Straight From The Horses Mouth…

As October 13th approaches I am feeling so confident about Feiner Abend’s Mare Performance test coming up that day.  She has been working hard under diff trainer than previous who specialized in Hunters.  Farrah is not consistantly rounder and SOOOOO much fun to ride with a trot to die for.  And interestingly enough her OK walk is now a beautiful overreaching walk.  Don’t know what that is about other than she must be using her back differently with her more classical dressage training.  What AHS gave a 7, I would have given a 6 BUT NOW I would give her an 8 plus.  That was totally unexpected.  “Farrah” is currently 2.5 months pregnant but is eager to play in the chute.

Below is a video when first day through the jump chute in over a year.  More video soon.  Today we jumped her with X and 2 oxers but only to almost 3 feet .  She cleared everything, everytime with about 1 foot to spare.  Next week UP, UP, UP and wider oxers.

What should you feed a horse?  Let’s think about it.  In the wild a horse has the ability to eat many possibly hundreds of types of plants in a day while grazing and roaming.  So when did it become OK thinking to feed a horse one type of plant for 100% of the daily diet as is most often the case.  

Where I live (Southern California) many or most feed Bermuda hay in my area or perhaps only alfalfa or mix of the two.  Bermuda scares the heck out of me as I see so many colics and colic surgery attributed to this type of hay balling up.  It has something to do with long, thin hard to digest stems. 

I am often asked for advice on feeding horses.  My girls do look amazingly healthy and (knock on wood) never a colic in my life.  I know, I know…..sometimes an easy keeper mare (sorry, Finesse) may have to be isolated from herd at prime feeding time so as not to hog all the good stuff.  But then I cut back on the “yum mush” that I make and more small feedings throughout the day.  I like the gut to have a constant processing line of nutrients. 

What do I feed?  Orchard Hay, 4way (2 kinds of oat grass, barley grass and small amount of alfalfa).  Then maybe 5 days a week I give the “yum mush” which consists of wheat bran, beet pulp, rice bran, corn oil, lots of hot water, cut up carrots and supplements.  

I just switched supplements from years of Platinum Performance (product plus shipping just became too much, good product, though) and am evaluating the Adeptus products because I can pick up locally. I adjust the mix according to body condition, training, stage of pregnancy,  age, etc.  

Oh, don’t forget lots of carrots, some apples and Australian soft black licorice.  The licorice is the only not quite natural sin on the farm.  

Also, grass permitting (almost a desert here) we try to get our girls out to graze for 30 minutes or so if we can find grass growing somewhere on the 10 acres.  

I never thought I would share my precious Royal Blenheim Apricots when in season, but some of the mares like those as well and the mulberries.  I do share, really!  

So there you have it!  The secret to our healthy, happy herd at On Q Hanoverians!