Bigger feed- breakfast or dinner?

FigJam

FigJam

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West Lothian, Scotland
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Just wondering if you feed a bigger feed at dinner or breakfast time? Or do you just keep them the same?

I'm thinking bigger breakfast feed would be better as they then can use the energy through the day when turned out/ridden.
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(Trying to make life easier/more consistent for feeding as want to feed 3 cups of mix per day- so 2 at one meal and 1 at the other, rather than 1.5 per meal!
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Usually I tend to give same size feeds, but if I do have a difference it is smaller feed for breakfast if horses are in at night, out during the day. This is because my old mare has quite big feeds and takes a while to eat them, which means I have to wait before she is turned out, plus she sometimes leaves some in the morning if she is anticipating going out!
 
Mine are fed at 7.30am and 7.30pm and the same amount at each feed (adds up to about 3kg of combined feed per day). If they have a hard days work I feed them more for dinner to replenish, rather than before at breakfast, which just seems to slow them down.
 
I feed topspec and have to feed 3.5 cups per day so in effect have the same problem as you. I tend to have the evening meal the larger and breakfast smaller - he takes long enough to eat it as it is and i dont have time to wait for him to finish a big meal in the mornings lol i guess its what ever suits you and your horse
 
Thanks all- guess it doesn't make a huge difference overall, just wondered if there was a general rule of thumb/school of thought on what's better/worse.

She doesn't get huge feeds and is a gannet, so time taken to eat in the morning isn't really an issue!
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I feed the same but am lucky that I can turn him out and feed him in the field during the day so he can take as long as he likes to eat his breakfast!!

Supper in at night.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Usually I tend to give same size feeds, but if I do have a difference it is smaller feed for breakfast if horses are in at night, out during the day. This is because my old mare has quite big feeds and takes a while to eat them, which means I have to wait before she is turned out, plus she sometimes leaves some in the morning if she is anticipating going out!

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Ha! Same here....
 
For stabled horses out in the day i like to make sure they get a good size feed in the morning as not much grass to eat at this time of year. I would give the smaller feed at night when they have hay to eat afterwards.
 
I give a bigger feed in the morning, dont know why!!!!!!!

Always have done, I think subconciously, that if they have a bigger one in the morning and there are problems then I will be back sooner
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My horse would never leave a scrap of his breakfast or tea, he is happy to stay in and wait even after the rest of the yard has been turned out in the morning. And as I don't need to split mugs of things I just give him the same food for each feed. I wonder though, if a horse's digestion is slower or more/less effective at different times of the day? Perhaps body rhythms/circadian rhythms affect horses? Maybe that might influence the splitting of feed between morning/dinner and any other feeds during the day.
 
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