Nikki’s Notes: Manage Your Horsey Housework By Grand Prix Competitor/Coach/Clinician and Published Author Nikki Alvin-Smith

Nikki’s Notes: Manage Your Horsey Housework By Grand Prix Competitor/Coach/Clinician and published author Nikki Alvin-Smith

 

I simply love spending time in the barn. While some jobs are less favored than others, I am very content to complete the majority of the horsey housekeeping tasks. But most equestrians want more time riding and less time barn cleaning. For me, the meditational moments of mucking out a stall can be a peaceful interlude but for many horse owners they find the daily chores are time-consuming necessities that take valuable training time away from their precious hours at the barn. 

 

A tidy barn is not only more pleasurable to use, but it also offers a more professional impression to visitors. A cluttered environment can also add stress, so keeping things tidy can help you focus and feel more peaceful in your barn.

 

Here are some tidy-up tips as a horse barn owner that you can employ to maximize efficiency and safety around the horse barn.

 

 

Make A Smart Site Choice

 

When you park at the supermarket you generally try to park close to the entrance doors. This saves time and effort walking back and forth with bags of groceries. Think the same way when siting your barn and the adjunct use areas. Careful selection of spaces not just for parking, but placement locations for manure storage, hay and bedding supplies and distances to turn-out paddocks, is a must do in the design phase.

 

The most common site design for a busy working horse facility, is to place the barn centrally on the site and span out the paddocks around the structure. But this is not always viable due to the restrictions of topography, geology and geography of the property. As a Portuguese fisherman once said to me when de-boning a complex fish for dinner, “You have to learn to work with the fish.” This is especially true if you have inherited a horse farm already built and designed by someone else. Existing farms can be improved with a little imagination. Review how you use the barn on a daily basis and eliminate those things that annoy you most or that cause the most problems. It could be an improvement as simple as adding a new gate to one side of a paddock or replacing worn heavy wooden entrance doors to the barn with sliding metal ones.

 

Minor changes are usually not expensive to make. You can have a concrete pad enclosed by three side walls installed for shavings storage or manure staging close to a barn that offers a drive-in option for efficient pick up utilizing a tractor with bucket attachment. Or have a ramp constructed with compacted materials that you can pull up to with a low-profile manure spreader on its downside to empty wheelbarrows of manure into the top. Sometimes a little ingenuity can save a big headache.

 

Consider the fire hazards and dust issues with siting combustible materials and supplies close to where the horses reside. Proximity of manure storage to the barn needs to be evaluated for its ease of use in all seasons. In summer, the choice of too close a site to the horse housing structure will encourage flies and other unwanted visitors to breed and infiltrate the barn, but if the manure site is too far away from the barn in winter in areas where there is significant snowfall, then manure removal can become difficult to manage over many months of cold weather. Best option for manure storage may be a transitional area where it can be temporarily stored and regularly removed.

 

Lose The Obstacle Course

 

There is nothing more annoying than having to move items back and forth to clean. Particularly when those objects are heavy or unwieldy to manage on your own.

 

Invest in a powerful vacuum with accessories that offer a good reach. Thankfully today you don’t even need to switch out filters to go from a dry vacuum to a wet vacuum. Which makes cleaning much simpler when you need to switch between tasks. While sweeping up with a broom is cheap, you are simply moving the dust and detritus around. Which is unhealthy for the respiratory well-being of you and your horses. Keeping floors clean will also minimize tracking of debris into tack rooms and feed rooms, saving the need for further cleaning.

 

Best practices for ease of cleaning are to keep blankets hung up and off the floor; place tack boxes in a designated space rather than in an aisleway; use collapsible saddle racks that mount on the wall;  place ropes/halters on bridle hangers by stall doors; hang tools like muck forks on the wall; elevate the bottom shelving for grooming/bathing supplies to a 12” or more off the floor so you can easily clean beneath at every turn.

 

It is also a good idea to avoid creation of hard-to-reach corners in the building as these will inevitably become a haven for spiders, vermin, snakes and other unwanted visitors. Instead place larger objects or items along a wall, rather than tucked in a corner spot.

