Pasture board, your location and hay

[Sunshine2Me]

My gelding is on pasture board, and we are getting close to the time I'll need to start supplementing with hay. I'm in central Illinois. If your horse is on pasture, if you wouldn't mind stating where you live and when you might start supplementing. Inquiring minds want to know!

[Code3]

My horses are at home but they live outside. I'm in Oregon, in the Willamette Valley which is moderate and usually pretty wet but we're having a drought so everything is still brown. They have a dry lot and about 3 acres of pasture for two horses (three up until August). I threw them a little hay all summer but, about a month ago when it started getting colder at night, I have been giving them four flakes a day split into two feedings because they can graze in between. There is a short period of time in the spring when they don't eat any hay at all, otherwise I throw them some.

[Avola]

Also in Oregon but on the coast. I have four horses on 13 acres split in two pastures. Coastal grass is not exactly the most nutritious. Also dries out really fast so the horses get one full fledged feeding per day when the grass is green and regular feedings twice a day the rest of the time. I tried not feeding much hay at all the first year and they started losing weight FAST, especially the TBs so I found a great grower and buy lots and lots of hay from him.

[Fatcat]

Another Oregonian, I'm not feeding hay, but I have way more pasture (5 acres), than my 1.5 equines can eat. I do feed the pony hay when she's in her dry lot as she can't be out on pasture all the time.

[myleetlepony]

I'm in Northern IL and while I don't have my mare on pasture currently, she has been in the past. I also ride at a second barn and pass a few places on the way that pasture horses. Most have started supplementing around here.

At my own barn, we have 8 horses on a 20 acre pasture, 12hrs a day. Our BO, who does not feed hay during pasture season, has started supplementing lightly in the morning.

Really, I think you have to take into account the condition of your pasture, the workload and dietary needs of your horses. Up here, which shouldn't be much different than where you are, our grass has started to go dormant. Most landscapers are waiting over a week to recut and other than a day or two later this week, we are expected to have temps in the high 50's to low 60's, which will not allow much growth. I do know the pasture at my barn is getting pretty short.

If your horse is in regular work or is a hard keeper, its probably time to start. If he is an air fern and not needing much in the way of calories or extra fiber, you could probably wait a week or two.

[Tarlo Farm]

NW Michigan and as Leetle said regarding condition of pasture - anywhere, any time. I usually walk the pastures, check the grass, and around mid September start throwing a few flakes out at night. If they get polished up, I throw more. By now, they're on almost all hay, but still wandering around browsing.

[kande50]

Western MA, 5 acre pasture with 3 horses on it full time. I'm not supplementing with hay yet because the pasture's still in good shape and they're all fat, but when they start to lose weight I'll supplement with hay for awhile, and then when the water freezes I'll bring them in so they have access to the heated tank for the winter.

[khall]

Mid Georgia, grass still green with big pastures (2 10 acre, 1 2 acre and 7 horses). I usually do not supplement until November sometime. Heck we have been known to cut hay as late as November around here. It is getting cooler, down into the 40s overnight last night but highs in the 70s. Bermuda does not grow though with cooler night temps even if it is still green. I am happy though because my horses are FAT and usually are in grazing muzzles with green grass, just pulled the muzzles this week.

[angela9823]

Similar to khall. South Carolina. I have two horses and one cow on more than 30 acres - about 22 acres in pasture. I haven't fed grain of any kind or any other "feed" except carrots to keep them coming up over the last three years. Before that, I was only feeding two cups a day per horse of oats and sunflower seeds. No hay supplementation from May- November. From November - May they have access 24/7 to round bales and the brown pastures. My pastures are usually still green in November but no matter what I'll still start throwing out the round bales then. My guys stay pretty chunky.

[Imagine]

South eastern Ontario

Have started supplementing over the last couple of weeks.

[Ike]

Central Oklahoma. 6 horses and 3 burros (2 horses and 1 burro are moved at night) on I'm guessing 15 acres - perhaps more. It is mostly meadow with a pond and a couple acres of woods. Hay is being put out this week although the horses would probably be fine without supplementation for at least a few more weeks. There is another pasture of about 4 or 5 acres with 5 horses during the day (3 go in at night) and they have had a round bale for maybe a month. The mares pasture is probably 10 acres with 5 mares during the day (2 go in at night) and they don't have hay yet.

[mwatkins]

Vermont.

If the horse is in good weight and ready for winter, the place where I am at begins hay when frost becomes more than an irregular occurrence.

P.S. My vet recommended a daily vitamin and mineral supplement (specifically MVP) for my pastured horse. A bag of that goes a looooooong way.

[WBLover]

I am in southern Ohio which is similar climate to IL (we came from Chicago and have relatives still there and always compare the weather!). I just started throwing a few flakes out to them once a day. The first few days they didn't clean it all up. Now they are scarfing it all down. There's still grass, it's not all eaten down, but it's brown and probably not very calorie filled. So I'm thinking I may start filling my slow feeder with their hay next week, in the meantime I'm giving a few flakes 2x per day.

[Hoof'n it]

Rule of thumb for me, is that when a horse starts loosing condition is the time where you need to start feeding out hay or boosting up their forage intake.
If you can time it so they don't loose condition it's even better. So when the grass has just stopped growing, or the days/nights are getting colder or the rain has started and hasn't stopped.
If the grass is still growing, you will find that most of the horses Will leave their hay.

[heddylamar]

Maryland. My barn owner starts feeding hay when the grass starts getting thin, but before the grass dies (preserving roots and ground cover). Amounts are tailored to the herd's appetite.