High Hay Costs Push Up Cases of Horse Abandonment

[lawndart]

Another view on why hay is so expensive

Months ago I posted on here that hay prices would be rising because of the increase in the price of diesel fuel, and fertilizer. I got a 'yeah so what' response Horse people have to start thinking farther ahead. Between development, and the aging of the farm population, its not going to get any better. If farmers know there is a demand for good quality hay ahead of time they will meet that need, if at all possible. It takes a couple of years to get a really good field of Timothy producing unless weather conditions are optimal. Talk to your local farmers, farm bureau members, feed store, etc. You have to get your need for hay out there for them to act upon.

DH and I make our own hay for my horses and my boarders, plus a few cows to eat the bales not good enough. Our kids have always helped, we put away between 3000 to 5000 bales in 6 week time window. Now, oldest son, who was the biggest help, is in the Navy. Daughter is in college, hopefully she will be home enough to help this summer. Youngest son is going to have to work harder than ever. How we are going to do this once they are all gone, well, we talk about it all the time. No one wants to do this type of work anymore. And the liability of having untrained people around moving farm machinery... I won't do round bales, I'm not a fan of them for many reasons.

If anyone has ever made hay, they would not complain about the rising cost of it. We have been lucky for many, many years to have such affordable hay, considering the time, labor, and hope put into a ton of hay.

You HOPE that your new seedings will not get frozen out or wither away in drought conditions

You HOPE that fertilizer will not go up in costs, again. Same for seed cost. Same for cost of twine.

You HOPE that your baler that is over 30 years old will make it another year. Ditto for tractor/rake/tedder/hay elevator.

You HOPE that no one essential to making the hay (in my case DH) gets ill or hurt in haying season.

You HOPE that no one schedules an important event, like weddings, graduations, family reunions in the middle of haying season, cause its not likely you will get to go. I also HOPE my daughter doesn't have a rodeo that weekend. IF she does, we stay home to make hay. Screws up her points, but the horses gotta eat.

You HOPE AND PRAY that the weather will co-operate. Not only do you have to time the cutting of hay correctly (before it goes into heads) you have to depend on an accurate weather forecast. Where I live, it takes three days from cutting to harvesting, unless we have exceptional drying weather. We have had 20 acres of beautiful hay laying, HOURS away from harvesting, and been 'blessed' with an unpredicted rainfall. Its enough to make you weep.

Then, when you are able to bale it, you work a 14 to 18 hour day, because you still have a real job (hay won't support you and your family), and horses of your own to feed. Sometimes I'm so tired after a day running from sun to well after sunset, I fall asleep the second I sit down. DH has his own business that has nothing to do with farming, so he is even more stressed. Despite being filthy with hay dirt/grease from the baler/elevator/pto, taking a shower almost seems like too much work.

I just can't have a lot of sympathy for people bitching about paying $5 a bale for excellent quality hay. Heck, around here people don't want to pay $2 a bale for great hay. So what is my incentive to make any to sell to anyone else? Just so I can have people call to come for hay, then not show up? Want to come on a Sunday because its a good time for them, but not caring that its not a good time for us? So I can have them complain that they have to load their own truck? Or DEMAND two bales in exchange for the one bale they ended up with that was NQR? Screw that, we no longer sell to the public. And I know plenty of others that feel the same way. Farmers are all eventually going to sell thru auctions/feed stores/or sell entire crop in one go. Then where will the horse owner go? Why to the feed store to pay $10 a bale for medium quality hay. And it will be no ones fault but their own.

Whew! I feel better now!

I know someone will have to either tell me I'm totally wrong, or flame me for this post. If you do, you had better have made a lot of hay in the past, or at least have a clue of the effort/time/ and expense involved.

[SaddleFitterVA]

Lawndart,

I have helped make hay, for many summers.

Your post rings true. It sounds like all the other topics though.

FOR ALL READING:

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

Obviously, most people participating in this thread have their own farm, or need to plan for their own horse's feeding. If we go read the boarding threads, we can see how Ms. Snarky COTH horse owner is unhappy with how expensive it is to board, because she knows it only costs $xx to buy the hay and grain, and her Dobbin only eats a handful.

Or, how expensive it is to hire someone to haul.

Or how expensive the vet is.

Or how expensive the farrier is.

Or how expensive the trainer fees are.

Or how expensive the entry fees are.