 

 

 

Ditch The Water Problem

 

Snow melt, adverse weather conditions like unusually heavy rainfall, can all cause unexpected problems with flooding that require massive efforts to clean up. Try to get ahead of the issue by keeping gutters and downspouts clear of debris all year around and have overflow ditches in areas that are likely to be prone to excessive water run-off.

 

While these ditches may remain dry for much of the time, their immediate availability when they are needed is a boon for preventative care of any structure and its foundations. Running water run-off downhill to daylight away from paddocks, walkways and structures is a great way to discharge it.

 

Keep The Barn Bird and Bug Free

 

Ensure that soffits are guarded from intrusion and nesting by birds with wire mesh if you want to avoid cleaning up bird droppings from water buckets, floors and walls. Bird infestations can also spread disease such as West Nile and Avian Flu, so keeping your barn free of birds is a good idea.

 

Make repairs to window screens and door screens before the insect season arrives, to minimize having to clean windows and surfaces of flyspecks and cobwebs. Seal small holes and refresh caulk around window sills to keep insect ingress to a minimum.

 

Whenever you switch out light bulbs take the opportunity to give a thorough cleaning to the fixture and the surrounding area.

 

A Tidy Barn Is A Safe Barn

 

Even without a catastrophic event like evacuating horses from a barn in a fire event or a river breaching its banks and flooding a yard with torrents of water, the barn that is kept tidy will not only be more pleasurable to use, but it will also be safer. Fire safety measures and the ability to quickly batten down the hatches of a barn to keep animals safely confined to its interior are all good barn management practices.

 

In any emergency it is obviously advisable to have unobstructed exits, but even during daily tasks of leading a horse from A to B, the absence of obstacles in aisleways and by entrance doors offer another level of safety should the horse spook or crowd the handler’s space.

 

I was once complaining to my mother about the recurring routines that come as part of running a household and she gave me some sage advice.

 

“Do one bit of extra housework every day. Even that small extra chore you do in addition to the necessary daily ones stops it building up into a massive task.”

 

This works a treat.

 

The best ways to manage any task is by following a regular routine. And of course, get everyone to follow it!

 

 

All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2025 N. Alvin-Smith - Author 

 

 

 

New Year - 2026 Marks 14th Anniversary of Publication

2026 will mark the 14th year anniversary of the publication of Catskill Horse Magazine and The Merry Band at the Catskill Horse is very proud of that achievement.

 

Now reaching over 165,000 views per month the readership has blossomed far beyond the reaches of where it began in the mountains of New York's Western Catskills. What began as an earnest attempt to create a central hub for all equine enthusiasts in the Catskill Mountain region of Upstate New York now finds avid readers up and down the Eastern U.S. and even across the seas. 

Feature articles found among the digital pages include an impressive array of topics from advanced level dressage training advice that professional equestrians appreciate; to research overseas of horse breeds under threat of extinction and activities and events that readers interested across multiple equestrian disciplines can enjoy.  

Amazingly perhaps given the increase in expenses and the changes in the publishing world the magazine is still free to read for all. And it is still the community resource its original mission intended. The premise was to spread human-authored thought led advice and education from its band of dedicated volunteer contributing writers and the editorial features, news pages and event pages have all delivered on that original intent.

Over time writers have come and gone. Some have moved along to create their own marketing enterprises or advanced their writing careers where others have continued on their life journey in other directions. For each one that has made a contribution however big or small we thank you. 

Helping writers and horse aficionados navigate their careers has always been a central part of Catskill Horse's ideals. To have played a part, however small, in helping a writer gain confidence through publishing their works or by providing thoughtful, full reviews of their books in the Yay or Neigh review column is a wonderful ripple effect of working hard to create the magazine.

The expenses of producing the publication are in part covered by the stalwart advertisers, and in part underwritten by the publisher Horse in a Kilt Media Inc.

The intention was always to keep the magazine available to all, and to create a diverse and inclusive publication that would help horse people and of course then indirectly, horses themselves.

