The nights are getting chilly, and the ponies are getting fuzzier! I can't believe the summer is over already. The pastures are getting low, and the ponies are starting to eat more hay. I actually find their hay patterns really interesting.

I feed anywhere from 10-25 pounds of hay per horse at various points throughout the year. Usually in the summer, they are on pasture in the mornings and early evenings with a little bit of hay during the afternoon and then more overnight. Then during the winter they eat all hay, up to 25 pounds on the coldest winter days.

I find weighing hay to be VERY important. The 10-25 pounds translates to 5-18 flakes sometimes depending on the bales. I know many people can estimate the weight of flakes just by feel and vary according to that, but I also know barns that feed a flat number of flakes a day, no matter what the horse and no matter what the weather. I mean, how on earth can you do that if one flake weighs 1 pound vs. 5 pounds and depending on if it is summer vs. winter?!