Anyone else have pig horses?

[Lill]

We put a round bale out on Saturday and it is almost totally gone! With one 16.2 and one 14.2 out 24/7, I cannot believe how quickly they have eaten it all!!!

 

[Shay]

Most of it is probably trampled into the ground I'm afraid. But little cob did manage to pig out so badly on the feild hay last year he gave himself colic for the first time in his life. Which given that he was 26 at the time and had had feild hay in winter every year for at least the last 16 was quite an achievement!! Restricted access this year....

 

[Downton Dame]

given the chance. I sometimes have to restrict intake. small bales are easier.

 

[meleeka]

I couldn’t do it. I’d have laminitis or colic before they’d pause I’m sure.

 

[Cortez]

So much for "self regulation": take that, ad libbers!

 

[Lintel]

This is why mine are rationed.
20% would blow away.
20% would be in the ground.
60% in their bellies.

... I'm too cheap to throw away 40% ...£14 of my money

 

[be positive]

I am having the opposite, there is still so much grass 3 out 24/7 are barely eating 1 flap from a big bale between them each day, I have never know a winter like this, no mud and enough grass to keep them happy.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I will not feed hay ad lib in the field-they would explode. And no, my ponies would not self regulate-i sometimes think that people w hi say they definitely would have never had a true, smaller native pony (cobs and drafts do not count as such)

 

[Hallo2012]

ive got 2 x 13hh natives-one self regulates nicely and one would eat until he had colic and lami!!!

its SO much hard to limit intake than just leave them to it isnt it!

 

[ihatework]

I will not feed hay ad lib in the field-they would explode. And no, my ponies would not self regulate-i sometimes think that people w hi say they definitely would have never had a true, smaller native pony (cobs and drafts do not count as such)

To be fair the only 1 of the 4 I currently own self regulates! The other 3 are fat pigs that will guzzle what’s there. Ironically the one who self regulates could do with eating more 🙈

 

[Denbob]

I had this issue during the dry spell, paired turnout two 16hh/16.2hh. One was able to self-regulate and looked great, mine was a complete pig and ended up having to be brought in for a couple of hours (not starved just to be worked and then stand in with a small net of poor quality soaked hay) to watch his waist.

He's not a native type either just greedy, although I do think at one point he was bottom of a pecking order with limited food so when he finally got true ad-lib he ate as much and as quickly as he could. Did hope he'd settle but to no avail and now I have to be incredibly careful.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

To be fair the only 1 of the 4 I currently own self regulates! The other 3 are fat pigs that will guzzle what’s there. Ironically the one who self regulates could do with eating more 🙈

I specifically specified small natives to preempt the inevitable responses personally never had a horse that requires ad lib hay in a field as lusitanos also have slow metabolisms and impulse control issues 😂. Mine always have grass tbf but standing still scoffing all day isn’t good for anything really.

 

[Surbie]

Mine will self-regulate. But for the first day or two the round bale is out, and before he gets bored of hay, I have a headless horse.

Sorry it's so grainy - it was dusk and he was playing deaf.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm pretty sure The Beast could finish a bale overnight all by herself to be honest.

 

[9tails]

To be fair the only 1 of the 4 I currently own self regulates! The other 3 are fat pigs that will guzzle what’s there. Ironically the one who self regulates could do with eating more 🙈

People are the same I've heard skinny people state they've "forgotten" to eat. I've never forgotten.

 

[rabatsa]

My bales are double netted in a ring feeder. This reduces wastage but they will still overeat given chance.

 

[ester]

F is ok with hay, they will eat some then go nibble some grass then come back to it. He definitely sleeps less and eats more than the mare though!

His first stay over at the vets (haylage) the nurse commented on his not coming up for air and that she'd taken it off him the next two times he went with some hay

 

[MDB]

Two out of my three will eat and eat and eat. I have to limit their time on the round bale. The 3 of them would finish it off in 4 days if left with full access.

 

[Lill]

I noticed from previous posts enfys would unravel a round bale to feed it, but I also note she is in Canada where it is dry and cold and I am not sure it would work so well in a muddy field? Has anyone here tried it?

 

[fredflop]

My tb is a complete pig, waddles around most of the year.

Was on box rest last year, and was getting through an entire bale of horsehage size haylage a day

 

[3OldPonies]

1 pig who steals from the hay store given half a chance, and will eat his evening net in less than an hour, and 1 who is very picky so slow eating as he searches through for all the best bits first (like me with chocolates!) So piggy pony does get more of the field hay, but I make sure their stable hay ration balances it out.

 

[DabDab]

My two horses are very good at self regulating (a bit too good), and fortunately they also take responsibility for regulating the fatty native. Poor little wannabe pig pony is rock bottom of the pecking order so gets marched off across the field whenever her horse friends decide that snack time is over and there is some important business to attend to on the other side of the field

 

[CavaloBranco]

After years of self regulating TBs my Irish Daft was a shock, he has no "off" button, ever! Anything and everything gets hoovered up immediately and he is constantly grazing non stop whilst my old boy snoozes, wanders around and picks. The first thing he does when brought in is to check he has enough hay waiting!
Ad Lib is a concept he'd love but is never going to happen.....

 

[hellfire]

Mine wouldn't stop untill it was gone! I ration mine strictly due to IR cushings and having 4 natives. You can get the big bale nets now that maybe something that will slow them down?

 

[Pc2003]

My adult Connie is a total pig. If he has to put any effort into finding grass/hay then he doesn’t consider it as worthy food.
My yearling will wander off, picking at grass etc where as my adult horse stands with his head in the hay pile and scoffs non stop. Then stands by the gate wanting more

 

[hellfire]

My adult Connie is a total pig. If he has to put any effort into finding grass/hay then he doesn’t consider it as worthy food.
My yearling will wander off, picking at grass etc where as my adult horse stands with his head in the hay pile and scoffs non stop. Then stands by the gate wanting more

One of mine is like that. I'm lucky I'm not on a yard as think I'd be kicked off as Sparky screams as soon as the hats finished!! To be fair he was a starved neglect case but after 12 years you'd think he'd realise more will come at a certain time!

 

[Goldenstar]

So much for "self regulation": take that, ad libbers!

Quite ,mine have eaten a round bale put in on Monday replaced yesterday .
Two are out at night and in for a few hours during the day one has three hours turnout most days longer sometimes and ones out till six thirty so four horses .
I am now shutting them off it and gradually increasing the time they have none .
No one is slim it’s been a very easy winter despite the field being very bare the far fighting is not going as well as I would like .
I just unnet the bale and leave it I don’t mind some waste and it gives the outside horses somewhere to rest they lie and eat from the bale at night very sweet .
I would never use any sort of bale feeder I have seen to many nasty accidents over the years.