As Catskill Horse Magazine canters into 2026 we hope and expect that to be able to continue. Though for security purposes it may be necessary for readers to enter an email address to enter past a viewing wall in the future. That is all yet to be figured out. 

 

A heartfelt thank-you to you all dear readers, and of course to our advertisers, and to our band of contributing writers and IT professionals. 

The Merry Band at the Catskill Horse wish you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2026.

Catskill Horse Editor: Nikki Alvin-Smith

 

 

 

  

A Farmer's Life - Weather Woes For Hay Season 2025

Working with what Mother Nature dishes out comes with the territory in farming life and this summer season has thus far offered a menu of upsets in the weather forecast game.

 

Even when you've disseminated information from several different sources you find the variety and discord of so called weather models is so major that you simply can't figure out what to do about knocking down hay. 

Sadly local news stations like WTEN, an award-winning weather reporting team that was headed by the notable Steve Caporizzo, the former Chief Meteorologist at NEWS10 before his retirement last month, doesn't seem to ever mention weather as it regards to the farmer. Despite the Upstate New York regions heavy reliance on farming businesses. Meaning, give us percentiles and chances of rain and offer more specific regional coverage especially in farming areas the Catskills region rather than always focusing on population hubs like Albany.

Many regional farmers have 'gone for it' with mixed results - working against the forecast variances and calling their own forecast. Basically desperate to get the 1st cut in to try and salvage the 2nd cut being available at all.

 

There are plenty of hay crop losses to rain, and of course many other farming enterprises are suffering with other types of crop problems too. Flooding, drought areas, fungus/insect damage due to high moisture etc. If you own horses you've likely already experienced the clover 'dribbles' with your herd, as the abundance of both red and white clover due to the heavy Spring rainfall predominates across much pastureland.

It seems that farmers are always whining about the weather. I guess it's a reasonable assessment. Growing and harvesting crops is so weather dependent it's hard not to understand the preoccupation that farmers have on the topic. 

 

No wonder then that many hay farmers choose to eliminate both the need for handling small square bales and succumb to the use of herbicides and drying agents and preservative to harvest their dry hay crop. There are tremendous changes going on with big pharma and the harvesting methods of hay going on right now, alongside a bunch of other nefarious business practices coming your way. If you want to learn more on that topic check out this blog on, "Hey - What's Happening in the Hay Herbicide World".  Chemical uses including salts, explain a lot about your horse's gut health, ulcers, leaky gut syndrome, hives, COPD and the like and what likely you are inadvertently doing to contribute to your horse's likelihood in developing these issues. 

 

It's a bit sad really. To see the smaller Mom and Pop farmers go out. Send their haying equipment off to auction and quit the business. Sell their land out for quarrying then development. But not too surprising either. Agricultural machines are expensive to buy, run and maintain. The cost of parts has almost tripled in many cases. Plus the ever rising cost of insurance, and the administrative burdens of collecting forms and tax for state governments. It's truly hard to make ends meet for many.

Labor wise many farmers find their family help all grown and flown the nest, little interested in taking on the very hard work that farming is and that they have experienced first hand.

Clearly horse barn owners running boarding businesses are struggling to make ends meet too - it's not just livestock farmers and dairy businesses. 

So - weather woes aside, the days of hay farming for the smaller enterprises are no doubt numbered. Artisan quality hay is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. 

There are simply too many clouds on the horizon.

 

It will be a very sad farewell. And for those of us who appreciate what our equine athletes need to reach their full potential, we won't have a place to turn for clean, green and non-chemical forage. And that truly is something worth whining about.

 

 

 

Canadian Hay In Your Barn??

If you buy hay from Canada to feed your livestock or in particular, horses, then you certainly know that a substantial price increase is highly likely in the coming months.  

Willowview Hill Farm, Stamford NY - Top quality horse hay organically grown and harvested in the Catskill Mountains of NY

 

Competition for hay sales from the Canadian market has always impacted U.S. farmers. At times of drought or extreme wet weather its import may have saved their bacon, but at most times the imports provide stiff competition for the farmers south of the Canadian border.

