than souring your barn set up. Sharing, splitting, and free are recipes for misunderstandings and trouble. I hope you can find your own space before you and your friends argue over dried grass

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Disney, we dont have a house yet. we're living with his parents. So I am talking about "my" garage lol

I've looked into the trailer and carport idea but we dont have anywhere to store either one. I'd feel weird if I kept my trailer full of hay at the barn and we live in town so there isnt much place for a car port or a trailer to sit. Especially when his parents like their yard. meh

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Diane- I am not afraid of cubes as I used them last year to help put weight on a big horse I had who also had ulcer issues. Do you think I can use cubes as a sole "hay" supplement? and How much should I feed? Do you weigh it like so many pounds per 100 pounds?

 

[ohmt]

Yes, you can use the cubes to replace hay, but i recommend feeding at least 3x a day then as the horses go through them quickly. You weigh them exactly the same as regular hay and I always soaked mine to slow the horses down a bit.

I guess for me your situation would not be a big deal with you not paying board unless I'm missing something. That's NICE! Boarding around here costs $200-350 per month per horse.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

OHMT- I am blessed I dont pay board but it was also in the verbal contract I give lessons and teach them as they're new to the horses. It has come in the situation that they stopped taking important advice like hey, its mid summer we need to think about hay before this winter hits and were screwed. Its not a "big" deal per say but when you're cleaning all the stalls including your own out of your own free time and willingness, then they take the shavings i purchase myself and never replace it, it becomes really irritating because I buy on a weekly basis. Its come to the point, I carry feed and shaving in the back of my SUV. Thank goodness the back seating row folds down. I dont mind sharing with them but I never get compensated for anything they "borrow" from me and the nearest feed store is about 20 min from the barn. So if I get there planning to clean stalls and I am out of shavings because they dumped my last 3 bags into their big mares stall ( which has happened) while my stallion is in a 8x8 stall pee soaked I get SUPER irritated because I had extra shavings for this purpose and its now gone. I could rant on this all day.... LOL

 

[disneyhorse]

Keep an inventory on the wall of grain, shavings, etc. Write your name with permanent marker on the bags. If they take them, provide a monthly bill. You have to be professional even with dealing with friends or family. If not, stop whining.

 

[ohmt]

That would be frustrating! I understand not wanting to talk to them because you don't want to get into a sticky situation, but I like disneyhorse's idea. Get a white board to hang up and write it all down and label everything. Tell them you really need to check how much you're spending on the horses each week. Maybe they'll get the picture.

 

[BriarwoodAcres]

Disney, I am not whining. If you cant say anything nice please dont post. I've already tried keeping inventory and supplying a monthly bill and they never follow through. The couple that owns the property the wife is a lawyer, She'd just kick me out.