The Art of Natural Dressage

Isabel asked what to be are the best grasses for keeping a horse outside 24/7. From what I've heard the grasses wich are growing the slowest (except garden grasses) are most suited.
I like grass with no nutrition and feed the rest myself but here in Belgium the grass is very rich in protein and sugar (fructane). Evita has sweet itch so normally I have to keep her in a sandpaddock most of the time. Now with her newborn foal she is on grass in the daytime and on the sand with a lot of hay at night.

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The best grasssead, explicit for horses is:

Horsemaster mix

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www.equusuniversalis.com

Hello Everyone:

A question about hay. Where my horse is boarding, they've decided to change their hay supplier. And what they will be getting is the second cut hay. Now they're fed the first cut.
When I went to the horse trimming clinic (Pete Ramey), I think I understood that the second cut hay was higher in sugar than the first. But everywhere I read, they say it is better in quality.
I don't understand how a hay that is higher in sugar (which can cause so many health problems) can be better in quality.

Has anyone else heard of this.
P.S. My vet has asked me for the hay analysis before we do anything to change Corado's eating habits.

Jocelyne

Hi

http://www.safergrass.org/

This is a really good site about all your hay and grass question.
One thing what stood out for me was that greener hay is not always be the better hay.
When you read the explanation it is an eye opener.


One explanation why second grass is assume to be better,
it is richer in nutritions and softer since the growing time is shorter.

In BC ( we lived in the mountains)we normally just got
one cut. Here In Saskatchewan some growers get two but
then you have to extra water your fields.
I might can tell you more when i have talk to Kathryn. She gives advise against a fee and i heard really good think about her, especially when you need to grow hay or reseeding your pasture.
Hope this helps a little.

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Kind regards
Christina
http://www.horsepro.net

thanks Chris for the info. I printed most of the information and will read it tonight.

I also found a website (thru safegrass) www.integralhorse.com which is so interesting. Will check that one out too.

Bye
Jocelyne

This is another good source about horse feed.
http://www.vitaroyal.com/equine/articles_e.html

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Kind regards

Christina

http://www.horsepro.net

Hello Everyone:

I have another question concerning grass. This May, my horses are coming home (for those who have read my daily training all know by now) and they will be set up according to Jaime Jackson's book, Paddock Paradise. However the first year, we won't have time to remove all the hay already growing. So I have heard that in May and beginning of June, the grass growing is not too good for the horses since it contains alot of sugar which is dangerous for colics and the horse's hooves.
Is this exagerated or is this a true problem and I shouldn't let my horses outside 24-7 in May and June. I see alot of horses outside and I assume they don't all have a problem with colic and feet. So what is your opinion.
I would love to leave them out 24-7 and not worry about this issue. If so, I'll ask my boyfriend to remove all the grass that is growing and I'll feed them hay.

Horsefever,
It's so exciting that your horses are coming home with you in May. Hopefully our horses will be coming home this fall. We have put a contract on some land, so we should have our house built and the land ready for the horses by the fall. We are also setting up our pasture like Paddock Paradise! Maybe I can get some tips from you, since you will be moving the horses to it before us. I am very interested in the answer to your question.

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God Bless!
Brittany

www.royalhorsecompany.com

Hi everyone:

I'm currently living in California, boarding my horses and doing the full on hay thing (not a good climate for year round grazing!), but my husband and I are planning on moving back to the East Coast of the US sometime in the next couple of years and buying a small farm.

So, because I'm compulsive and fixated and have always wanted a farm, I'm trying to get educated!

I'm very excited about actually having pasture to put my horses on when I go, and have been reading everything I can lay my hands on about optimal grazing. I worry about both of them (warmblood and Haflinger), since they've never had free pasture access (will go slow and all that), but I'm especially concerned about Circe my Haflinger, as Haflingers are "easy keepers" and prone to laminitis and insulin resistance.

In my wanderings, I've found some articles by a guy named Garry Holter (in England) who specializes in mixed herb/grass pastures modeled after medieval pastures. It's both a mixed seeding and also a management system.

I think it's really intriguing!