It is particularly difficult for farmers in States that are closest to this large production to compete with the imported hay that comes across the border. But it looks set for that to change.

As a New York horse hay farmer, I know keeping an eye on market forces is very important if our small farm is going to survive another year making artisan small square bales for the equine marketplace. There are many influences on hay prices and they are all set to promote higher prices as far as we can ascertain right now.

Mother Nature Can Be Kind Or Cruel

 

Aside from the imported hay competition, farms face many other rising costs. Not least of which is a 30% rise in insurance costs that has hit us again this year. Thankfully oil prices are lower. But repair costs for equipment are staggeringly high. And costs for fertilizer is even worse. As we farm organically the chemical fertilizer factor doesn't enter into our equation, but that is not true for most hay producers. Almost all round bales contain chemical preservatives too, so their expense will also need to be accounted for in the price.

Like many farmers we fix and mend what we can, but issues like a blown gear box on the discbine or a major tractor repair, can set a farmer back thousands and thousands of dollars, before the first blade of grass is even cut.

Hay equipment is expensive to buy and expensive to maintain

 

Of course, things don't break when you aren't using them, so we can expect more interruptions to hay production aside from the obvious one that is thrown at us every year by Mother Nature. The weather!

Like many, there is always the consideration to quit farming altogether. The demographic showcases that farmers are aging up and out of the business. It is sincerely hard work. And a roller-coaster experience of fighting with the weather, the machinery and the unknown factors that haunt the bottom line throughout the year can burn out even the most optimistic and hardworking individuals. It is a profession with a high injury factor and health risk too, and medical expenses are also through the barn roof for many.

So all in all I'd say take a good hold of the reins on your hay budget and expect a helluva ride. Because while we are bouncing about in the fields making hay while the sun shines, come Fall the clouds will be gathering as prices likely increase significantly. The only good news for hay farmers is that perhaps without the competition from large Canadian hay producers, they will have a shot at better margins for sales pricing overall to cover their own rising expenses.

When you see hay prices hit new highs, don't be surprised. Forewarned is forearmed. Stock up when you see good hay available on the market and buy the best quality you can to minimize waste. Don't fall prey to making false economies with poor quality horse hay that just brings a vet bill and a lot of mess to clean up come Spring. 

Come winter you'll need to be stocked up

 

 

 

Winter Horse Training Tips 

 

When winter finally arrives - and it will - motivation to keep your horses in full training can often wane. 

 

There are many stellar reasons to take a step back and modify the training schedule. Not just you, but also your horses would likely appreciate an abbreviated work program. One that allows them some respite and downtime to refresh. 

 

In the North-East U.S.A, inclement weather often makes for a slip/slide affair on outside arenas. Those blessed with access to an indoor arena are obviously much more inclined to keep a full work program on point than those folks that need to work around snow and ice and dark evenings with no lights outside.

Professional trainers will often opt for heading South, Florida and South Carolina being the most popular destinations. You only have to look at the events calendar on our publication to see that the Florida Winter Circuit is already to go. With just a small list of local events to attend, the page is full of tempting sunny locations for winter work and competition.

Horses do seem to actually love the winter. And do enjoy keeping some level of activity up under saddle to keep their minds busy and bodies active.

Willowview Hill Farm, located in Stamford NY, keeps all horses in training all winter long. And even Grand Prix horses like this one enjoy long turnouts.

But what training can you do to keep your horses ticking over during winter months and how best can you take advantage of the quieter moments on the farm? Here are some tips on how to accomplish that - 

Winter is....

 

A great time to train your young horses to longe and free longe. Boot and wrap them if needs be to avoid injury from slipping over or catching a hoof with a shoe, but get them active.

 

 

 

An opportunity to take advantage of breaks in the weather to get out in the fields and ride. The fresh air is good for the lungs for both horse and rider. The horse has a long neck so cold air is not a big problem for the healthy horse.

