Anyone else having to feed through this summer?..........

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SassieSoz

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...... whilst most of the others on your yard trying to get weight off?

Share a field with another lady, I have a 17.2hh whilst she has a 17hh and 15hh. Both our big boys are now looking slightly underweight despite now being on hay plus two feeds a day!!!! It's like we've travelled forward almost straight into winter feeding regimes!

They are both worked regularly but not by any means could it be called hard work. Both their toplines have weakened off and are very hippy. We've gone for the approach of (1) worm counts - all fine (2) plenty of fibre intake and (3) feeding calm/condition or build-up cubes.

To be fair their grazing is very poor due to the lack of rain, but being British, I'm sure we'd be hacked off if we had too much grass!!

Is anyone else having problems keeping/getting weight onto their neds this summer whilst those around them are struggling to keep/get it off? Just want to know we're not alone!!!
 
Yes I haven't stopped tbh.

My 17'0 TB looks ribby but he is 25 so maybe age aswell. My others cob types are fine.

Its very expensive isn't it and the shortage of hay is concerning.
 
Not me! Got a big fat french trotter in a big fat grassy field.
Although he is a V. poor doer in the winter.. not looking forward to it!
Do all hay ourselves so don't have a problem for the hay.
 
Yep once a day atm. They are in there last paddock which has grass in and then after that i think they will be on hay as other paddocks got no grass. Normally in the winter everyone is saying that they have no grass in there paddocks and are now mud and im always saying come up to mine iv got way to much. x
 
Yes, but then they sort of have it as treat but at the same to include their supplements, my lad has to have various stuff in his feed to keep him sane :D they have eaten the grass off quite a bit but they do get rotated but not quite as often as they should or the right time (if it was my decision that is) so they get a feed everyday to keep them ticking over, obviously I alter what goes in depending on the work and what their weight is etc, I'm keen on keeping them at the ideal weight all the time so there is no issues with the fit of the saddles.
 
I feed mine all year.
When grass was poor twice a day i fed half a scoop of alpha a oli and half of calm and condition.

Now grass is good again i reduced it to once a day.

Just insured they have vits and mins and something to add supplimets like garlic etc too.
They look good, helped then maintain it through the summer.
 
Yep, feeding Winergy and Happy Hoof twice a day. I did feed haylage in the field for a week or so too whilst the grass was rubbish when it was so dry.
 
Having a good do-er I can only imagine what its like for the poor do-ers. This lack of grass has done wonders for my horse , he is the best he has looked since I have had him. For once he is a nice weight and not fat like he has been over the past summers. He is still having his fibre feed (for his supplemements) and eating 1/4 of a small bale of hay a day but this only keeping him at a nice weight and he's not putting on fat like he would do normally.
 
Ours have already moved off their summer grazing (or in this case dust) to their winter grazing.

Still hoping to get some rain to get the summer fields back in use this year before winter!

Always give two small feeds throughout the year and a very small haynet at lunchtime just to keep some fibre going through their guts. Horses are out at night but in during the day.
 
My exmoors are actually on greater than winter rations at the moment. Henry was so underweight before I started ad-lib hay, I stopped riding him for over a month!
 
Yes, my horse is muzzled when he's out during the day so I have to still feed him, he has hay overnight and is in, I weigh tape him weekly as I need to keep an eye as he has lami few years back
 
I am ok at the moment but then I have a good doer and the lack of grass has done him good as he has maintained his new slim weight throughout summer. My lad is on about three quarters of an acre and nibbling bits that grow through in the day and then in with hay at night. I feed year round a handful of chaff twice a day to put his supplement in and he is doing well. I may even have to start giving him small additional sections of grass from the other side of the electric fence to ensure he does not drop any more weight as the vet said he is just right and you can just see his ribs when he moves...so dont want any more off.
I am trying to make my hay last longer too by not feeding it during the day, only at night as I have limited storage and have to feed it throughout the year...so will need to source some more later in the winter.
I am lucky in that the field I rent is far too big for my lad who has had laminitis so he spends most of the year on his sectioned off paddock and I have the best part of 2 acres left to strip graze him onto if needs be in the winter...but I usually dont even touch anywhere near that amount!
 
:( I have a few Welshies who are managing ok but I have had to put my 2yo ID x TB x WB filly up for sale as there is no grass. I am feeding her and she has some haylage but it will be better for her if she can go to someone with better grass. I will even consider an exchange for a good doer! (Highland or cob).
 
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