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

I have a couple of boarders. I like the company. But, I do know that they have no delusions of the "grand life" of having a farm.

I've heard all the arguments on why people who have invested in a farm should be subsidizing those who choose to not invest in a farm (they are paying off a mortgage, they live there anyway, blah blah), but, those are the people who are welcome to head out and buy their own 10 acre farmette, and be responsible 365 days a year.

Either you decide to trim your budget in other places or keep horses less extravagantly. Don't show, own your own rig (a pricey proposition), go to farrier school, buy enough land to make your own hay (I could buy hay for the next 20 years for what it would cost me to buy the equipment to make hay), learn all those things and be self-sufficient and don't pay other people. Go live in MN.

Mel

[3fatponies]

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

Obviously, most people participating in this thread have their own farm, or need to plan for their own horse's feeding. If we go read the boarding threads, we can see how Ms. Snarky COTH horse owner is unhappy with how expensive it is to board, because she knows it only costs $xx to buy the hay and grain, and her Dobbin only eats a handful.

Or, how expensive it is to hire someone to haul.

Or how expensive the vet is.

Or how expensive the farrier is.

Or how expensive the trainer fees are.

Or how expensive the entry fees are.

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

Great post!! I think two of the biggest misconceptions out there are this: 1. Boarding is a great way to make easy money; 2. Anyone with the space should be thrilled to offer boarding when approached.

Aaaah, yeah, riiiiight....

[buckeyerev]

As one who grew up on a farm in NE Ohio, I know how much work is involved in making hay!!! My dad is in his 70's now and still is making square bale hay for horse customer's. Here is how it works. The day he plans to bale, he calls his customers (he has loyal following) and informs them to ready waiting with thier trucks in the field around 5-6 p.m. They either load directly into thier truck beds or hook onto the loaded wagons and haul it to thier own barn. After they unload, they bring back the wagon. These nice people help us as they are waiting for thier load. It's a cash on the spot deal. The hay is PAID for prior to leaving the field or it doesn't leave. We cut down the field with a haybine, then use a tedder, then rake and finally bale. Don't forget the tractor and wagons. So, you need at least 6 pieces of equipment just to get started. Everything needs maintained and let's not forget all the stuff that breaks in the field while you're watching dark rain clouds fast approach!!!! AGGHHHH!!!!!

[SKlove]

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

Obviously, most people participating in this thread have their own farm, or need to plan for their own horse's feeding. If we go read the boarding threads, we can see how Ms. Snarky COTH horse owner is unhappy with how expensive it is to board, because she knows it only costs $xx to buy the hay and grain, and her Dobbin only eats a handful.

Or, how expensive it is to hire someone to haul.

Or how expensive the vet is.

Or how expensive the farrier is.

Or how expensive the trainer fees are.

Or how expensive the entry fees are.

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.


Mel

Thank you.. in terms compeleltly unrealated to this thread.
I'm so sick of people complaining how expensive everything is.
Hello, you are paying for another living this to live, and thrive in certain coniditons.
It's expensive.
You knew that getting into the sport.
Live with it.
My favorite is when people complain about lesson prices.
Without the realization that trainers have to pay for these horses to live and in many cases the horses cost more for them to live then the trainer to live themselves.
AND my other favorite is..
If you can't afford lessons, then why, why, prey tell are you thinking about buying another horse?!

[MSP]

I'm not sure I understand this concept. Hay is made in the summer, so somebody is stock piling the hay.

The last of my 2005 hay was still in the barn when my 2006 delivery came in, and it was still lovely. Green and fresh.

I built so that I could have storage. I love having my hay needs satisfied without stressing about it.

Hay is more expensive this year, but fuel prices drove that up. As for county and his frozen land of cheap hay, he can have it . I visited MN over New Year's in 2005 and that is one COLD place.

Last year when the hay ran out I had to feed one year old bale and it had ½ inch dust on it and I had to soak it in water to feed it.

I have horses and feed in the same barn. The horses run in and out day and night kicking up dust. Dust settles on everything. If I stock up and buy too much it will be junk by the next year and it will be taking up space in my barn.

I have one horse that needs hay for maybe three months sometimes just two months. So all I really need is say 12 bales of hay for the year. I would just prefer to buy two bales of hay every two weeks when I buy feed.