Often a peaceful time at the barn - these quieter times offer more opportunity for training new tasks where the horse can focus wholly on the rider, without interruption from others using the space. Try and pick those very quiet times for best results. Added bonus, it is always good for any horse to be used to working in a space alone versus company.

Winter is also a great time for social equine horse events that include a good dose of education. Here our very own publisher, Horse in a Kilt Media's Paul Alvin-Smith - Grand Prix dressage trainer, is training an ANCCE Andalusian stallion at home 

(above photo) and also can be found out and about regularl giving clinics (below photos).

 

Always park your horse trailer in a handy, accessible location and keep the snow plowed out for easy hook up. Even if you are not going to a clinic it is always important to have it handy in case of an emergency.

Don't forget to clear the 'clutter' from horse areas, especially those where you plan to exercise your horse. Safety first!

Take advantage of winter riding gear to ensure you are comfortable temperature wise - otherwise you will be tense when you ride and that will translate into a tense horse beneath you. Insulated/heated riding boots, heated vests/jackets, ear warmers and of course, gloves!

 

 

Professional Horse Trainers Halt Video/Photo Recording

 

 

There is a new movement afoot in professional horse training circles to restrict videography and photography - to contain the message or conversation of the horse trainer's private process and progress working with horses. Folks may ask what are they hiding?

Training horses means taking full responsibility for their well-being. Exuberant behavior in the horse should be expected and his joyful attitude celebrated not subdued but it must for safety's sake sometimes be curtailed or contained.

 

 

There will be misunderstandings on both sides of the partnership. Both horse and rider will make mistakes. How much should you push your horse and when? Some horses will help you decide by giving an emphatic 'No' to your requests. But others are more vulnerable. It is essential as a trainer to protect those horses that can't or don't say, " No!"

When out and about giving clinics, hubbie Paul and I often see riders that are simply trying to hard to make things happen. The horse will (in most cases) simply shut down. I don't believe that horses are unwilling to work unless they lack understanding of the task or don't have the physical or mental wherewithal to complete the ask. And it should be an ask, not a threat or a punishment. But there are also those very special horses that will give their all and not stop giving even if it costs them physically or mentally.

 

As a trainer of horses you must be disciplined. And not just by following a schedule and turning up for work, but also by not allowing emotion to cloud your judgement. Just as temper and impatience has no place in training a horse, neither does over-zealous activity born of an emotional high that makes us keep asking for more and more effort from our 4-legged partner. 

If we are training our horses correctly the majority of the process will go smoothly. But there will be bumps in the road. Moments when 1500 lbs of horseflesh put us in danger. Moments when we must be proactive in how we react and read a situation. A preemptive strike or rather action.

This new pattern emerging among professional horse trainers to not allow video or photography at their stables or training clinics is gaining hoof hold. 

I have long held the belief that video and photography should be limited to the rider's use and not held for publication online. Moments of training taken out of context can easily be misread and there are an increasing number of armchair critics that frankly have no clue what they are talking about. 

Also trainers wish to protect their knowledge to some degree. It is a profession and they earn a living charging for their services. Why should they share it for free unless they wish to do so?

What do you think about a trainer who won't let you record what you see on recording devices and allow you to share openly online?

  

 

When To Quit Your Horse Business

According to the recent report from the American Horse Council the horse industry is alive and kicking. And not only does the horse industry continue to grow and develop, it's economic impact on other sectors are a whopping $122 billion. This total added value in 2023 shows a massive increase from the 2017 total of $122 billion. 

 

The same recently released report (which you can find here), also stated that there was a slight reduction in the horse population from the $7.2 million recorded in 2017 to $6.6 million in 2023. Are horse breeders stepping down and out of the industry? Or are imports of horse numbers down? Or are horse breeders simply breeding less horses but remaining in business?

The variety of active horse business types is extensive. An industry that has the bandwidth across tourism, agriculture, land conservation, construction, medical and other concerns naturally has huge impacts on regional economies. 

