Blackwells Horse Agistment

14/02/2026

🌾 Hay vs Grass

One of the biggest feeding traps is treating the diet the same all year when the roughage isn't the same all year.

🌱 When there’s 'decent' green grass

Grass usually brings:

• more calories
• more protein
• more vitamins (especially A & E)
• more omega-3 fatty acids
• more moisture

Which is why in spring, horses often look shiny, feel “up”, and occasionally audition for the role of aerial trapeze artists.

With grass playing a big role in the diet you often need:

• less added vitamin E
• less added vitamin A
• no omega-3 supplement
• less/no added protein
• less/no calories added

And if the grass is 'decent' forget about them wanting to eat any hay!

🌾 When it's hay only

Hay isn’t a poor cousin of grass — it’s the stable, reliable version.

Its analysis doesn’t swing wildly with temperature, rain, time of day or whether mercury is riding in its Aquarius phase.

That predictability is gold!

In fact, if money/sourcing/lifting/netting were no object, many horses would do beautifully on a well-chosen hay-only diet because it gives us far more control.

However hay is almost certainly lower in:

• vitamin E
• vitamin A
• omega-3 fatting acids
• protein (depending on the hay)
• calories (depending on the hay)

So hay-only horses often benefit from:

• added vitamin E
• a source of vitamin A
• omega-3s such as flax oil (Equiflax)
• extra quality protein like H**p Promega
• thoughtful mineral balancing
• more attention to hydration

🧠 The real difference

Grass = more calories, more protein, more natural vitamins.
Hay = more consistency, more control, fewer surprises.

Neither is “right” or “wrong”.
They just need different support.

The supplement plan that was perfect during spring can be completely wrong once the paddock turns as beige as your aunty Karen.

Feeding horses isn’t about finding one magic diet.

It’s about matching the bucket to what the paddock is (or isn’t) providing — and enjoying the beautiful predictability that hay gives us when everything else in life is chaotic.

04/02/2026

3rd FEBRUARY

The sugar and starch in grass isn’t constant! If you’re having grass issues then the safest time to let your horse onto pasture is just before the sun rises as the grass has used up its sugars to grow overnight.

Sugars are highest in the late afternoon just before the sun goes down. This makes the safest times to graze are between about 4am and 9/10am.

Obviously you’re unlikely to wake up in the middle of the night to put the horse out, but letting your horse out for a few hours between waking up and going to work/lunch is a good start.

*Note that if the temperature at night drops to below 5C this will cause the grass to 'shut down' and store/accumulate sugars. So if this is the case your horse shouldn’t be allowed onto grass for that day.

02/02/2026

Great info

🌞 Unexpected perks of summer with horses (yes, really)

Summer gets a lot of bad press.

Hot. Dusty. Flies. Horses cantering around for fun in 45 degree weather 🤦

But if you squint slightly (and stand in the shade), summer actually gives us a few useful opportunities.

✔ Weight management becomes… achievable

When grass disappears and everyone lives on hay, calories stop playing hide-and-seek.

Hay is static.
Grass is a nutritional rollercoaster with commitment issues.

If you’re trying to safely slim a horse or stabilise a metabolic one, summer is often the calmest time to actually see progress without surprise sugar parties happening overnight.

✔ The gut finally gets a consistent routine

No sudden pasture growth spurts.
Just boring, predictable fibre.

Digestive systems tend to appreciate this level of emotional stability.

✔ Mud fever can finally pack its bags

Dry ground means fewer bacteria having pool parties in your horse’s pasterns.

Summer is often the best window to actually clear lingering skin issues instead of endlessly managing damp chaos.

✔ Hooves get a chance to recover from any persistent thrush (although hot weather brings about its own issues, but we're trying to be positive here)

✔ Feeding becomes less of a guessing game

With fewer dietary variables:

• you can actually measure what’s going in
• you can adjust with confidence
• the horse’s response makes sense
• spreadsheets behave themselves

A rare moment of nutritional peace.

Summer still has its moments.
But it’s not all doom, dehydration and sweltering early morning rides.

Sometimes the hard seasons can set horses up for a better year ahead.

09/01/2026

🔥🚗 If caught in fire when on the road: Park behind a solid structure to block the fire's heat or pull over to cleared area.
Try to position the car towards the approaching fire. Turn on your hazard lights and headlights. Close all windows. Turn off the air-conditioning and shut all the air vents.
Turn your car engine off. Get down as low as possible below window level and cover up with a pure woollen blanket. 🚒

09/01/2026

We have space , if anyone requires our help please reach out . Our hearts go out to all that are fighting these fires 🔥 near and far . 😔
CFA (Country Fire Authority)7NEWS MelbourneSave a Horse Australia

12/05/2025