[SaddleFitterVA]

I'd say that at the rate of 12 bales per year for consumption, you don't need to worry about buying in bulk.
I buy several hundred bales a year, and if I had less grass, I'd need over a thousand. A couple of dollars difference in price per bale is one thing if it is 12 bales a year ($24) versus 1000 ($2000).

You could drape a tarp over the hay to keep the dust off. Put blocks of wood to keep it elevated so it doesn't trap moisture, and if you feed that little, you might want to get one of those camping hay bags for the couple of bales you do have.

[TripleRipple]

I feel rather lucky, my round bales are 1100 lbs or so, and they are 18 to 21/ bale
even with inexpensive hay, horses are still underfed and abandoned.
It is the mindset of the people.

It is absolutely the mindset. Again, locally where that article originated, you can buy round bales for horses too. Even despite the bad weather we had during our haying season - true, that the usual haying idiots lost their crops. And some of the good guys had way less than the premium product they usually do - but many of those got one more cutting in the fall because the weather cut them a good break then (which leveled the prices back out again). I don't use round bales, but all my neighbors do - their horses are thriving on it. No, it is not going for $170 or the $200/ton that man in the article claimed it was.

I am sure there will be a few people who sell or give away their horses due to increases in costs. People do that whenever the economy goes down - not just related to horse costs. However, to truly abandon a horse instead, like they do out here in the national forests is something done by sickos, without regard to expenses. Usually done to an old or injured horse that is now "useless". They tie them up to the trees out there, so the horse a) won't try to follow them home, and b) so that the cougars can finish off the job easily. Imagine what they do to ensure that. I can't talk about what I've read, it makes me so sick. That is NOT because of hay costs. It isn't something a farmer or rancher does either - the ones I know that have horses that can't be used put them down (either with a gun shot or a vet shot - now, whether you agree or not, it is never done inhumanely, like the sickos do in these "abandonment" cases).

But that article wanted to highlight that rescue's "plight" by misleadingly picking up on rising hay costs. That kind of ticks me off, because right now many people are legitmately suffering because of haying problems (and job problems), but no, they aren't abandoning their horses. They are generally rising to the occasion to do the best they can, or at least trying to find homes if they really can't (lost jobs, etc).

The story should have been about that - how people are being very responsible despite the rise in costs. The sickos who abandon horses should appear in the stories reserved for all manner of sick human behavior (like the pit bull shot in the head, but found alive by hunters and rescued in Oregon just a bit ago, horses dragged behind trucks, and the like).

[catknsn]

SaddleFitter, great post. I used to have the ideal situation - I owned the hayfields, and the guy next door did the baling - he got half, I got half. Now that I buy hay, it's a challenge to find quality hay and you do get exactly what you pay for. But when you think about it, my 2 horses eat in alfalfa in a week far less than what I used to waste buying frappucinos. Most people have the money somewhere - it's just a question of what you are willing to give up in a hard year (cable TV? coffee? new shoes?). Sadly, some people choose to simply short the horses on food and/or abandon them.

[philosoraptor]

Just got this from thehorse.com

I could see this happening if there was no hay but just high prices is shocking to me.

The horse is the biggest load of bullshyte when it comes to the issue of slaughter.

AAEP = one of the key lobbyist groups pushing to keep slaughter the "humane answer" to anyone with an unwanted horse

The Horse = the mouthpiece of AAEP

I am so ticked off by their slanted articles.... it's fine if they're a political magazine but their image is a "horse health" periodical. Keep your political agenda out of a science magazine, AAEP.

P.S. Notice how the most recent issue has to very blatant anti-slaughterban editorial letters and zero defending the ban or at least taking a balanced middle ground. I know for a fact they recieved editorial letters clarifying the slaughter ban and/or slaughter issues. Where are these letters, The Horse?

P.P.S Notice me sending in my subscription cancellation notice with a note explaining politely I'd rather not pay money to read a special-interest group's spin on things. Makes me wonder what else the magazine is slanting? If they spin stories this much for the AAEP, it makes me wonder what other fact they're quietly omitting for their sponsors and 'friends' ?



Edited to say: my point is that The Horse keeps pushing stories about how horses are starving and so many are unwanted, as if this is a new disaster looming in the next few monts. Then they use it to add "sure is a good thing slaughter is legal to help out all these poor bankrupt horse owners who can not longer afford hay".

