How Horse Owners In NZ Are Saving Money

Anyone who has ever owned a horse can understand the tremendous amount of cost associated with their upkeep. As money is tighter than ever for most people this year, and feeding the horses can be a massive expense, kiwis are finding ways to save money while still raising happy and healthy horses.

Horses need hay, and those new to horse rearing find that it comes at a surprisingly expensive cost. Many new horse owners simply lay out the hay, and half of it gets stomped on and turned into mush before it gets eaten. One way that Kiwis are now saving money on their hay costs is by putting it into bale feeders. These keep the hay away from the hooves so that the horses can eat all of it rather than wasting it.

For many, this might seem like only a small cost saving, but one study found that when hay was fed without a bale feeder, around 50% of it was wasted. When using one, you can lose as little as 5% of the hay, so you’re getting as close to your full money’s worth as possible.

Another option is to limit your horses’ pasture feeding area during winter. As the cooler weather approaches, so do the rain and mud that come with it. Letting horses feed on multiple pastures also means letting them stomp all over those pastures and ruin the ground.

Instead, Kiwis are putting their horses in just one or two pastures for the winter, known as ‘sacrifice paddocks’, to keep their other pastures protected. These protected areas will have more growth come springtime, offering plenty of grazing for the horses. Horse owners doing this are saving on costs by having more healthy fields and more grass for the horses to graze on.

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