>>>>I'm glad you posted this Judy! What is the standard weight of hay that is recommended per day? Both my horses have lost weight and they've been pretty idle all summer. I'm feeding them each 2.5 flakes morning and evening and am about to bump that up to 3 flakes each morning and evening. I find this amazing because in CA, Starri was fed 3/4 flake morning and evening and was still gaining weight! I'm dragging my bathroom scales out to the barn this evening to weigh the bales - I'm guessing around 30#!
We got some fescue hay from a local source recently and the bales might not have weighed 15-20# - I think that is just a form of opportunism though, and I won't be buying any more "lite hay" from that guy if I can help it. We were NOT happy. Thank goodness we've had rain and our coastal should be here soon. I wouldn't credit every fluxuation weight to the feed though. As my horses have aged, their feed needs have often changed - sometimes permanently, and sometimes temporarily. All of my older horses (from about age 18 or 19 maybe) have gone through minor times when they've lost weight, and only we only found an explanation for Sundance's. This was while feeding consistent hay from the same source too. Holly and Thunder have both had good blood work during the times - certainly nothing noticeably off. (All of my old guys are currently at great weights...knock on wood though.) I've also seen some changes too in the younger horses when they have been stressed - Flekka, Trausti and Runa all had to have supplemental feed for a period after they moved, but all are maintaining very good weights now on our sparse pasture, with no supplementation from pellets. Wasn't Starri kept in a relatively small paddock in southern California, where he's now got more room and a roommate to roughhouse with...? I'd bet that the change and the exercise would be more likely explanations. Karen Thomas, NC
