Ad lib hay replacer?

[gaslightlaura]

Hi, I've recently acquired a wee golden oldie pony.

She was a childhood favourite who I have got back from a riding school. She is late 20s, she is getting the dentist next week as she has been quidding her hay. I fear this is down to old age but until the dentist comes I'm unsure.

I looked into hay replacers and got some dengie "pure grass" and Allen and page fast fibre. Is this a good combo? Full hay replacer is very new to me.

I also worry in winter when she'll be in at night, she's can be greedy and I like to feed ad lib hay usually. Is there a way to feed hay replacer that makes it last longer? I looked into topspec top chop zero, is this suitable to mix in to make it last longer? Sorry for the long winded questions x

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

My advice is to make the change very gradual. Personally, I wouldn't replace all her hay but give her some and make her 'hard' feed more calorific to replace what she can't get from the hay.

 

[gaslightlaura]

My advice is to make the change very gradual. Personally, I wouldn't replace all her hay but give her some and make her 'hard' feed more calorific to replace what she can't get from the hay.

Thanks. She still has hay as an option but she's not been successful in any attempt to eat it. Luckily just now she's on grass, she seems to do better on shorter grass. She's a good doer even for her age so grass for now should do the trick. I'm thinking more long term all my horses get as much hay as they can eat over might in winter. Would it be unrealistic to give her a hay replacer as lib over night?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would wait to make that decision until she's had her teeth done. I have never had to replace all the hay and we've had some very elderly horses. You will certainly want her to be able to eat something for most of the night. I would think that dried grass chaff might be the best substitute.

 

[sjb10]

My elderly pony now has just hay replacer, he can't manage hay at all now. He will still try enthusiastically to eat hay or long grass if the opportunity arises but it gets spat out again eventually.

We've been advised to keep him on hay replacer permanently. I add soaked beet into all his meals, even now he's out on grass full time he has two large meals a day. In fact he used to have a grazing muzzle full time until about 18 months ago.

When he's in the stable he has soaked beet, senior chaff and pony nuts. I find 2 big round scoops of each just about keeps him going during the day, two buckets for overnight in the winter. He gets checked every 3-4 months by the vet.

As PAS says, best see what advice you are given and discuss the various options then.

 

[holeymoley]

Try the simple systems range of hay/grass replacements. They have haycare and I’m sure the other is just grass pellets. They’re free from any added nasties.

 

[meleeka]

Another vote for soaked unmollassed sugar beet with whatever else you choose. It’s good value and will bulk out the ration. I was told to feed as long a fibre as they can eat, so hay as a preference but when they can’t manage that, chaff with something else to make it manageable. I used to feed my oldie beet, Fast Fibre and a low calorie chaff. She was only 12.2hh and had two black buckets full overnight.

 

[Polos Mum]

I had some success making home made hay chaff with a home shredder machine from one of the big DIY chains.

I found my oldie could eat chopped hay better than long and running it through the shredder myself saved a fortune in buying small bags of short chopped hay.