Light and Fluffy

I thought I'd talk a little about my new feeding practices since

1. It is Friday and I am crunching feed numbers
2. I have nothing profound to examine (I like to think I am profound)

I think I started about a month ago, I really have no sense of accurate time these days. In any case, I thought it was a stroke of genius when I cam up with it. Likely it is a result of me being bored but who cares it is better for them right?

So this is how feeding used to go. Up to the barn before work, two flakes a piece, check water, off to work. Come home after work, two flakes of hay, check water, prepare beet pulp, bring beet pulp down about 8, call it a night (for feeding).

This is how feeding works now...

Up to the barn after watching The New Adventures of Old Christine (it's on at 7am and I am addicted). Usually I go armed with four apple halves, say good morning, turn on lights and head to the hay room. In the hay room we (I) separate out four portions, Tex and Amber get about 8-10 pounds, Katie and Patch about 6-8. Amber and Patch get senior grain as well as hay.

Everyone goes out around 11am (weather permitting).

At about 1pm I head back to the hay room and gather four more portions. This one is less scientific in the figuring because they are fed outside and I can't control the pile jumping. I bring about 20 pounds with me, head to the arena area and start making four (well spaced) piles of hay, approximately five pounds a pile. Typically I am either crawling through the gate before someone notices there is even hay down there. When we first started they didn't notice me at all and then someone would see a pile a hay and wander down; seriously the first couple days it was almost like a game. Whoever discovered it first came down and sniffed each pile looking around as if food had magically appeared, it was almost always Patch or Tex that first noticed it. They have caught on though.

At about 5pm they all start heading in. In their stalls are four portions of hay, about the same size as breakfast.

At about 7pm I bring up beet pulp. Amber gets two cups everyone else only gets a cup cause they don't really need it but it gives them something in their bucket and it's nice and warm. I do not put molasses in it however, I often times shred some carrot in it. I also stick their vitamins in it.

At about 8:30 it's "lights out" in the barn. Before we turn lights off for the night I divide up four more piles, very light and fluffy piles. Tex and Amber probably get about 4 pounds whereas Katie and Patch usually only get about 3.

The pasture is nonexistent, for all real intents and purposes so grazing isn't a lot of fun for them the last couple months. This way their food is spaced over the entire day, which seems to make them happy. Of course it also means that feeding has become a lifestyle for me because through this idea the horses have seemingly learned how to tell time!

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