Here's an article:
http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/articles ... initis.php

Here's a seed source:
http://www.meadowmania.co.uk/default.cf ... dindex.174

I'm wondering if anyone has come across him? And does anybody else think this is cool as I think it is?

It makes so much sense to me!

Anybody have thoughts, opinions, editorials?



Thanks!
Leigh

I do find it interesting Leigh. My horses are boarding right now (until June 14th) and the hay they are receiving is full of dust. I have to wet the hay myself. I have found better hay for them so when they come home, they will have super hay (I think).
Since the decision to bring my horses home was quick, we didn't have time to work the land. but we'll start this year and I really want GREAT hay for my horses, no pesticides, herbicides, all natural fertilizers and a variety of plants.

I am setting up the Paddock Paradise (Jaime Jackson) where I'll include branches, shrubs. They will have access to a small forest (woods really) and they will eat mostly cut hay so they can walk around for the meals. They will have access to a field but only for short periods of time.

Anyways, the links you have given are very interesting and I will print the first one for sure for future reference.
Thanks
Jocelyne

Hey Jocelyne:

Thanks back at you for the Jaime Jackson pointer -- I hadn't come across him before. This makes sense too!

Now, can I order another book without my husband noticing...



I'll let you know if I do more digging and get more information -- so far I've not found many people talking about this in the States.

Here's an article about some native grass pasture experiments that the University of KY is doing, but they're so far thinking about it as prairie restoration (bluegrass isn't native to KY -- blew me away when I read that!), and when thinking ag applications, are thinking cattle. Big problem, I've found, with most ag programs in US universities -- they're much more focused on cattle production than horse production -- which is, I think, part of the reason why we've landed on such super rich grass to begin with! They mention horses, but as I've looked farther at the program, they are focusing first, as far as I can tell, on cows.

Here's the article, in case you're interested:

http://www.ca.uky.edu/AGC/Magazine/2004 ... Native.htm

Best,
Leigh

He Leigh:

Jaime Jackson is a well-known farrier who specializes in natural trimming. Alot of people followed in his footsteps (Pete Ramey just to name one). I bought both books and love them. I am following their method and one day I will be trimming my horses myself (when it's just maintenance and you have the horse's collaboration, it's so simple).
Anyways, Paddock Paradise is so wonderful and it makes sense. You want your horse to move but when they're in an open pasture with lots of food, they won't move.
I could go on and on but you should buy the book. If you have land, it's worth trying. I'll keep you guys posted when my horses come home.
If you want a really good website for horse forage, I believe the site was already posted:



It's all about horses. Of course you can buy all kinds of dvd's but I live up in Canada so the grasses are not the same. But the important thing is to have a variety of plants and the right ones. I also have a book called "Natural Horse Care" by Pat coleby which is phenomenal.
Here are some of the titles:
Soil Deficiencies
Analysing Soils
Improving & Mainteaning pastures
Minerals
Vitamins - Minerals come first
Non-Invasive and natural remedies
Basic feeding practice
ailments
Blood Analysis
Conditioning of horses

another book to buy (if you don't already have it).

P.S. Don't tell you husband I gave you all these ideas to buy, he'll come running to Quebec to hit me on the head. My boyfriend doesn't know everything I've been buying cuz I take care of the budget. But he understands my passion for horses (and animals in general) and I believe is proud of me,so....)

Hope I can also help you.
Jocelyne

Totally cool, Jocelyne! (Absolutely beautiful name, by the way...).

I've looked a bit at safergrass.org, but Jaime Jackson's work is new to me, (so logical -- keep 'em moving!), and Pat Coleby's book is new to me as well...

Oh, how to keep my husband from noticing the books arriving...



Thank you!!!

Best,
Leigh

D'oh!

I just realized Jaime Jackson is the guy that did all of the studying of horses in the wild. I'd read about that work and hadn't ever put together the farrier/book portions of his life!

This is totally cool.

Thanks!



Leigh

Hi Jocelyne,

How much of a problem this may result in will depend on how sensitive your horses are to the sugars in your grass. As with everything we do with our horses there is the optimum and there is what we do with the environment we have. And depending on the hay and when it was cut, how stressed it was etc, the hay may have just as much sugar???