It's not a fun time to be running a horse boarding biz if you operate a facility in drought stricken regions of the USA. Managing the supply chain for horse feed and forage is hard enough most years with its variances in price and quality, but 2022/2023 promises to be harder than ever.
The first challenge is to find any 2nd cut at all. Many barns utilize 2nd cut over 1st as many horse owners prefer it due to its generally higher nutritional value. Though with farmers facing fertilizer cost increases of more than 500 percent, the usual process of adding fertilizer to the hayfields directly after the 1st cut if off the fields may not be as prevalent a practice as most years. Those producers that did spend the money on fertilizer may see little result as the dry weather kicked in negating some of its benefits.
Switching to a 1st cut supply might help, as theoretically there is more 1st cut available than 2nd, but as 2022 saw an early take of 1st cut due to good weather, yields for most producers were significantly down. So supply is not as high as usual there either although in general the quality was up.
What is an operator of a horse boarding biz to do to fill the forage need for the horses in their care, custody and control?
Our article in the September issue of Catskill Horse magazine addresses the hay hassles and hustles that can help mitigate the issue. Take a look. It's well worth the read.
Many barn owners are already forewarning their clients that there will be no hay fed during turnout times this winter, but that is short sighted.
The horses will simply lose condition, begin infighting and start chewing on fences and the pasture condition whatever it currently is will suffer. A better protocol may be to add a surcharge to the boarding bill ( giving lots of advance notice), so that supplies can be purchased.
The USDA recently published a scholarly filler article that surprised this author. It basic advice was to 'stock up early'. For many horse barn owners or managers the option of stocking up early is hampered by both cash flow and storage capacity for hay supplies. Though I agree it is a solid idea if you can manage it. But the cost of hay even now as we approach Fall is steadily on the rise, and many producers are already sold out.
Naturally the hay dealers are fully aware of the situation and are stockpiling supplies to release later in the year, when the market prices will increase due to their manipulation of supply. This happens every year of course and is nothing new. Hay supplies suddenly become available later in the year as certain quantities are released into the market but at premium prices. Those prices increasing steadily as winter progresses and 'apparent' supplies dwindle.
There is no question that the trials and tribulations of running a horse boarding operation will be harder than ever to navigate this year but folks should get used to it. Climate change is here to stay and securing supplies is only going to become harder as a result.
The average hay farmer isn't happy either - this year will be extremely tough for many as the 2nd cut is so scarce and many farmers won't see any income for 2nd cut as a result.
Meantime finding replacement parts for tractors and ancillary hay making machinery is a challenge for hay producers. For example: A simple radiator for a Ford New Holland tractor on our farm was a whopping $2600 without installation and there were only 2 available in the entire country. Installation another $1200 - $1500 was quoted by a dealer and it was to take 2 weeks to complete.
Horses need forage and we need farmers. Don't forget to thank your local hay supplier for their efforts to keep your horses fed. Hay production is always a rough process but this year is rougher than many for many!
