So how do you throw out your square bales to your herd?

[classicsporthorses]

It must be because I have this splitting headache and I had to make my mind think of something but tonight when we were throwing out hay to the pastures I got to thinking,

"I wonder how other COTHers throw hay out to their horses"?

All of the horses here, who are in pastures of 3-6 except "the boys" who have 8, know that NO ONE touches a stalk of hay until we cut the bale open and disburse the hay. They can stand inches from it but they are to stand quietly and in an orderly fashion. NO grabbing, pushing or the like.

Anyway, I usually pick up about 1/3 of the bales and throw it. I then turn, toss another 1/3 and then either rotate again or throw the last third back over the first third. Now this may change given wind speed and direction or just how fast an impending storm may be coming or if it's getting dark way sooner than we anticipated. In those cases, well we do the best we can to get it spread out and get done!

I can toss 1/2 bale or more at a time but my shoulders/neck are starting to really, really show wear and tear and doing much with my arms over my head is quite painful. Sometime I just "push" the hay instead of throwing it. Rarely if ever do I just open a bale and kick it around. I like each horse to have a number of flakes to eat at a time to I truly give them piles of hay.

So what do other COTHERS do?

[billiebob]

If I have to throw hay, I put small piles (1-2 flakes, depending on size and weight) about 10 paces or two fence posts apart. I try to make more piles than there are horses so that if there's a piggy that tries to claim 2 piles, the weaker ones have an alternative. And if I have to go into the field with hay when the horses are in it, they DO NOT get to touch ANYTHING until the hay is on the ground. I've been knocked over too many times to let the horses near me or my wheelbarrow!

[BeastieSlave]

I drag my hay bale(s) around in a wheelbarrow, cut the strings, and distribute piles (by picking out the flakes that each requires and dropping them on the ground) as I walk around the pasture. I try not to throw hay because no matter what I do, I end up wearing most of it :yes:

[horsetales]

If I'm using square bales, I make 2 piles for each horse in that field. They are speced far enough apart so no horse can hog more than a single pile. I also like to do multiple piles so they move around as they would if they were grazing.

[billiebob]

I drag my hay bale(s) around in a wheelbarrow, cut the strings, and distribute piles (by picking out the flakes that each requires and dropping them on the ground) as I walk around the pasture. I try not to throw hay because no matter what I do, I end up wearing most of it :yes:

I took the "throw" part to mean "distribute" and I don't toss the hay any higher than my waist if I can help it. I agree that wearing hay isn't really fashionable or comfortable :D

[shakeytails]

One of us drives the truck or tractor and wagon, the other tosses hay (1/3 to 1/2 bale at a time) as we're moving, always making sure that there are more piles than horses.

[Jaegermonster]

Mine usually have a roll, but they ran out today. I took 4 square bales out in the truck, put them in the roll holder and cut the strings. I have 6 horses and a miniature mule.
Before I had the roll feeder, I would take a bale at a time in the wheelbarrow, and put about 3 flakes in a pile and keep doing that til I had enough piles for everybody plus 1.
But I only have to toss it over the fence, not high enough to make my shoulders hurt.

[MistyBlue]

Agree that it's easiest with two people and a motorized vehicles.
I can't actually throw to save my life...I like to blame that fact on my arthritic shoulders but honestly...even before I had arthritis I couldn't throw worth beand anyways. :no: I hate to admit it but I am a Girly Thrower. The dog won't even play fetch with me even though he LOVES fetch...because when I throw the ball half the time it ends up behind me and the other half of the time it goes only about 20 feet. :sigh:
I only have two horses and my paddock is attached to the barn...so I grab 4 flakes at a time from the barn, walk a few feet into the paddock and then walk around dropping a flake at a time. Sometimes using the other hand to point while I glare at whomever is trying to sneak a mouthful from what I'm carrying or trying to crowd me. Neither of which is acceptable.
My neighbor has 7 horses and a much larger turnout...she has one of those oversized wheelbarrows and puts 2-3 bales in there and cuts the strings. Then she wheels it around dropping a flake at a time so it's well spread out. I'd probably do the same if I had the same amount of horses and space.

[Bluey]

I have a manure bucket cart with two wheels and a handle, put a rubber feed bucket in there and stack the flakes.
I wheel that to where I feed and start throwing flakes around.
right now, with just three horses, I just push it thru the stall bars onto the rubber mats right under the shed and they have four places for three horses.

Since they get along fabulously, they just eat together on one, sometimes, before they spread out to others.

[Prieta]

I'd use my farm atv, Polaris Ranger named, Thumper to load hay onto the back. Then I'd take a portion of hay and just throw them over the fence that is about three feet high then I go on to about two fence posts away to hand over hay until I have piles for four horses. I do not feed horses inside the pasture because I'd like to let them let out their steam when they'd come and get hay.

[southhillstables]

For those of us who live in New England...


I have a cheap plastic sled with a leadrope attached to the front. I put the bale of hay in it, cut the strings and toss them (while still in the barn) and then I drag my sled and knock hay off the back or throw it around the pasture.

[Blue Yonder]

So I'm the only dork who throws hay? It's like a precision event here.

