CARBONDALE - Feeding time is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for the 50 horses at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Equine Center on Union Hill Road.

That daily routine is now something of a milestone because of the onslaught of price increases, short supplies and bad weather.

"There is definitely a problem, and something I think will get worse in the winter months. A late spring frost killed the alfalfa crops. After a first cutting in the area, a horrible drought followed that definitely has lowered yields on crops and less cuttings," said Sheila Puckett, equine center manager.

Fortunately, SIUC officials had foresight before the inclement weather to expand its usable acreage for more hay production.

"We moved our fence lines to grow more and eat down less," Puckett said.

A lack of rain during the spring and summer has compounded the problem for nearby areas in Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri.

And what's happening is sad for people who own, breed and love horses. The animals are starving to death.

"In Goreville where there is a sales barn, the horses are getting thinner and cheaper in price week by week. It's a problem," Puckett said.

Puckett raises horses in addition to her regular job.

She said a small square bale of hay normally priced $3 to $3.50 is now costing about $4.75. She has heard of people paying more than $10 per bale.

Round bales of hay weighing up to 800 pounds normally sell for $30 to $40. They are now priced at about $65, and one can expect to pay $100 and more.

Robert Light, who has raised cows and horses near Dongola in southern Union County for many years, usually produces enough hay each year to sell some for a small profit.

That's not the case this year, as he has been forced to keep everything he's got.

"We had a first cut in mid-May, and that's been about it," Light said.

The stories he is hearing about what horse owners are doing is disheartening.

"You're hearing people stuck with horses since they closed the slaughter plants. They will just give them away," Light said.

Puckett has seen evidence of that.

"We accept from five to eight horses a year, but now we're being bombarded with people trying to give away their horses," Puckett said.

Many horse owners who are weathering the steep price increase and shortage are turning to feed supplements to stretch their limited supply.

"Many are mixing alfalfa cubes to stretch out the hay use," Puckett said.

Light is hearing stories of odd concoctions such as intermingling hay with other food stuffs.

"A lot of guys are doing it, mixing corn stalks because it has roughage and other supplements with it. I'm hearing about soybean meals and rice husks," Light said.

scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com / 351-5076