Ad lib hay

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Poppy d

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hey,
I feed adlib hay to my three horses 16hh 15.2 and 15hh, live out 24/7.
Just wondering how much others are feeding? As I seam to be getting through a huge amount of small bales.
Also how do you all store it as the stable is miles away from the field and don't want to hump it 2 miles, but the tarpaulin isn't, keeping it dry any ideas welcome.

Thank you
 
Depends on grass/shelter/rugs/work load/weather conditions/ other feed and age, my mare is out from 9 am till 3 pm in a field with grass, works fairly hard, full clip and rugged, 9yrs old, has unmolassed sugar beet and oats with supplements and she eats about 2 thirds of a bale a day
 
I've been using a big wheelbarrow to transport hay to the field.
I have one I keep clean just for hay which is currently working out well.
I get through lots of hay too but use big bales so no idea sorry!!
 
I'm new to the world of horses but does anyone allow their horses constant access to hay/grass? That's what my instinct would tell me to do but I'm not sure if I'm right...
 
Allowing horses all-you-can-eat hay doesn't work for all. Most leisure horses don't need to eat unlimited hay and unless the horse is in hard work, growing, or needs to gain weight, many horses will overeat and become obese.
 
Cortez said:
Allowing horses all-you-can-eat hay doesn't work for all. Most leisure horses don't need to eat unlimited hay and unless the horse is in hard work, growing, or needs to gain weight, many horses will overeat and become obese.
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Actually I find that if access to forage is not restricted, most horses regulate their own intake. I got weight off my massively obese made, (bought that way) unlimited access to plain oat straw chaff, alongside a fairly small ration of hay. She is now allowed ad-lib hay but does not over-eat.
 
Poppy d said:
hey,
I feed adlib hay to my three horses 16hh 15.2 and 15hh, live out 24/7.
Just wondering how much others are feeding? As I seam to be getting through a huge amount of small bales.
Also how do you all store it as the stable is miles away from the field and don't want to hump it 2 miles, but the tarpaulin isn't, keeping it dry any ideas welcome.

Thank you
Click to expand...


No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out

3 - 4 sections a night max down to 1 section for the smaller
 
I keep mine out as much as possible, currently 4 are still out 24/7, 6 are in at night, I have just started to put hay in the fields as they were eating so much haylage they were all gaining weight, now they have ad lib hay, which they are just picking at, with a limited amount of haylage twice a day, the ones that are in get pretty much ad lib hay/ haylage and only a token hard feed, they tend to eat no more when it is freely available than they do if restricted.
I think having free access reduces the risk of ulcers and colic.

No help for the OP as I use big bales that are stored in my barn.
 
twiggy2 said:
Your reply quoted the op and it does read as if you are saying what you would feed the horses they mentioned,
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sheesh No it does not since I replied saying none of the horses live out or allowed to, which explains this is my situation and not telling OP what I would feed her horses since I would not do that as
a] I do not know their work load
b] I do not know the breed
c] I do not know if they are good doer's or not


The Op asked what are we feeding our horses within her post, is it really that hard to work out I was answering their question. Do I really have to simplify and edit it for others to understand?? They did NOT ask us what we would feed her horses!!!!

My post said

No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out

3 - 4 sections a night max down to 1 section for the smaller


Where unlike the OP none of the horses live out hence my reply.
 
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TYSSANDI said:
sheesh No it does not since I replied saying none of the horses live out or allowed to which explains this is my situation and not telling OP what I would feed her horses since I would not do that as
a] I do not know their work load
b] I do not know the breed
c] I do not know if they are good doer's or not


The Op asked what are we feeding our horses within her post, is it really that hard to work out I was answering their question. Do I really have to simplify and edit it for others to understand??

My post said

No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out

3 - 4 sections a night max down to 1 section for the smaller


Where unlike the OP none of the horses live out hence my reply.
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Hard to tell which one of us is simple I guess.
 
AdorableAlice said:
Hard to tell which one of us is simple I guess.
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Must be you if you cannot put 2 and 2 together as my answer does not in anyway IMO mean the Op horses and no where did I tell the OP I would feed HER horses x y z

since I said NONE of mine live out and that is what they are fed answers her question that is what I am feeding which happens to be their question

The sentence No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out does not relate to OP horses at all now does it?? since their horses as they said live out as they explained in the post above.
 
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TYSSANDI said:
Must be you if you cannot put 2 and 2 together as my answer does not in anyway IMO mean the Op horses and no where did I tell the OP I would feed HER horses x y z

since I said NONE of mine live out and that is what they are fed answers her question that is what I am feeding which happens to be their question

The sentence No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out does not relate to OP horses at all now does it?? since their horses as they said live out as they explained in the post above.
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Fair enough, remember you don't need a medical for the HGV you don't have. Back to the OP's question, most horses will self regulate on ad lib forage. The equine gut is in need of trickle feeding for optimum health, avoidance of ulcers and gut motility. There are waterproof big bale covers that will keep a round bale dry and protected.
 
Is there any grass in the field? This is for the OP, not Tyssandi. I put piles out every morning for the horses but they come in at night to feed and hay. They clean up the piles within a couple of hours then pick at grass.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Actually I find that if access to forage is not restricted, most horses regulate their own intake. I got weight off my massively obese made, (bought that way) unlimited access to plain oat straw chaff, alongside a fairly small ration of hay. She is now allowed ad-lib hay but does not over-eat.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hijack thread, but what brand is the chaff please? I'd like to feed truly ad lib but even teeny holed nets aren't enough to keep my cob from gaining weight.

TYSSANDI said:
No ad lib nothing lives out or allowed to live out

3 - 4 sections a night max down to 1 section for the smaller
Click to expand...

I feed my mini Shetland 1 section a night, but anything bigger it wouldn't be nearly enough fibre.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
Actually I find that if access to forage is not restricted, most horses regulate their own intake. I got weight off my massively obese made, (bought that way) unlimited access to plain oat straw chaff, alongside a fairly small ration of hay. She is now allowed ad-lib hay but does not over-eat.
Click to expand...

Agree with this, my natives all have ad lib hay or haylage. They have never gone without so don't ever feel the need to scoff it. They don't overeat, it's surprising how little they do eat at times.
 
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