Changing feeding habits

[Steph009]

Hi I have 2 horses and a Shetland in the field and bring them in each night. I make the point if not feeding them straight away I wait about and hour. However the are rude obnoxious and potentially dangerous coming in. The rush push and shove their way home. So if I feed them in the field first would they be more chilled coming in afterwards? Thoughts please!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I don't understand your current reasoning. Do you mean they don't get forage in the stable until they have been in for more than an hour? If you think feeding them in the field would make life easier/safer for you, that is the way to go.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Why would you make them wait for food? Mine are out and I give them hay through the day in winter as I don't have much grazing that stops the ravenous need for food when they do come in or when I enter the field with hay.

I don't know how much grass you have but it sounds like your horses are hungry and once a day in winter is just not enough to satisfy them they are grazers after all.

 

[TGM]

Do you give hay or haylage in the field? This would probably stop them getting ’hangry’ at coming in time. What sort of feed are they getting when they come in?

 

[Steph009]

They have hay in the field they have hay in the stable all the time. but when they come in at night they have a hard feed also. We feel that they are rushing to get in for the hard feed so I thought by not feeding straight away they may not associate the coming in with the food. However we also thought that if we fed them in the field before bringing them in they may not rush?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would look very carefully at the ingredients of the hard feed, it sounds as if the horses have become addicted to the hard feed. Do they really need it? Is it high in sugar and starch? I speak from experience.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I think they are hungry and that is why they are behaving like that. Make sure they have enough to eat during the day so they wont come in starving

 

[Steph009]

I think they are hungry and that is why they are behaving like that. Make sure they have enough to eat during the day so they wont come in starving

I think they are hungry and that is why they are behaving like that. Make sure they have enough to eat during the day so they wont come in starving

They have hay and haylage all day they don’t eat it all they are def not hungry.

 

[Barton Bounty]

They have hay and haylage all day they don’t eat it all they are def not hungry.

How about separating them and try feeding them first? Worth a try ?

 

[ihatework]

How about training them not to be rude and obnoxious when handled?

 

[Goldenstar]

You make a routine and stick to it mine line up to be caught in the correct order .
I would not be expecting hungry horses to wait an hour to come in someone could get kicked .

 

[SEL]

Mine all bring themselves in to their stables when I open the gate. The only time they are obnoxious is when they've got cold / wet / hungry otherwise they just wander in. Their feeds are in their stables so it isn't just related to their buckets.

Anyone who persistently misbehaves is put on the lead and told to walk in nicely next to me for dinner. I'd probably go back to basics with yours. Do they come in nicely outside of food time? All mine are led in individually at various times for work so they know their manners.

 

[Steph009]

Yes they are good to handle outside of meal times. Our newest horse was used to coming in on his own but we now lead him in which I think is where the work is needed. I’m going to feed them in the field before they come in today to see if it changes the behaviour.

 

[southerncomfort]

Or feed in the morning instead so they aren't anticipating a bucket feed when they're brought in.

 

[Orangehorse]

I don't see why they are behaving like this? Sounds more of a manners thing.

Mine are out in the day and come in at night, but they walk in nicely and tie up outside the stable to have their rugs changed. Then they are led into the stable where everything is waiting for them, the headcollar off and they go and eat.