The relationship between horse ownership and class distinctions of elite societies has not dwindled over time, but the grass roots horse aficionado population continues to develop as folks discover the incomparable emotional/health benefits that horse ownership brings to their lifestyles. 

Ardent horse lovers that have either made their professional life one of working with horses or have operated a horse farm as a hobby or side hustle, often have a difficult time letting go of their passion for operating a horse business. Even when the writing is clearly on the stable wall that that time has arrived.

 

In Catskill Horse magazine's recent article, "How To Find The Energy To Stick With Horses As You Age Up," the topic of aging out of horses is discussed in regard to the amateur owner. But what about the horse professional? 

Following a recent discussion I enjoyed with a fellow horse breeder who had sold up her farm after 30 years in the industry and moved State, bringing with her a herd of horses that included young horses, mares and foals and stallions, it struck me that letting go of the horse owning and the horse breeding habit is certainly not easy for many of us to do. In fact, letting go of operating any horse business is hard to do.

Gambol's Georgy Girl - Our 2nd generation homebred mare was the last to go and was sold in Feb 2020.

 

Certainly as a now retired from horse breeding professional, I continue to love owning young horses and developing them (hence my chat with the lady above while on the hunt for another horse to add to our private yard). 

It was hard to sell off our homebred 2nd and 3rd generation mares and to let go of the annual routine that was such a big part of our lives. Stallion collections and selection of suitable sires from outside our yard, AI process and protocols, prepping mares and stalls for foaling out, and of course working with the progeny through their lives until sale or in some cases, until they reached their potential as Grand Prix horses.

Our last homebred foal - WVH Extravaganza

 

BUT, I am glad that we did fold out of the horse breeding business. Once the pandemic finally allowed us back to the world of giving horse clinics and travel was back on the table, life has definitely been a lot less stressful on the horsey homefront. 

There are now no worries about how the pregnant mares are faring; no need for the arduous process of taking down of partition walls for foaling stalls; no nighttime foal watches; no newborns to pander over etc. 

It is especially less stressful when we need to travel having less concern over horse care at home while you are gone. Handling and caring for breeding stock is not for the inexperienced horse person and finding good help is always difficult. It has also given me the freedom to spend more time abroad with family, and to lend a hand to facilitate my 90 year old Mom fulfilling her dreams of trips and travel.

Our private yard is empty of any mares at all, and boys are the focus. Which is where we began our horse ownership all those years ago. 

Me with our WVH Extravaganza, our 3rd generation homebred - Lusitano/DWB - he's all grown up!

Of course I miss the excitement of waiting for the Spring crop of foals to hit the ground, and hanging out with my mares enjoying some Mom to Mom time. But there are always good reasons to hang onto a lifestyle, and always good reasons to let it go.

For the lady I mentioned above, it sounded as though her regrets at selling her horse farm were well-founded. She is now renting space, dealing with the usual bevy of upsets that can come with keeping horses away from home. The livery options available to her are limited by both her location and the fact the horses she owns include stallions and foals etc. 

As one of many horse businesses you can operate, horse breeding in particular is something very hard to do competently without a good home base.

Lots of time spent in Portugal - Here in the Algarve

 

Travel back and forth across the pond, to both Europe and the United Kingdom has certainly picked up pace for me. And I am enjoying it. Trips to Spain and Portugal, Italy coming up again soon, and dear old Blighty - are lots of fun. 

Trips are always a mix of work giving dressage clinics, taking some dressage lessons with master riders and trainers in the sport where possible, visits with PR/Marketing clients and completion of writing assignments, and where possible, family time.

Enjoying the 'High Life' with British Airways

 

Travel is not all fun though. Flight cancellations, a lot of as I call it, 'Hurry up and wait' time. It is tiring. I am always happy to be home and back to our private yard of horses and to my own bed. 

If you are a horse business owner, consider all your options this year and decide how you truly want to move forward for yourself. It is a leap year after all, perhaps this is the year to take that leap of faith and change up what you are doing in with your life.

