A Day in the Life of an Arabian Horse Breeder - Diets

While having the Arabian horses live outside might make it easier as far as stall cleaning goes, it has it's own set of difficulties. I've already had to move two young horses back into the barn because they're just not getting enough to eat.

Both are Aana's babies and they're a bit on the finicky side so not sure what they thing about this foraging thing. They much prefer their meals served up to them and then their pasture mates run them off. Percy who is also one of Aana's boys seems to be holding his own, but you can bet I'm watching him closely.

I think it's interesting that it's the boys who I've had the most trouble with. I had to move Louie by himself when I feed because he's terrorizing the others. But when I remove him from the mix Percy appears to be in charge. He' always been a picky eater like Aana's other foals but somehow the prospect of fighting for his food has improved his appetite. I think he might even been gaining a little weight.........which believe me he could use!

On the other side of the spectrum I have those easy keepers that really don't need to be out 24/7 foraging for food. The three gray mares, Solidare, Faye and Lilly all fit into that category. I swear either of those Arabian horses can put on weight just looking at food. Heaven forbid what happens when they actually get to eat the stuff!

Solidare I try to keep on the thin side because she is broken down behind on her fetlocks which makes carrying less weight better for her. She's not all that happy about that and lets me know that she feels deprived. This living outside thing has made Solidare a happy Arabian mare.

At night, I've been moving the gray mares up into the yard. They've already eaten that grass down so I know they won't be pigging out all night long. It the closest thing to a diet I can come up with except for putting them back into stalls at night. I'm really trying not to do that. I don't need more stalls to clean while I'm caring for Lindsay.

Obviously these easy keepers don't really need to be given extra hay when they're living outside in pasture that's up to their chest. (I have one small field like that........which won't last for long.) However, I'm sure you know how neglected they feel if I give the others hay and they don't get some for themselves.

I've been feeding grass from eastern Washington. That's not my first choice. Whenever I've had it tested it's been much higher in protein than what I want to feed growing horses. But since the nice local hay I usually feed was cut so late this year, I had to go with what I could get.

Luckily, I got my first load of local hay this last week. Dear sweet Solidare has decided that it just doesn't suit her tastes. So she is sulking because of this diet change.

I still have a couple of bales left of the eastern Washington hay. I have been feeding it to the three Arabian horses that are left in the barn. Those three need all the calories they can get at this point.

So tonight, I feed those three first leaving some remnants of the hay in the bottom of the wheel barrow. On top of that were flakes of this local hay that the rest of the horses love except for Solidare. I went to turn off the water or some darn thing and came back to find that my angel, Solidare, had rummaged through the wheel barrow, throwing out all the local grass and was scarfing down what was left of the good stuff.

Horses................