Any other horses still not eating their hay?

[Chex]

Now either there's still a substantial amount of grass in the field, or Chex has turned anorexic

Is anyone elses horses still eating not much over night? For the 2 horses, I was giving them most of a small haylage bale a night, but cut it down as they were just wasting it. Now they're getting 2 leafs each a night, and I'm lucky if one leaf has been eaten between the two of them!! I put the stuff they don't eat on the floor on the other side of the pen, incase they suddenly decide they're hungry (but they don't eat it). I'm trying not to worry about them, but what they're eating is no where near enough for them!

Luckily Chex is still rather fat from summer, and could do with losing a few kgs! I'm hoping its just because they're stuffing their faces with grass all day so not up for eating much at night? Am I the only one with horses not eating their hay?

 

[cariadssogreat]

Dont wish to scare you - but I would be worried too! Admittedly my guys live out but they have plenty of ground and they have still got a bit of grass - but they are all stuffing up to a bale a day each. When they were on large bale haylage a month ago they had a large slice each per night. Dare I say it I would be suspect about the haylage.

 

[Tia]

Chex - I'm in the same boat here. I have two stabled horses who are out from early morning until late afternoon. I feed ad-lib constantly so finding the exact amount to place in the stables is a bit hit and miss to begin with but then it levels out and you know exactly how much to place in there in the evening.

The 2 horses I am speaking off are definitely not eating as much as I would have deemed normal. One is a big 16hh draft X - he never eats more than 3 sections and usually leaves some. The other is a slight 14.3hh and she will never ever eat more than 1 section. I found this quite worrying to begin with but now I am just used to it.

The hay the horses get through the day is primarily timothy hay with a small percentage of alfalfa and the hay they get in the stable is our top grade which is, again primarily timothy but it also has a significant amount of alfalfa, Kentucky Bluegrass, Bermuda grass and a number of other excellent horse grasses.

I think the reason for them not eating so much during the night has to be, in my case anyway, that the night time hay is so much richer that they need less of it. Added to the fact that they eat almost constantly during the day, it then makes some sort of sense.

I'm not worried at all about them now as they have not dropped weight and are still looking in great condition.

 

[Ferdinase514]

Finni's the same at the moment and we have no grass at all.

He will eat 2 thirds of a hay then look disgusted at the last third!

Have been using his left over hay as bedding to stop myself thinking about how much he's wasting

Prob eating 2 or three slices at night rather than usual 4 and half his haynet when he comes in in the afternoon.

 

[Chex]

Sounds the same as mine. He's never eaten very much, I'll always given him adlib, but I've never seen him finish all I'll given him for the whole 8 years! But he does usually eat anough that I don't worry. The haylage is good (I think anyway), it smells fine. I've had issues before where he won't eat the small bales, only the big bales, could be thats the problem now, even though its cut from the same field! I'll try hay if I can find some good stuff, but generally he prefers haylage to hay. I guess if he starts to drop his weight I'll worry properly!

 

[Chex]

I leave the old stuff for them to eat for 2 nights, then give it to the cows. Luckily I pay for adlib so not wasting my own! Maybe its just with the grass growing for longer this year, they're just not as interested in the hay.

 

[samsaccount]

My boy is usualy a pig when it comes to food but he isn't very interested in his hay at the moment either, dispite his bed been shavings, meaning he isn't eating that like he usualy would if it was straw. But there is plenty of grass in the field so I am putting it down to that as he does eat it just not much of it and it is decent stuff so it is not down to the quality.

Although i must admit i am happy he isn't eating much as he is a fatty and needs alot of slim fast!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

The grass does seem to have started growing again (not sure it ever stopped!!) as its been wet and mild. I wouldn't worry unless they start to drop weight. Mine is eating about 1/2 a bale of hay a night, but is on a bog patch!!!! - so has no grass!!

 

[hairycob]

There are 6 in our field & they are not eating a bale between them. Only really started putting hay out in any quantity when it turned cold & foggy as they were just leaving it. Still only getting through about a slice each - and 3 of them have no additional feed. We still have loads of grass and they just prefer the taste of that. Only just started giving Pickle a breakfast feed as her weight has been holding up so well this year. Bobby only having a teeny evening feed to put his supplements in - no more than he gets in summer.

 

[Chex]

Thanks for replies. Good to know there's other people in the same situation. Luckily he is way overweight, so I suppose its a good thing! I wondered if he was eating the straw, he never usually does but maybe its good stuff lol.

 

[teapot]

Harry - pony I occassionally ride and do. He'd eaten about a 1/4 of his haynet when we turned up this morning. Whereas pony next door (same owners) had eaten all of hers.

His field is quite grassy, certainly got a good covering depsite the weather etc.

So you're not alone

 

[oliviacharley]

My gelding is a monster eatter and eats everything I put in his stable. My mare however eats hardly any of her hay. Also when I use haylage she does not seem to like it and leaves most of it, where my gelding will eat the lot if he could.
My horses have been on hay/haylage since November and they seem to be getting a little sick of it...they eat most of it but leave some of it too.