Load the golf cart's bed with square bales, and head down the various fencelines. Call the horses, who follow the golf cart anywhere anyway.

Gauge the wind direction and speed. Pick the spot where the horses should be dining at this particular meal. Throw from upwind, or at least sideways to avoid blowback.

My aim is dead-on to about 20 feet. I spent years pretending it was an Olympic event......Hay Throwing, judged on distance, accuracy, and technique. I THOUGHT I had a bunch of competition, but after this thread I'm thinking I could probably medal. [grin]

I suppose dork is the operative word. heheheh!

[SaddleFitterVA]

Wheelbarrow, one flake at a location. Appropriate for weather/grass number of flakes for horses.

I'm only just starting to feed hay outside. 1 flake per horse, or a bit more if the bale breaks out that way currently. Soon, that will go to 2 flakes per horse, am and pm depending on the temps. I feed for condition...which based on the current herd, that would be too much. They are all fat.:eek:

When we do get snow, the sled works quite nicely.

[aspenlucas]

I have barnyards, I usually if I am feeding two bales put one in the barnyard and one outside, at each barn. I will spread the hay one flake at a time, far enough away someone cannot claim two piles. The hay in the barnyards go in hay troughs and are spread out. I don't have a problem with wasted hay as they love the hay I have. I also have enough drainage I don't have to throw any where there is mud. My bales are about 8-9 flakes each.

[tullio]

not what we do here but a past favorite: hay surfing! Takes two people. Load flatbed trailer with all bales required. One person drives the tractor pulling the trailer around the desired hay locations. Second person opens the bales and tosses/throws/kicks/pushes the hay off in piles appropriate for ponies in fields as you go. When the flatbed is full (as in the beginning) the person back there is either sitting or standing on hay as you go. Hence, hay surfing.

[county]

I feed rounds 99% of the time but if I have to feed some squares I put them in the loader bucket, cut the strings off then dump them in the round bale feeders.

[goodhors]

Depending on the season, I haul the hay in a small wagon with fat tires or the Gator. I got the Gator as a gift from my mom, who won it in a contest! Sure was a surprise to her, and then to me!! She lives in town, didn't have any place to use it. I LOVE Froggy, and he sure is nice to use in winter snow and mud.

I put hay out before putting horses out. Not worth arguing with them to keep away or being caught between two hungry horses. We don't put hay out with animals in the paddocks. Depending on the cold temps, they get from 1/4 to 1/2 bale each, in the machinery sized tire feeders. Just drive up beside the tire, stop and put the hay into it. Prevents hay from blowing away, getting urinated on because no one likes to walk thru the tire feeders, too high of treads.

The side of paddocks closest to the barn also happen to be the low sides, next to the drain tile, get the muddiest. Not going to waste hay feeding on that. Tire feeders are on the high side of paddock.

Throwing is more work than I need to do, when standing beside the feeders. Horses then circulate among the feeders, with some friends sharing, others eating alone. There is one tire feeder out for each horse.

The small wagon works fine in dry weather, ground is smooth, saves gas though Gator is EXTREMELY frugal with fuel. Don't take the Gator in deep snow, axle is too low, tires can't reach the ground. Then we also dig out the plastic toboggan for getting hay to the feeders.

Save your shoulder's wear and tear for unavoidable jobs like stall cleaning. Give up hay and bale throwing, or shorten your shoulder using time. I have never heard of so many folks needing shoulder repair until I got on COTH, even from rabid Baseball players.

[classicsporthorses]

We too either use the truck, wagon-which can hold 6 bales, or the sled in the winter.

I can walk wtih one in each hand to carry it out if it's too muddy to get the cart into the pasture. I guess I was talking about the actual distribution once the strings are cut.

Do you have a pattern or is it just toss and go. It sounds like most of you set in certain piles etc.

Sometimes when we get rather silly we play "biggest Loser" challenge and see who can get their said bales out to their pasture and distributed the quickest-Heck you have to do something to make chores fun!

[Hear_my_echo]

The way I've seen it done most often is to hang big, small holed hay nets on either the fence, or on posts in the pasture.

[ChocoMare]

Put whole, uncut bale into trusty Rubbermaid Tough Cart.

Wheel out to pasture. Cut strings.

Every 20 - 30 feet, plop a flake. Continue as far out in the pasture as possible till done.

:D

On the rare occasions I throw it, I instantly remember why I don't usually throw it. COUGH, HACK, COUGH, ACK..... Hay doesn't go down well. :lol:

[BeastieSlave]

I took the "throw" part to mean "distribute" and I don't toss the hay any higher than my waist if I can help it. I agree that wearing hay isn't really fashionable or comfortable :D

:lol: Being a person who has been known to launch 1/4 bale (well, the part that didn't end up on/in my clothes) over the fence and beyond, I took throw to mean THROW.

[KSAQHA]

I don't have too far to haul, so I use a wheelbarrow to haul bales out the back door of the barn. Also divide bales for 5 horses into 3 huge rubber (not Rubbermaid) water tanks, otherwise, massive waste if fed off the ground, IME. I leave the drain plugs out so they're easier to drain after rain/snow.