Coming off restricted grazing??

[bex1984]

My pony has been out 24/7 on restricted grazing since April. This has been a reasonable size field but with about 15 ponies on it. There is grass out there but it is very short. This has been great for keeping the weight off over summer.

Murphy is now coming in very hungry when I bring him in for a ride. He is also a bit lacking in energy. He is having a small token feed when he comes in (he never has much even in winter).

At some point I need to move him to his winter grazing, where there is currently a LOT more grass than in his field, and I'm not sure when to move him? I reaaaallly don't want him to put on lots of weight (or any weight really!) but don't like the fact that he seems hungry at the mo.

what would you do?

 

[BackInBlack]

What i'm planning on doing is putting some cows on the fields 1st to eat down the grass. have you any other animals you could borrow to eat down the grass a bit?

 

[bex1984]

He's going back out with the horses, who have been out eating the grass all summer but it's a big field and there is still quite a lot of grass

 

[ALF123]

Can you put him in there on alternate nights for a while.

 

[Honeypots]

I'd be inclined to give him a feed after you ride and maybe a haynet. A high fibre feed such as Dengie good doer and a balancer..
ETS: I'd hold off as long as you can re, winter grazing as there is still goodness in the grass plus you have the autumn flush to come yet...

 

[bex1984]

he's currently having a bit of hay when he comes in for a ride, and then after a ride is having happy hoof + all his vits.

alf123 - that is a possibility, but I'm a bit concerned about upsetting the politics of both herds - the ponies do bicker because they don't have enough grass really.

 

[bex1984]

[ QUOTE ]

ETS: I'd hold off as long as you can re, winter grazing as there is still goodness in the grass plus you have the autumn flush to come yet...

[/ QUOTE ]

when does the autumn flush come through? Ideally I'd like to hold off until after that but not sure how much longer I can cope with getting dragged around on the ground because he's hungry!!

 

[Honeypots]

I really sympathise!! I have fatties and its really hard if you have to share with others. If you were on your own I'd say put some hay out but I guess youre not so not an option. Do you see him once or twice a day. Is there anyway you can double up on the hay? Or section him off so you can give him some. Or section him off in the other field? Or could you bring him in for the day with some hay and put him out later?
The Autumn flush will be anytime the weather warms up at this time of year. It could be as late as October these days..

 

[ladylisa]

I have started to change fields everyday for my two, as there is next to nothing in their summer field, and i was also worried about them bingeing on the grass when they were in the good field so when they are in there i put a grazing muzzle on to slow them down.

 

[pottamus]

I tend to wait until October to give my boy some winter grazing. He has been on a piggy paddock and hay since April and is really only eating hay and picking at what grass there is. So it is always a worry when you make that move over. My lad is out 24/7 with access to a field shelter so I will probably have to put him on the decent grass in the day and on a sectioned off piggy paddock and hay at night to balance it a bit. Do not want him in as he gets bothered by hay dust.
It is so hard, I know the dilema you face only too well.
My lad has been getting grumpy too as I try to put enough hay out that will last but not too much or he wastes it...so I end up having to give him less that perhaps does not last throughout the day.

 

[katie_southwest]

Yes be careful about moving too soon, we did that last winter and the winter grass was scoffed before the real winter started!!!

 

[Chumsmum]

Sympathies from an owner of 3 good-doers.

I rent my own field so a bit easier but still worry about giving them too much. I'm trying to keep my ponies on their well eaten summer paddock until after the Autumn flush but they are getting hungry now (though still on the porky side) and are getting hay ATM. And this flipping weather isn't helping

Depending on yard/horse etc, I would perhaps see if you can turn him out with the others on the winter grazing for just a few hours and then put him back in the summer grazing for the rest of the time, if he will stay on his own? Or maybe electric fence a small part off for him in the winter grazing - electric fencing has been a god-send for me.

Good luck

 

[OWLIE185]

Use electric fencing to fence off a small section first and then once that has been eaten down give him a bit of new grass each day.

 

[SO1]

Ours are not going onto winter grazing till October as even though there looks like there is not much grass out there nothing is loosing weight - mine is hungry but he needs to loose weigh so tough, he would always find some space for extra tasty food.

He has a small feed of dengie good doer after he is ridden and a tiny bit of hay. He too is a bit tired but put that down to bad weather and probably not being able to sleep when it is pouring down with rain nearly the whole time!

I would rather he was a bit hungry than they go out on winter grazing too soon and get laminitis. Luckily YO feels the same and all living out horses are cobs and ponies who are good doers so we are all in the same boat!

 

[kellyeaton]

i am not moving mine until november then i know there is no goodness in it so the lammi scare has gone aswell. what i would do is when you get him in give him a good meal of high fibre feeds and a section or two of hay so his belly is full before he goes out!

 

[dwi]

I've had to give Daisy a bit more because she was exactly the same, getting too hungry and towing me towards grass when I was bringing her in. I've gone for putting her onto a bit more grazing but only at night and then bringing her in during the day so that she doesn't gorge herself and then giving her a net of soaked hay to keep her entertained.

 

[bex1984]

Thanks everyone - I'm going to try to hold off moving him a bit longer and keep giving him some hay and a feed when he comes in to be ridden. It's reassuring to know other people are having the same dilemma.