Gift of Hay

If you have a little extra, please consider donating one bale of hay. Every week, the animals of Little Creek need 35 small square bales of hay. While cows can eat almost any type of hay, senior horses need hay <12% NSC and >30% ADF. Locally, orchard grass harvested past the flowering stage is almost perfect for seniors. Up to a quarter of all senior horses have PPID (equine Cushing's) and many cannot be on grass at all or risk laminitis (a very painful hoof condition that can result in PTS). Having them on a track system, with several hay stations, along with salt and mineral licks, and water troughs here and there, can really improve their quality of life. Our track is not surfaced yet and some day we will fundraise for it to be stabilized and accessible year round. For now, it becomes overgrazed fast by the ones who can tolerate grass while our PPID gang hangs out in the dry lot and as soon as the grass turned to a dirt track, they go out as a herd. Inside the track are small to medium fields. We graze those on a rotation: Horses who can, then cows, then sheep and goats, and finally a resting period. This system is best suited to their needs and promotes so much movement. In the last 50 years, a domestic horse's life expectancy has more than doubled thanks to needed changes in how we keep them!

We will update the quantities needed weekly, We could not look after this many senior and special needs animals without you!!!