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Post by clara81 on Sept 10, 2010 9:42:48 GMT 1
Chuck the ponies out in the field and don't go back till April! Winter is a bit cheaper for me than summer as I leave them out and they don't have rugs or feed, only hay. In summer the fatties have to stay in a lot and the sweet itch pony costs me a fortune!! Well I've been giving my lami pony a very expensive feed balancer all summer but I ran out a few weeks ago and couldn't get to the nearest place that supplies it so I've been giving her a handful of "light" chop with my feed merchant's own vit supplement (£6.00 for 5kg!) and she looks better than she has all summer! Her coat is well thick but it's really shiny and her mane is really soft. Just bare in mind that feed companies are out to make a profit and their super duper new-fangled feeds aren't always really necessary!
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Post by narkymare on Sept 11, 2010 20:27:47 GMT 1
wow clara can you pm as ot details of where i can buy that vit supplement ?
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Post by anastasia55555 on Sept 12, 2010 23:00:08 GMT 1
Intend to slather our lots legs and tails in pig oil and then plait their tails. Help keep the mud out and easy to brush off when mud has dried.
Thermal undies, got some from matalan, were blooming brill over winter.
Another must for me for winter is a deceny led head torch.got mine from halfords. Think it was around £10 but worth the money. Battery has lasted for ages. Better than tripping over in the dark fumbling to fill haynet.
I also have a 'hay bag' which is an old feed sack to collect up any scraps of hay fron haynets etc and then can use to put out in the field for them to finish up the scraps.
We are also changing to quick soak molasses free sugar beet instead of chaff. More for your money and less sugar etc. Will add vits and mins as do already and oil/linseed where needed.
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Post by olliebear on Sept 13, 2010 11:36:48 GMT 1
Bedding will stay drier and last longer if you can persuade your horse to stale whilst out on a hack - in an appropriate place of course. We have it down to a fine art. Last 100 yards, loosen the girth and allow to nibble a few bushes, down the track to home, leg yield on to grass verge, stand in stirrups, whistle and hey presto one bladder emptied. Shortly followed by my dashing to the loo!
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Post by mags on Sept 13, 2010 13:16:12 GMT 1
Mine does that too! In fact, he and his hacking buddy have started to pee in sync - when one stops to go, the other is sure to have a try as well :-)
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lucky7
Advanced Poster
Posts: 268
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Post by lucky7 on Sept 13, 2010 21:08:55 GMT 1
Have a Cob? ;D
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Post by olliebear on Sept 14, 2010 18:09:44 GMT 1
How did you know?
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Post by narkymare on Sept 16, 2010 21:43:56 GMT 1
instead of buying proper horse rug waterproofer when you have washed your rugs - go to halfords and buy their tent water reproofer - i bought 2 big cans for £15, enough to rewaterproof 6 outdoor rugs - much cheaper than specialist equestrian reproofers x
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Post by rosemaryhannah on Sept 19, 2010 18:31:03 GMT 1
Certainly cut hay with oat straw especially if you are soaking hay to get the sugar out - it is cheaper as long as oat straw is cheaper. You can do the same with barely straw, but not as high a percentage of it. Obviously introduce gradually, and don't over-do it. Add oil for poor doers, and consider grass nuts to replace some or all of whatever stable mix you use - it is healthier and cheaper being basically grass.
Use rubber matting - you use far less bedding and over a couple of years it pays for itself. You know your horse will never be at risk of lying on a hard surface or a cold one.
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Post by barbararob on Sept 19, 2010 19:15:19 GMT 1
Have a good sort out and organise all your stuff - It's easy to think you haven't got something, just cos you can't see it - go and buy more only to find you already had some, or had something that would do the job.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2010 14:22:35 GMT 1
Have a go at DIY - and no I don't mean livery! I made myself a lovely mounting block from some bits of wood I scrounged from OH's shed. Unfortunately I left it behind in a yard move but will shortly be making myself mounting block No 2, along with some home made jumps - no need for poly jumps when a plastic box with the lid taped shut will do Or 2 bales of straw end to end wrapped in a tarp
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Post by bertie666 on Sept 22, 2010 22:40:39 GMT 1
im making a mounting block at the weekend with my dad, the wood has cost me £20 - we dont have quite enough scraps as its gonna b quite a beast, instead of the £100 i was looking at paying to buy one = D
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Post by troop on Sept 23, 2010 17:57:03 GMT 1
i got my mounting block free... every three years caravan sites near us rehome the caravans and sometimes you can get the steps given away.... i got lovely wooden steps.
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Post by wabuska on Sept 28, 2010 14:21:28 GMT 1
Get a waterproof saddle cover. 1. You'll ride more in bad weather, making your horse better value for money and 2. You'll keep the saddle in better order.
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Post by evejade on Sept 28, 2010 21:53:42 GMT 1
Hi, I have found adding Midlings to feeds helps put on and keep weight on the skinny minnies, and it's cheap. I'm a bit wary of feeding straw but have found Dixon's Dustless Straw, it is chopped straw in a 20kg bag and is £5 a bag, is excellent for bulking out feeds, the fatties have it instead of hay. A friend uses it as bedding. =)
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