Anyone with their horses out in snow and Not Feeding them?

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flyingfeet

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OK this may sound strange, but I've given up feeding mine outside

There is a pile of hay if they want it, but hasn't been touched for days, popped a little bit out today and they sniffed and wandered off!

Instead they have been nibbling everything growing long around the edges and now are digging and preferring to eat grass

They are in at night and seem perfectly happy!

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I don't put hay out, mainly due to the fact that I'm the YO and have a rule of no forage in fields, but like you say they don't eat it! Mine don't touch it anyway. They just dig instead.

However, would be different if there was no grass to dig for.
 
If they have access to it but aren't eating it then I wouldn't top it up but at the same time I would want them to have access just in case they wanted it in this weather. My ponies are all hoovering up every last scrap of hay so they are munching me through house and home right now!!
 
Leg_end said:
If they have access to it but aren't eating it then I wouldn't top it up but at the same time I would want them to have access just in case they wanted it in this weather.
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Agree with this!

We have only short grass under our snow so have been putting hay out and they eat it all.
 
I have been putting haylage out since the snow, and my TB and warmblood are hoovering it up. However last night I noticed both have started putting on weight, and the TB was bordering on fat anyway, so I'll cut down the amount I'm putting out during the daytime. I've already cut their feeds right down and they're only on fibre and oil diets now as exercise isn't possible.
 
Ive been putting haylage out that they browse occasionally if passing... but its gone every morning as the rabbits scoff it once it gets dark !! Its quite a sight to see a cloud of rabbits legging it across the snow in the moonlight !
 
got a TB mare, out in the field during the day without hay. she's been digging for grass, not touching hay I put out the last couple of days and not bothering to break the ice in the bucket either. she just licks the ice and eats the snow, and its re-freezing so quick!! She's in at night, with very little hard feed and some hay!
 
One field of ours have got haylage bale in they are out all day but same as yours not touching it as they are in at night. Mine and YO's horses are out for only a few hours at moment so they not having anything in field as they are enjoying digging and then come back to gate when they are done and want to come in where they have ad lib haylage
 
mine seems to enjoy the digging to get to grass - so much he has even been practising his technique in his stable!

He does come up and eat the hay left out though, picks at it throughout the day :)
 
Mine are out with big bale haylage. They tend to eat then go away to graze then come back to eat and so on.

They come in when the weather is really bad but over crimbo they're staying out.
 
My youngster lives out 24/7 and the yard put hay out for them but they werent bothering to eat it. He prefers digging for grass.

Bloss is out during the day and dosent get hay as she is happy digging.
 
we were putting hay out anyway as we dont have much grass!!... also, i got told it was really bad for them to eat snow..?!?
 
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