| I recently received a letter from a reader on the East | | | | generally causes the most medical distress. This is true |
| Coast who is facing a challenge that every horse | | | | in the spring when the horses have been on hay and |
| owner is going to face at least twice each year if your | | | | suddenly the pastures are filled with rich, wet, grass |
| horse spends any time on pasture. In the fall and early | | | | everywhere. The same cautious transitional rule |
| spring, every horse owner is going to face the | | | | applies, ease him onto the new grass in small bits each |
| challenge of switching their horse from pasture to hay | | | | day until you eventually have him onto the new diet. |
| and back again from hay to pasture. | | | | Whether you live on the East Coast or on the West |
| "...I recently bought my first horse (morgan/perch | | | | Coast or in Europe, the same rules apply where diet |
| cross). He is VERY solid and has always been on | | | | change is concerned - slow is best. The last thing you |
| pasture board (with run-in). I live in Pennsylvania and | | | | want to do is find yourself with a horse that has a |
| the grass is starting to get yellow. At what point should | | | | stomach ache or worse. The simple formula is to |
| he be getting hay(my barnmanager insists it's still | | | | divide the total amount of the new feed that you plan |
| good)? He also is just starting to get a handfulof grain... | | | | on feeding each day into a fourteen day transitional |
| He's getting very fit and has lost a little weight (which is | | | | period (assuming you will feed the same amount for |
| good in that he was getting too big), but just think he | | | | two days each time you increase the amount). In other |
| should start getting hay. Thanks so much. I look | | | | words, if you intend to switch from no grain to 7 |
| forward to hearing from you. | | | | pounds a day (used here as an example only, you |
| Martha" | | | | should follow the quantity recommendations on the |
| Hi Martha, | | | | feed bag), split the 7 pound ration over a 14 day period. |
| Good to hear from you and congrats on purchasing | | | | This would mean that on the first and second days, |
| your first horse! As for grass vs. hay, there are two | | | | you will feed 1 pound of grain. By day three and four, |
| things I would recommend: | | | | you will be feeding two pounds a day, etc, etc. |
| 1. If you call your local ag extension office and ask | | | | Remember that if your horse was on another grain |
| them to run a test on the grass in the pastures this | | | | product and you are switching from one to the other, |
| time of year to determine the nutritional value, this will | | | | remember to decrease the amount you are feeding of |
| eliminate all the guesswork. Of course, many barn | | | | the old product, proportionate to the amount you are |
| owners will be offended if you do this, but you are | | | | feeding of the new. In other words, if you start to feed |
| ultimately responsible for your horse's health. | | | | one pound of the new brand of grain, reduce by the |
| 2. You can call your local vet and ask him what he | | | | same amount what you were previously feeding of |
| thinks about the nutritional value of yellow grass. | | | | the old brand. If the goal is to transition from one |
| At the end of the day, if you horse is in good flesh and | | | | product to a new product, reduce what you feed of |
| his energy level is good, he is probably fine on the diet | | | | the old as you increase what you feed of the new, in |
| he is currently on. If he is not thriving on it, I would at | | | | order to keep his diet balanced and to avoid colic or |
| least call the vet to ask the general question about | | | | founder risks. |
| when he thinks horses should start to transition off field | | | | Another tip when you are transitioning your horse's diet |
| grass onto hay for the winter (in your part of the | | | | - keep an eye on his water intake and output and |
| country). | | | | keep an eye on his stools to ensure he is not showing |
| Remember to ease him onto hay, if he hasn't been on | | | | any signs of diarrhea or worse, is not producing any |
| it for the summer, especially if he is on yellow grass | | | | stools at all. For most horses, if you exercise the basic |
| now. If there is little or no nutrition in that field grass this | | | | common sense detailed in this column, your horse will |
| time of year and you start him on alfalfa hay (which is | | | | transition from grass to hay and back again, or from |
| a very rich hay), you run the risk of colic or founder, so | | | | one grain product to another without any problems. As |
| in a perfect world, while he is still on pasture most of | | | | long as you exercise common sense and caution, it |
| the time, I would add 1/3 of a flake a day of the hay | | | | should be a very uneventful transition. If you short cut, |
| (for two days), increase that to 1/2 flake for another | | | | you can expect expensive vet bills, lots of sleepless |
| two days and then continue to increase incrementally | | | | nights and the possibility of lifelong founder issues as a |
| in two day phases until he is on whatever his full daily | | | | result of taking that short cut. |
| hay ration is going to end up being. If this transition is | | | | I want to hear from you! If you have any questions, |
| hard for the barn staff to do, you can always arrange | | | | comments or suggestions that you would like to share |
| to swing by the barn yourself during the transition | | | | with the rest of us, drop me a line at: |
| period to ensure he is eased onto the new diet. | | | | Bonnie Marlewski-Probert |
| In horses, it is not so much what they eat that is a | | | | P.O. |
| danger, it is the transition from old diet to new diet that | | | | |