Horse Sense Keep Your Supply Full For Winter they provide plenty of ventilation while keeping the wind, rain, and snow out. Some horse owners store hay in three-sided sheds, and this can potentially work, but it ' s not an ideal winter solution. Snow and rain inevitably encroach on the open side of the shed, which can damage exposed bales and possibly create some waste.
Small stand-alone wooden sheds, 8 by 16 feet or larger, make excellent hay storage and can hold a good number of bales. Temporary " hoop buildings / instant garages " are inexpensive and can actually store a great deal of hay— maybe even enough for your whole winter if you have just a couple of animals— but the word " temporary " is usually key. The canvas covers can fail in wind or heavy snow, and they aren ' t rodent-tight.
If you don ' t have a dedicated hay loft or hay barn, you may need to use a combination of storage methods to ensure you have enough horse hay on hand to last the winter. Depending on the supplier, you may be able to get a discount for buying a large amount of hay at once. Small square bales generally result in less waste than large round bales for horses, according to the University of Maryland Extension.
Feed
There are also a lot of benefits to stockpiling some horse feed throughout the winter. If you keep a reasonable supply on hand, it can reduce the number of trips you ' ll need to make to the feed store with a truck and gives you flexibility to plan your trips on good weather days.
The key factors for feed storage are a dry location and protection from vermin— moisture and mice can both quickly ruin a supply of horse feed. A solid, tight shed or feed room in the barn can work; smaller spaces tend to be easier to rodent-proof. All in all, you ' ll need far less space to store feed than to store hay, because you won ' t be storing an entire winter ' s worth of feed all at once. Kentucky Equine Research says many manufacturers recommend consuming commercial grain mixes within 30 to 60 days, although this timeframe can vary depending on the type of feed and the storage conditions.
Bedding
Your horses ' bedding is probably the easiest of the three items to stockpile for winter. While some large horse properties or facilities might buy wood shavings loose in bulk, a great number of small-scale horse owners choose compressed wood shavings in plastic bags. The bags are easy to stack, weigh less than a bag of feed, and are simple to use. Pelleted bedding is another option, but again the individual plastic bags make them easy to stack and store.
While bagged shavings probably shouldn’ t be stored outdoors— the plastic protects them but isn’ t completely waterproof— they can likely be kept in less-protected areas than hay and feed. A three-sided shed or a canvas hoop shelter might be just what you ' re looking for. Try to add up how much bedding you use in a week, and then calculate how many bags you need to get through the winter.
Stockpiling your bedding can save time and effort during the cold months. As long as the bedding doesn ' t get wet, it should last a long time in storage.
Watch for Sales
Let ' s face it: buying a supply of feed and bedding for winter can be a pricey expenditure.
Watch for autumn or early winter sales and try to stock up when the prices are lowest. Buying in bulk can sometimes be cheaper, so shop smart whenever you can. Your horses will appreciate all of your efforts, and when the first blizzard of winter arrives, you ' ll be happy in the knowledge that you have the supplies you need already on hand. Then, once chores are done for the evening, you can sit back and simply let it snow.
About the Author:
Samantha Johnson is a writer, farm girl, and the author of more than a dozen books on rural living. She lives on a farm in northern Wisconsin with a colorful herd of Welsh Mountain Ponies. You can find her online at https:// www. authory. com / SamanthaJohnson
Photo Courtesy of Daniel Johnson, Fox Hill Photo
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