Saxon Horse Enterprises

Overview
The number of horses and ponies on Vancouver Island has over the last five years increased by as much as 50% on the low side of our studies. In the official government census carried out in 2001, a count of 3611 horses were resident on Vancouver Island. Since 2005 a further 1500 horses have joined the island communities. Added to this is the rise in popularity of breeding other animals such as lamas & Alpacas, increasing the demand on the Islands current hay crops grown by the farmers.

Vancouver Island produces 10% less today than it did five years ago; according to Canada statistics the province of British Columbia has lost 347100 hectares of tame hay production over the last five years to other more profitable crops and urbanization. Compare this with Vancouver Island's current numbers of Domestic farm animals of over 100,000 and it becomes apparent that the farmers growing hay have little to spare for privately owned horses or any other animals other than their own. The quality and types of hay grown on the island is generally of a lower long term quality & nutritional value than what is required for today’s pleasure horses. This is due to various environmental factors such as the weather. A large proportion of hay products are transported from the mainland of BC and Washington State. The transportation costs as well as the high price of the crops in BC combine to make Vancouver Island one of the most expensive areas for keeping a horse or pony.

Hay
Rocking Horse forage intends to capitalize on its contacts and experience of trading in hay crops in the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where the availability of alfalfa, timothy & orchard grasses is much more readily available. The growing conditions provide for a better protein level as well as a higher nutritional value and a lower sugar count, therefore reducing waste. Delivery of hay & other products will be done in house by our transport dept, Saxon Horse Trucking.

Our aim is to provide a high quality product at a price comparative to what is currently available, and to source only quality produce so as to minimize the unnatural elements found in today’s crops. All Hay products are tested by Dairy One Laborites in New York for a complete analysis of the all the traditional elements and also the sugar levels both as WSC & ESC. This provides a more accurate picture of what you are feeding your horse. This can also benefit the owner when selecting hay for specific horses, such as lactating mares, young foals or a sick horse that require a lower sugar level than currently available hay. As all hay tested will be listed on the web site, so that a customer can pick & choose what is right for them.

Straw
Straw of the barley and wheat variety will be available as a substitute to shavings, this a common horse bedding in areas that don’t have the benefit of cheap shavings. The two main varieties of Straw being. Wheat Straw & Barley Straw. With practice, the amount of waste is comprisable as shavings with the benefit that straw manure breaks down more readily than shavings and is more Eco friendly. The cost comparison is also cheaper than bagged shavings.

Shavings
Shavings are a big part of the equestrian requirements in the use as bedding. The majority is purchased locally from saw mills on Vancouver Island. This is convenient if you have a large barn for storage as the delivery is loose. Bagged shavings come in two basic types, regular and dust free. Both of these come in small bales, Dust free tend to be expensive due to the cost of extracting the dust but are often required due to the animal’s health or indeed the owner’s health. We shall stock both varieties of bagged shavings and include delivery within the price if purchased by at least 100 bales to the Mid Island area. Bulk purchase of loose shavings may also be available in the near future.

Wood pellets
Wood Pellets have become an alternative, they come in the form of small wood pellets that are very absorbent and produce the same results as shavings. Currently produced in manageable sized bags it is our intention to find producers that can provide this product in bulk.