Forage is the most important element in a horses diet and should make up the bulk for a horses diet. With rain being slim to none in our neck of the woods our pastures and hay fields have been dry and bare. Now is the best time to plan for the worst. Expanding our hay supply and making sure our horses get the nutrition they need.
Turning out your horses on pasture may cause more damage to drought stricken pasture land. Hooves can compact dry soil further and break drying grass stems. If they are very bored their attempts at grazing may uproot already fragile roots. If possible, keep horses in a 'sacrifice area' where you don't expect grass to grow. Allow pasture to grow several inches high, before grazing horses. Some areas of your pasture may need to be worked up and reseeded once the drought has ended.
It is best to extend the good hay you have with other fiber sources. A slow transition to other forages is essential for horses rather than to switch when you run out. Hueber Feed and its dealers carry Hay Cubes, Beet Pulp, and Complete Feeds with high fiber.
For top performance Stable-lyx tubs are also great to ensure daily intake of free choice protein, vitamins, and trace mineral supplement for horses on pasture or range.