 

 

 

 

 

Experts Warn To Stock Up On Horse Hay Needs

It doesn't come as a huge shock to hay producers in the country to hear experts warning horse owners to stock up on their forage needs early this year.

 

Organically produced hay growing at Willowview Hill Farm, Stamford, NY

Take the recent press release by Coleman, University of Kentucky Extension Office -

"Coleman emphasized that hay is a mobile commodity. Although hay may be readily available in some areas, regions experiencing a shortage will require hay to be transported across the state or county,” he said. “Making hay purchasing decisions early can ensure buying at a reasonable price when the supply is abundant. Waiting until later in the feeding season might lead to reduced availability and significantly higher costs.” (read more on our news page)

 

Here in the North-East we've enjoyed the wettest July in nearly 200 years, 197 to be exact, and the 3rd wettest month in 197 years with over 11.5 inches in Upstate regions of New York. Staggering metrics for sure, and as any hay farmer knows not only has Mother Nature dished out heavy rain this growing season, she has also spent this season offering tantalizing day of sun followed by a day of rain. 

Finding horse hay of 2nd cut supply wise will be hard as quantities will necessarily be low due to the late 1st season harvest. Finding 1st cut that hasn't been wet in the field will be equally hard. 

The reality is that many farmers through sheer frustration turned to silage as a means to get hay harvested at all. While others have relied on the bevy of (untested for safe use on horses) dry-down agents and preservatives to cure hay sufficiently to prevent it causing fires, molding and dusting etc. Adding 'organic' acids does not mean that the final product can't cause horses health issues just because the word organic is in the title.

The other concern is that soaking or even steaming the hay that is infused or coated with these dry-down agents will likely not remove them from the forage. It is also good to realize that almost every large round bale of hay will have been treated in some manner to try and negate mold, dust or other issues in these so called 'ton' bales. It is simply almost impossible to bale these mammoths without their use.

Health issues that are likely to be prevalent in horses exposed to 'treated' hay crops can include hives, upper respiratory inflammation (especially in young horses), and that bane of every horse owner at this point, ulcers.

Digestive issues in the horse naturally manifest themselves in a variety of issues. Leaky gut syndrome, hind gut issues in general, lack of condition or poor behavior, muscle soreness and lameness, skin issues etc. The list goes on.

There are lots of good reasons to feed supplements to counter the effects of the negative diet and nutrition in the horse, but of course not putting the a horse's health in jeopardy in the first place would be ideal. This is trickier than it seems, as finding good quality well cured hay that is cured the old-fashioned way, by Mother Nature alone, is hard to do. When you do find it, it is likely more expensive than its counterparts and the absence of dry-down agents or preservatives does not mean it is good hay. 

Hay also needs to be clean and green, meaning clean of weeds, dust and mold and green with good color notating a proper time of harvesting and method of drying to the correct moisture content has been executed.

Many folks turn to feeding bagged, commercially produced forage made by large companies such as Standlee (Tractor Supply a likely purchasing point). If you read the print on the label and website, they do indicate that the hay they utilize has been treated with preservatives etc.

The likelihood is that hay produced to date will be quickly snapped up by hay dealers who have both the storage to hold large supplies in reserve while the market is built up to high demand and highest prices can be attained with accompanying robust profit margins. They can move the hay wherever the best price will be paid, often out of the area it was produced. 

Sadly it is not usually the farmer that reaps the profits of the hard labor it takes to produce hay. So in response, farmers across the U.S.A. have plowed many hay fields under for more profitable crops over the past several years. A practice that continues to show no sign of stopping its upward trending popularity.

The extremely high costs of fertilizer mean that yields are likely down. Utilizing 'liquid gold' cow manure or other animal manure spread on the fields after 1st cut to bring on the 2nd cut is common practice. But the organic manure will also bring with it a myriad of unwanted seeds from weedy or obnoxious plants. 

The small square, user-friendly, organically grown and harvested hay supply is ever diminishing and the reality is that as Coleman at UK quoted in his press release above, the best time to set up your hay supply is now not later. If you don't have proper storage then its wise to think about making an investment in that area too.