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Southeastern droughts leaving some horses hungry by T. Cannes

Southeastern states have suffered through drought conditions for  2 years.   This year, 2007, has been called by some, the worst in 30 years. 

Here in Southwest Georgia, as early as last summer, some farmers have sold their cattle due to the shortage of hay and rising hay prices. This year, stables are selling off their horses and the reports of equine abuse are on the rise.

Three years ago when I first moved  to this area I could find a square bale of hay for $2.75, a round bale for $30.  As gas prices continued rising in 2005 hay prices began to climb, modestly at first, rising to $3.00 and $3.50 per square bale.  But in 2006, as we were becoming used to the higher gas prices,  there was little spring or summer rain.  Farmers waited... and waited... for rain.  

By the time rain came in the summer of 2006 it was late summer.  Hay farmers tried to squeeze 2 or more harvest out of the remaining weeks.  We were lucky, a new supplier appeared with four thousand bales available for the winter.  The supplier was taking customers by contract.  Customers committed to a fixed number of bales for the winter and those bales were either delivered at one time, or on a monthly basis throughout the winter.  We chose the latter since we do not have the space for storing hay for the entire winter.  Delivery of the hay was an additional $.50 a bale, an expense, but worth it since stacking the hay in our barn was included with the delivery.  Now, because we became good customers early, our supplier promises to contract with us each winter.

Prices have risen, though, even with our supplier since this summer gas averaged $2.80 a gallon and there was NO RAIN for months.  I kept in contact with our supplier for the time of their first harvest, what should have been mid to  late May.  But it turned into late June and that was with the use of  center pivot irrigation systems that run on diesel fuel-- the still very costly, diesel fuel.  The subsequent bales of hay have be excellent quality but again, the price went up.

The price of hay from our supplier, as of this writing, is $4.50 a bale, if picked up.  That's the price I paid last winter for delivery.
But we are still fortunate because within a 25 mile radius of us, people are paying up to $6/bale for hay.  Every horse person knows that $6/bale is expensive, especially if you have multiple horses.

Cut Your Own Hay

We have two mares and where I once would have like to have more horses,  I am satisfied with two.  During the stretch between harvests, we relied on hay that was left over from our winter deliveries and then I began cutting my own hay.

Considering cutting my own hay was possible for 4 reasons:  First, we have the land.   There was about an acre of fertile bahaia grass that came up rather well and we were cutting it down anyway, when it got too high.  Second, I had spent the past 3 years researching and learning how to cut hay without heavy equipment.   Third, we, or should I say I, had the time.  And, fourth, my horses needed it.

Most cautioned against using a lawnmower, which is all we had.  I looked closely at the reasons for not using a lawn mower.  Lawnmowers were not to be used because oil might leak into the grass and because mower might cause the grass to be cut too short.  Short cut grass would be short hay which could choke a horse or cause him to colic.  We had a new John Deere riding lawnmower and when there was literally NO HAY, I took the chance.

I'm glad I took that chance because there is nothing like the experience of pure joy and satisfaction when offering your horse your first harvest of home grown hay.   This worked for us because I never cut the grass before it was at least 10 to 12 inches long and I cut once, and once only, as close to the ground as the Deere would let me.   Fair warning:  the process was labor intensive.   Everything was done manually including raking the cut grass into widows, collecting the hay after being left in the sun for a minimum of 2 days and putting the hay into the barn.  Although I had been cautioned that  the  horses would not like the bahaia, my horses had grazed on it just fine so I too the chance.   The ate the bahaia grass just as eagerly.  We plan to plant coastal bermuda for next summer.  The home-grown hay was  lifesaver for my horses and peace of mind for us.  

Home-grown hay would not have helped us if we had more than 2 horses, at least not without using more land and having more helped (I did every stage by myself, only once did my granddaughter help by raking the fresh cut grass into windrows and once she helped collect hay into the cart for delivery to the barn).  Some horse owners had 10, 20, 100 horses to feed during this drought and some among them have had to let their horses go.  In our case, where there was a will, there was a way and now that we have successfully harvested hay 3 time this summer, we feel a little less dependent on gas prices and drought conditions.

Although some might consider it boring, watching our horses chew on moist morning grass can be rewarding and a time for bonding  with your horse without  the pressure of performance. 

Hand grazing horses takes time.   Hand grazing can also be uncomfortable, even dangerous, in summer sun of the South.  It's  a bonus if you have someone to help you.  During this drought I looked for high grass to graze them on.  Though low in nutrients, it more grass for them to eat per hour and you would be amazed at how much tall grass a horse can eat in an hour.  I am told some horses do not like the high grass.  I must say,  one of my two horses preferred short grass but ate what I where I took him.  I hand grazed each horse for at least an hour at a time so the time of day for grazing is important grazed my horses early in the late evening, in the non-thundering rain, and in the morning, when it was cool, and the dew was still on the grass.

There are some simple precautions to hand-grazing your horse.  First and foremost, of course, is safety.  Maintain control at all time.  Stay on your horse's near side, following all the usual precautions of leading our horse.  Always have him graze where you want him to eat.   Never let him get ahead of you.  Stay at his shoulder.  They will try to lead you, you can be sure.  When your horse tries to lead you to where he wants to go,  correct  him by leading him into a circle, always  toward the left, since you should be on his left or near-side anyway.  When you come out of the circle, he will go where you want him to go.  Finally, stay alert.  We not only have the occasional rabbit who might leap out ahead of us but we also have foxes (who don't seem to startle our horses), coyotes, deer, boar and rattlesnakes that can startle our horses.  The hours of hand grazing our horses  have been great opportunities for gaining  our horses' trust but not before he might skittishly dance a circle around you.

Hand grazing is no substitute for good pasture or quality hay and unless harvesting your own hay is well planned it is a good temporary substitute at best.   Both harvesting our hay and hand-grazing our horses got us through  the Southeastern drought of 2007,  a very scary time.   The lack of rain in the southeast the past two years has rudley awakened many owners of livestock and horses to how fragile our routines really are.  Droughts are unpredictable and unpreventable.    So perhaps it is time for us to find alternatives that will lighten our dependence on others to feed our horses.