Am i feeding them enough??

marley1

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Just a quick question im not sure if im feeding my welsh ponies enough (everybody else seems to be feeding more) Currently they all live out 24/7 my mare (11.2 welsh type)and 12h welsh a have 2 slices of haylage off the big square bales and a handful of alfa-a light small scoop speedi-beet and few carrots, and my other gelding (who is in full time work) Scoop of alfa-a light scoop of speedi-beet and half a scoop of mix with a slice of haylage. They all have SOME grass not loads but enough... any advice appreciated..xx
 
Well they're all getting more than my Section A.

Take a good look at them and assess their condition score. If they are thin, increase the feed, if they are fat reduce it.
 
The best way to judge whether you are feeding the correct amounts is to condition score your ponies. Some animals are better doers than others, so there is not point comparing what other people feed!

As a basic rule, you should be able to feel your ponies' ribs easily but not see them. If that is the case with yours then sounds like they are getting enough at the moment. Obviously as the grass gets poorer then you will have to increase the amount of haylage. I would suggest weightaping the ponies' once a week, and if they seem to be losing a little then you know it is time to up the forage!
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Thanks for the advice they all seem to be maintaining (sp) a nice weight its a bit hard to tell with the mare though as shes in foal! I had the vet out last week to do the geldings teeth and he said hes an ideal weight. I will try the weight tape though. Its just a bit hard with B as i dont know if its fat or foal :S
 
Sounds more than enough, my welsh A never got anywhere near that much. As each and every pony is different, the ony way you can know is by condition scoring them.
 
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