4 year old eating loads!

[Pink Gorilla]

My new, just turned 4 year old, 16.1hh warmblood is eating loads! He does get grass, but it’s restricted at the moment due to it being recently fertilised lush cow’s grass (we live on a dairy farm). So I have been calculating his hay requirements and at 2% of his body weight per day he needs 12kg hay per day, without taking into account the grass he does get. Anyway it just doesn’t seem enough for him. I gave him a whole 18kg bale at 7pm last night and by 7am this morning every last morsel is gone and he is acting half starved this morning and being pushy for food. Is this normal for a 4 year old? I think he is probably still growing a little, but I’ve never known a horse eat so much and still be so hangry whenever I see him. I don’t know whether to just let him out in the big 2 acre field, as he has absolutely scalped his half acre paddock this past week I’ve had him. He’s looking well, but not fat. But I obviously don’t want to set off laminitis. But feeding 2 bales a day at this time of year seems excessive!

 

[be positive]

He may well be hungry, a big young horse that is still growing and stood in all night will probably get through a small bale of hay easily, if he is only on a bare patch, half an acre is tiny for a big horse, then he is possibly using as many calories to eat as he is getting from what he finds, ideal for small natives but not for a big young warmblood, obviously you don't want him fat or laminitic but equally you don't want him getting ulcers.
I would gradually let him onto a bigger field, can he go on after the cattle have eaten the best? you do not mention what he is out with as that may need consideration, if he is alone he may well be a bit stressed.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

He is with my mini cob at the mo, but they are sectioned in half as he is chasing the cob and being a bit of a bully. Then we have two cows currently chomping down the big field. I don’t know whether to gradually increase the time I put him out in it so he doesn’t get colic and pray I avoid laminitis

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Not unusual at all in my experience...could you top your bigger field and put him in there? Leave it long and muzzle him? If he was on restricted rations at his other home it might take a while before he realises food will be around and he isn’t going to feel hungry and then he may slow down his consumption.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

Not unusual at all in my experience...could you top your bigger field and put him in there? Leave it long and muzzle him? If he was on restricted rations at his other home it might take a while before he realises food will be around and he isn’t going to feel hungry and then he may slow down his consumption.

yes I did wonder if food was scarce at his previous home, as he lived out on the moors in Wales in a big herd. He has been going out in the 2acre field with a muzzle on all day (with the two cows) and then going in the half acre paddock with the cob and a bale of hay to himself overnight. He is still sectioned off from the cob whilst in the little paddock, so really only gets 1/4 acre to himself. But it’s really just used as an oversized stable just for overnight, with almost ad lib hay and water, so turnout wise in the day he gets plenty of room to move around. I think he hasn’t quite mastered the grazing muzzle, so that’s probably when he’s compensatory feeding on the hay when he goes in the little paddock at night?

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Grazing muzzles do take some getting used to.....it’s only been a week I guess he ll acclimatise but he is growing so will take some filling for a while!

 

[AmyMay]

If his grazing is bare, then yes he’ll be hungry.

 

[Goldenstar]

Why is he wearing a muzzle ?
Ah sorry that when he’s in with the cows .

 

[Pink Gorilla]

Yes only when he’s in the big rye grass field. It’s just been fertilised so has had a huge growth spurt. Once it’s settled a bit I will let him out without the muzzle.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What is the point of turning him out on the cow grass? He needs a muzzle to be in there but there is an alternative, he could be in the paddock with truly ad-lib hay, getting to know the cob over the fence. Moving him every day will not help them to settle together and obviously being n the cow grass is undesirable from a health pov.

 

[be positive]

yes I did wonder if food was scarce at his previous home, as he lived out on the moors in Wales in a big herd. He has been going out in the 2acre field with a muzzle on all day (with the two cows) and then going in the half acre paddock with the cob and a bale of hay to himself overnight. He is still sectioned off from the cob whilst in the little paddock, so really only gets 1/4 acre to himself. But it’s really just used as an oversized stable just for overnight, with almost ad lib hay and water, so turnout wise in the day he gets plenty of room to move around. I think he hasn’t quite mastered the grazing muzzle, so that’s probably when he’s compensatory feeding on the hay when he goes in the little paddock at night?

It is a huge change of life for a big youngster, going from living in a herd, having plenty of room to move and interact to being in a very small paddock at night and a still relatively small but lush one during the day, wearing a muzzle and no proper company, he may be bullying the cob but that was probably because he had so little grass and not much space.

In his old home he would have been moving about far more naturally, probably had adequate food but worked harder for it which kept his mind busy, I would get him out in the field without a muzzle as soon as possible and see if he will settle in with the cob overnight when he has a full belly and less reason to be a bully, it should not take too long to get a 2 acre field grazed down to a safe level.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

Look I’m not asking how I should keep him! I’m asking if 2 bales of hay is a normal amount to eat! The little paddock is INSIDE the 2 acre field! It is just post and railed off in one corner with a field shelter inside. He can’t stay in the little paddock all the time, as it is very sandy soil and my pony had sand colic last year. Hence why I’m trying to take it in turns to introduce them into the big field where the ground is less scalped, so they will be ingesting less sand. And yes I do feed plenty of long stalky hay and psyllium before you advice me on that too. I’m just trying to be careful about introducing them to the newly fertilised big field to avoid lami for the next week or two until the cows have grazed it down. The pony and horse are together all the time. Whether it’s over a strip of tape whilst they’re in the little paddock together, or over a post and rail fence while once is having their turn in the big field, to get off the sandy short grass and to stretch their legs. Some people on this forum are invaluable with their help and I really appreciate that. But others feel the need to be so rude and completely ignore the original questions and very bluntly tell people how they should, or shouldn’t keep their horses. He’s not a welfare case; he’s shiney, a little plump, calm and very happy. He has consistent company every day and is not neglected or stressed. He has everything up to date health wise and gets handled and checked on several times a day. So unless you are worried about him being neglected or distressed, just answer the original question please. So many people feel the need, or right to give unsolicited advice on here. Whereas in real life I’m sure you would not dream of being so rude, blunt and opinionated! I don’t think hardly anyone has answered my original question, just instead criticised and questioned which field I put him in and when and who he’s with etc. But thank you to those who have answered my question about the hay.

 

[be positive]

You did get the answer, yes it is normal because he is hungry from having no grass all night so suggestions were given as to how you could reduce the hay, no one suggested he is a welfare case but it is a big change for a young horse and that may be contributing to his unwanted behaviour and the excessive, in your mind, hay consumption.
I would have given the same advice in real life and did to a client last year who had similar grazing, far too rich for hers and needed careful managing to enable them to get out on it without getting laminitis, I don't think anyone has been rude on this thread, I find that it always helps to look at the bigger picture as that can change how the smaller matters are dealt with.