[bauhaus]

Lawndart,

I have helped make hay, for many summers.

Your post rings true. It sounds like all the other topics though.

FOR ALL READING:

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

Obviously, most people participating in this thread have their own farm, or need to plan for their own horse's feeding. If we go read the boarding threads, we can see how Ms. Snarky COTH horse owner is unhappy with how expensive it is to board, because she knows it only costs $xx to buy the hay and grain, and her Dobbin only eats a handful.

Or, how expensive it is to hire someone to haul.

Or how expensive the vet is.

Or how expensive the farrier is.

Or how expensive the trainer fees are.

Or how expensive the entry fees are.

Newsflash

Horses are expensive.

I have a couple of boarders. I like the company. But, I do know that they have no delusions of the "grand life" of having a farm.

I've heard all the arguments on why people who have invested in a farm should be subsidizing those who choose to not invest in a farm (they are paying off a mortgage, they live there anyway, blah blah), but, those are the people who are welcome to head out and buy their own 10 acre farmette, and be responsible 365 days a year.

Either you decide to trim your budget in other places or keep horses less extravagantly. Don't show, own your own rig (a pricey proposition), go to farrier school, buy enough land to make your own hay (I could buy hay for the next 20 years for what it would cost me to buy the equipment to make hay), learn all those things and be self-sufficient and don't pay other people. Go live in MN.

Mel

Others already have, but I'm thanking you for this post too!

Yes it's expensive, it's always been expensive, and it's always going to be expensive! As the population of our country grows, land prices are going to go up higher and higher everywhere. It has nothing to do with "evil" developers or land owners who sell to developers. It's completely inevitable unless our population levels out, which it won't. You can go farther and farther out away from high density population areas, but eventually the population is going to move into farmland b/c there's nowhere else for them to go. I am seeing suburbia move at a frightening pace towards agricultural areas in middle TN. Just since I moved my horse to her current barn a little over a year ago, I have seen 3 major subdivisions pop up on former farmland on 1 road alone! I hate to see it, but the reason it happens is b/c our economy is good, new businesses are moving into the area all the time, and the population is growing.

I have been on both sides of the boarding/taking care of a farm (not my own - my parents' farm) scenario. I truly appreciate all that barn owners/managers/hay growers, etc. do! I know it's hard, and I will happily pay my ever increasing board bill b/c I know what I'm getting for the $. If the time comes at some point when I can no longer afford my board bill, then I will be forced to make a hard decision about my horse. This is no one's fault, and everyone is in the same boat regarding the expense of keeping a horse whether you board or have your own farm.

[county]

Horses are expensive?

Thats only true if you choose them to be for us they make a large share of out living.

BTW May s not everything is about slaughter. And be honest do you really think theres no publications that are slanted to the other side of the issue?

[MistyBlue]

Cost of horse keeping depends largely on the part of the country you're in. I'm in Ct...you aren't touching an acre of land in Ct for under $100k unless it's all wetlands. (meaning unbuildable) There are 4 lots in my town for sale right now...all 2 acre lots. All 4 of them are between 70-80% wetlands. All 4 of them are $259,900. Each. Raw wet land, with ledge under the wet and buried in trees. Poplar trees...crap trees not worth anything.
We had a crapola growing year for the little bit of hay fields we have left in this state. We probably lost a good 70% of the hay crop for the year. So now our hay prices are through the rooof, or we pay an arm and leg to bring it in from a few states over. Putting up fencing alone can be expensive since we can't drive posts...the ledge shatters them. We auger the holes...a few inches then stop and use crow bars to yank out rocks, auger a few more inches...repeat process all day long. Most lots are heavily wooded...clearing and destumping takes forever and the usually requires tons of grading, swales, drainage ditches and french or curtain drains. Oh, and dry wells to catch the run off. Ya know, so it doesn't run into our wetlands. Those can only have Wetland Original Wet Stuff I guess. Putting up buildings...well many of us don't have hay storage buildings because many towns require a solid foundation for buildings over certain sizes...so they can be permanant structures that get taxed. I want to put up a hay shed...the foundation for that would cost me between $6-$8k for just the foundation. (try digging in wet ledge)
In all honesty after adding in the taxes for property I have no idea why Ct has so many darned horses per capita. We must all be crazy.

[hb]

People are in control of the situation of development. Don't buy, developers will not develope what does not sell.

