What is your horses feed schedule during the summer?

[cloedoll]

Odd, but I was curious what everyone feeds their horses in the summertime. Are they on pasture with no hay, some hay some pasture, all hay, or something else?

Random, but I'm bored and I don't think this topic has been discussed before. Could be wrong. =P

ETA: I know the title isn't great, but I can't think of anything better. Ha ha.

[WashingtonBay]

Mine can vary quite a bit depending on the grass in the pasture in any given week.

In spring when the grass is real lush, I will limit their time on grass and feed them a hay meal before turning them out at all, so they're full already and not gorging on the grass.

Around late spring when they've got it eaten down or I've mowed once or it's not so lush, I can cut way back on hay or quit feeding it at all for a little while. Unfortunately, this period is short, my pasture is not all that big and I can't water it, so when it dries up, I start feeding in some hay again.

IOW, most times of the year they have access to pasture all the time but I usually still have to feed some hay.

[Gypsy Rose]

Going into spring, I gradually cut down on the amount of hay I'm feeding- I almost never completely stop, Gypsy gets at least a flake a day throughout the summer- her pasture barely supports her, and I've discovered that one day, she'll have enough to eat, and then Wham! Late summer rolls around, and she's standing around more and more, looking bored. Very easy to miss,so I go by how much interest she has in cleaning up her hay as to when to start upping the amount again.

[magayle]

our feeding schedule is the same year round...we only have grazing areas that are no where near lush pasture...in the summer they get limited daytime grazing between those 3 areas after their hay lunch until late supper...we feed 3 times a day...5am weighed out grass hay-15# divided between 3 stock tanks, 11am everyone goes to their seperate lock down and gets their supplements then back out with another 15# grass hay, 5pm another 15# grass hay...total body weight of all 4 is 2,600#'s....total of grass hay fed per day is 45#...so they get a little over 1.5% of their body weight in hay per day....2 minis and 2 haflingers all eat their hay together and their weight has stayed good with this calculation...during the really cold days in winter i add another 10pm 15# hay feeding...we weigh and bag our hay with 5# in each bag...carry 3 bags and put 1 bag in each 3 stock tanks that are spread about 15' apart....if the weather is really bad then one bag goes in each of the haflingers run in's...they each have a 12x24 run in that i can close them into...the 2 minis have their own 10x20 barn where they can eat their bag of hay together or seperate...these areas are also used daily for their 'lock down' supplement feeding...weighing and bagin' the hay has really worked out good...i use the trash bags with handles and can easily carry 3 bags wherever i need to go without using a cart or needing the truck....as long as i can walk the hay is comin' lol!

[TacheteTreasures]

Mine don't get pasture, except for the occasional hand- grazing. So its hay year round, just a bit more in the winter

[JetLagaside]

Ours doesn't very that much other than the amount of hay they get; more in the winter when the fields have been eaten down to nothing and then less in the summer when they are rich. :)

[TLC97]

I cut back on hay as the grass comes up in the spring. But they still get a flake or two at night all summer long. This time of year as the grass goes away I increase the hay at night slightly and Cane will not eat grass with frost on it so he gets a flake or two in the a.m. also. Honestly I just watch their weight and how they are doing over all and adjust there feed as needed.

I will agree with WB, sometimes it can very week to week. We had a really wet summer so I had to keep the boys off (well mostly Jake) the pasture a little more and in my sand turn out or in to not tear up the pasture so that meant feeding a little more hay.

[HeartofSteel]

Mine is pretty much the same year round as well. Grain and supplements in the morning with 1 1/2-2 flakes of grass hay and then 2 flakes in the evening.

[cyb]

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=234&pictureid=2045
I don't feed anything in the summer months, except for treats. I thought I should add a pic so you all didn't think I was starving my horses.

[mandisue]

Well Susey has an 1 1/2 acre (?) to herself with grass and she gets hay 24/7 plus her normal 1/4 scoop of grain day and night. She doesn't usually get too excited with the grass though, she grazes but would rather stay at the hay...

[Peggy Sue]

mine get hay year round and during the summer months it is cut back to what they eat.... they get thier ration balancer year round regardless!!