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'Our Hay is priced by the weight of each bale. If it's heavy, it cost more, if it's light it costs less. We believe in integrity pricing and will not charge more for a lighter bale.'

Bottom Bales @ 1.00 Discount per bale.

Pricing by the Truckload is available by calling us at 408-779-2440-bale prices can be as low as 6.00 when buying in bulk.

For more information, please call 408-779-2440 or email us at Expresshay@aol.com

Winter Mud
by Anita Benninghoven
       Winter, my favorite time of the year but very difficult for the horse. We don't get much snow here but a little rain can make us the swampland of Gilroy. Water, we need it to refill the water tables, we love it to refill the ponds and lakes, and (my favorite) turn the hillsides green. Those things are nice but we have to be careful. Here's why:
       The green grass is very important to our operation here, we refer to it as "free food". But is can also be a fast trip to the vet's office. A whole belly full of nice green grass can begin composting (for lack of a better term). Maybe fermentation would fit better. Either way, we need to be really careful with how much green grass they eat.
       We all know how devastating a colic is to our animals. Think about their stomachs. All this nice hot grass. Think again about the composting/fermentation issue. So the stomach is making an immoveable hot fermenting glob of grass. Somehow this is not sounding too good. So what happens next?
       The horse may colic. Not good. Or the horse may founder. Definitely not good. Colic we end up lucky and it passes (literally). Or we may have to put the animal down. Founder? No way will it ever go away. Most of us hear about the pony or horse who founders. It is not good for either animal. If you don't have the heart to put the little guy down you will spend a lot of time and $$$$$ keeping the little fellow comfortable.
       Here is what happens with founder. It starts with laminitis. It is the breaking down of the capillaries that supply the foot tissues inside the hoof. Picture a poison that is generated from the composting going on in the horses gut. Our good ol' friend gravity gets into the picture and sucks the poison down into the feet. Those capillaries in the food can't tolerate this so they break apart. What do the capillaries do? They supply the oxygen and nutrients the foot needs. With that gone, the tissues that hold the foot together are no longer able to do their job and the coffin bone slips down in the hoof.
       We know this is the problem if they walk like they're "walking on eggs". The front feet are most easily seen. The horse sits back on their hind feet to take the weight off the front feet. They will stand like this and be reluctant to walk. If the hind feet are affected too you will have a horse that is much happier laying down.
       This is sounding a lot like time to call the vet so what do they do? The vet can x-ray the feet to see where the bones are. Most of the time they can tell just by looking at the animal's behavior. Somehow this beautiful green grass covering our hillsides has become public enemy #1. OR maybe not. Be careful to supplement their diet with their regular dry baled hay. Grain can contribute to the problem. Horses out on pasture should always be supplemented with oat hay, grass hay, and even alfalfa if they are used to eating it. Keep this in mind when turning your horses out on pasture and always be vigilant as to what your horse is eating.
(The author of this article has some very interesting information on those adoption horses that are involved with the Premarin crisis. Her name is Anita Benninghoven and she can be reached at Benninghoven@aol.com for more information.)

Edie

Dear Edie:
Good article on the dangers of green grass. There's no mystery to the cause of grass founder, it's now being shown to be a reaction to the simple sugars in grass grown under stress...i.e. cold nights, warm days and/or drought conditions.
These sugars are accumulated rapidly in the daytime and the afternoon and evening are the worst times to turn a horse out...conversely, very early in the am until about 10-11 is much safer. I've noticed a difference in my horses following this rule. The same field of hay cut in the PM vs AM can yield vastly different amounts of sugars, regardless of how
much it's dried or whether it's first cut or second cut. Timing appears to be most important. I hope your growers/suppliers are aware of this. See www.safergrass.org for up to date scientifically informed info on this. My greatest hope is that you guys along with your growers can be on the forefront of this emerging information and continue to offer even greater quality and safer horse hay.
Best,
Erik Pedersen
Aptos