But the people who buy and the people who want it to remain open and farms are not the same people. If everyone who posted on COTH refused to buy in a development it would not make a difference.

There are easily thousands more people happy to buy a crappy oversized house crammed from lot line to lot line in a soulless development named Brooksidemountaincreekviewvista than there are people who give a rip whether there is enough hay to feed the livestock next year.

I've only got 5 acres, but one cutting would be enough to supply almost all of my horse's hay for a year. I'm hoping to get the time to weed/seed/fertilize next year and get some better grass growing - there are a couple of guys in the area that will come bale your pasture for $2-$3/bale. I'm thinking that's the "right" thing to do, not just to save money on feed but also to leave more "commercial" hay available for those who don't have a field to bale.

[county]

And those people have no reason to give a rip. But the excuse horse people not buying won't make a differance is a cop out. Just as farmers who complain about developers wrecking the farm industry then turning around and selling their farms to them are. Either you beleive something or you don't.

[nightsong]

Hb, I think that getting your own field(s) cut for hay is not onlllly the "right thing to do" ENVIRONMENTALLY, but the ONLY way you can be sure of quality control.

[hb]

Not a cop out. A cop out would be, well, my choice doesn't matter so I'll just buy the house in the development. I am doing what I believe in - keeping my horse at home, bought a 50+ year old smaller house instead of a huge wasteful new construction in a development, and yet, those developments keep getting built. Me living here in my old home is not making a difference. Yeah, I'm living on "only" five acres, but it was subdivided up over 30 years ago and the current zoning in this area is 35 acres to build a new home. The urban development boundary is 3 miles away, and whenever there is something on the ballot to extend that boundary or enable the agricultural land here to be developed I vote against it.

But the developments are still being built. Me not buying one of those houses had absolutely NO impact on the developer. Not a cop out, just the truth.

Years back I lived in a small, older community on a river, and a developer bought the land across the river, planning to develop in the flood plain and put in dikes etc to contain the river, destroying salmon habitat and increasing flooding downstream. I was on the board of a community group that was trying to get environmental studies done before the building was started. We had less than $1,000 in our legal fund, the developer had millions, the houses were built and this year the flooding downstream was worse than they've ever seen.

Until they start making fewer people house in the development.
developments are going to keep going up.

BTW, I'm helping in that area too, I haven't produced anyone for the next generation. No problem with anyone who chooses to do so themselves, it's your own choice, but I personally decided not to add to the population. But there are still plenty more people here than there were a few years back, and when their kids get older they'll be needing homes.

[hb]

Hb, I think that getting your own field(s) cut for hay is not onlllly the "right thing to do" ENVIRONMENTALLY, but the ONLY way you can be sure of quality control.

Yeah, the load of hay I bought this year is pretty crappy and weedy, I could have gotten hay of the same quality out of my own field without doing anything to it.

Usually the hay is much better, wonder if this is the result of the hay shortage out here.

[philosoraptor]

Not everyone will agree with me, but part of me says that hay prices should go up. Land prices go up, fuel and fertilizer go up, and even little things like the health insurance the farmer has to buy for himself go up. At the same time I'm still buying squarebales for $2.25, probably the same rate this farmer has been charging for years.

Some days I wonder why any farmers in my county would struggle to make ends meet. Taxes are skyrocketing. If they sold now they could get literally millions for some of these farms. Most of the farmers are older and could retire in such comfort instead. New people can never hope to afford farms here. Even just 5 acres here has become a big luxury.

Yet I selfishly hope they never develop the beautiful farms or raise my own horse's hay prices.

Either way as a horse owner I recognize that some years hay & grain will fluctuate up and down. And this year it's the grain increase that's hurting me more... 50-75+ cents a bag in just a few weeks time!

May s not everything is about slaughter. And be honest do you really think theres no publications that are slanted to the other side of the issue?

Name one major horse publication that poses to be factual/science while at the same time slanting against slaughter each issue (and in sneaky little ways?) Bet you a cold beer you can't do it.

Either it's not covered, or they gloss over it briefly mentioning both sides.

It's not that they've got political views saving all these horses from this 'impending starvation/abandonment crisis'. It's that they disguise the magazine as health science, but keep slipping their agenda in. It's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[county]

You honestly beleive theres no publications that are anti slaughter? That none have an agenda against horse slaughter? Come on be honest about it.