Things I Don't Understand About Horse Care, Explained

Ok, so I haven't had much experience at "big barns," and by "big barns" I mean somewhere like where I am now. Somewhere with multiple trainers, a staff, and over 15 horses or so. I started out at a good sized barn, but I was quite young and not involved much in the care or management of the barn. Then I moved to Rockhaven Farm, which I think is the perfect size. The horses are low maintenance and since there aren't usually more then 16 horses, there is room in the pastures to distribute them comfortably. Work generally takes me about 2-4 hours at home and most horses eat the same grain and hay. Also at home the turnout is simple and horses are out either all day, or all night, making it so that whoever is working only has to worry about 1 cycle of turnout.
Now, the whole point of this post is to list the things that I don't understand about how some barns function and hopefully find a reason and decide for myself whether or not I would practice these methods in my own hypothetical "big barn."

The List

1. What is the purpose of wet hay?

2. What is the purpose of feeding Bran?

3. Why feed horses more then twice a day?

4. Why provide limited turnout for horses?

5. Why wrap horses legs overnight?

Wet Hay

I found a lot of information on wet hay, most interesting of which is that it can spontaneously burst into flames! No, but really, wet hay is something that, at first, I thought was silly. But after reading into it I do see its benefits, especially in older horses and horses with allergies. 

Wet hay is more similar in some ways to fresh cut grass. Grass is 80% water, while hay is dried up, making it harder to chew, harder to digest, and more susceptible to containing mold and dust. Horses who don't drink enough water also benefit from wet hay, being that they take in so much water by eating it and for some reason can't get enough of dirty, smelly, hay water. So, in the end I find wet hay a perfectly acceptable practice for the horses who need it, as long as you don't let it sit around and catch itself on fire.

Bran

Before coming to Florida I'd never dealt with Bran at all. It seems like most feed it on alternating nights or when horses have not been drinking enough water. From what I have read, most suggest using Bran for mineral imbalances. It is suggested to only feed a Bran mash occasionally, because feeding it too often can strip the horse of certain nutrients such as Calcium. On this website it gives a few myths about Bran that I found interesting. I do like Bran as a supplemental water intake meal, and so does Galaxy. When my horses don't drink as much water as I'd like them to during the day I have been feeding them a small scoop of Bran with a large scoop of water. It makes me feel better about their water intake and Galaxy is so happy when he gets a random snack! :)

 http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-health/feeding-bran-3151.aspx

Frequent Feeding

I have always been at barns where horses were fed twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. This always proved to be more then enough, however I do see advantages in feeding 3 or maybe even 4 small meals a day. On one hand, horses are natural grazers. Their digestive system is set up to digest a little bit all throughout the day. Now, in the wild, horses are constantly eating. But, our horses at home, can't generally be sustained on just a pasture diet. The way I see it, the most efficient way to feed a horse would be, individually in a stall for their personal rations such as grain and supplements and then in a small group setting for their grass and hay rations. This way, the horse can be in a natural, group setting and won't develop bad habits out of restlessness and boredom (such as gnawing on the walls and pawing at doors). I do like the schedule here of frequent feeding. My horses are pleasantly surprised when I bring them their lunch and occasionally a late night, and I know it's ideal for their digestive systems to be eating multiple times a day. 

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CEAQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uky.edu%2FAg%2FAnimalSciences%2Fpubs%2Fasc143.pdf&ei=WwjSUu_IIaessQSWh4HwDA&usg=AFQjCNHu31rm1VvXFds_45HGM7oHJzIrUw&sig2=vijzILppR1zkoMoj8kOSiA&bvm=bv.59026428,d.cWc

Wrapping Legs Overnight

From what I have read, wrapping a horses legs overnight is a good way to keep a horses legs from swelling and becoming stocked up. I would say that at a horse show when my horses will be standing most likely on concrete for a few nights in a row, then wrapping is a good way to relieve the puffiness. Something else you can do for your horse is hydrotherapy, which is rinsing each leg for about 5-10 minutes in cool water. At a competition I can see these being helpful tools, however, at home I would hope that my horse would be mobile enough that he would not require that kind of special attention frequently. 

 https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6177286277700313537#editor/target=post;postID=5308138408324631456

I find that a small barn with the number of horses limited is ideal. That way there will be room for turnout on pasture or dry lot and the work load wouldn't be exhausting for only a few workers. I am learning a lot about (I don't want to say high maintenance but more persistent and detailed) horse care. Every barn is unique and I'm glad I am experiencing how to care for high caliber horses (especially high caliber client horses) because that's one of the areas I am lacking a lot of knowledge. 

Until next time!

Caitlin