Dengie Grass Range

Guys if you look at the replies to ester I was considering not giving hard feed at all, and just giving hay and straw! This is talking about food for next winter - they aren't on feed this year anymore anyway - so am going to try not bothering with hard food at all. Although, the honeychop is straw, too.
Their fitness is a hard one as don't work them really anyway, and in winter it's impossible as it gets dark too early.
 
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Chinchilla said:
Guys if you look at the replies to ester I was considering not giving hard feed at all, and just giving hay and straw! This is talking about food for next winter - they aren't on feed this year anymore anyway - so am going to try not bothering with hard food at all. Although, the honeychop is straw, too.
Their fitness is a hard one as don't work them really anyway, and in winter it's impossible as it gets dark too early.
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Then in all honesty I’d save yourself some time, energy and money and do just feed hay & long baled straw
 
i would reduce all feed and use slow feeders to extend eating time, i am a believer in nutrition, i try to find a diet that is interesting and offers nutrition and fibre, and no empty calories, in the hope of regulating blood sugar and keeping them occupied munching.

several small feeds of hay two feeds of alfa hi fi lite, sprinkling of oats, spoon of fast fibre, linseed oil, salt, and at the mo seaweed, sometimes straight herbs, swedes, carrotts apples in very small quantities, including a pony who would get lami at the blink of an eye.

it looks or sounds at lot, it is`nt, i make the effort because i believe in it because it works for mine, the lami pony is in her twenties, and she is slim, fit and full of life and energy, and looks at you with eyes that say `life is great`, and interestingly she has more bucket feed than the bigger horses.

the others are also very fit on their regime, their wind is great, no puffing, no sweat when worked, even at the mo when work keeps stopping because of the weather, they are slim, muscled and shiny, and have an attiitude of joy to their work, i love slim horses, they look so much more elegant and move far better.

all the time i get people saying i feed them too much, but i don`t!, if they eat too much they will get fat, they are not fat they are slim.

i think all efforts to provide a horse with an interesting and varied diet will pay dividends in the long run, horses need to repair themselves and maintain their large skeleton as soundness is paramount.
 
tristar said:
i would reduce all feed and use slow feeders to extend eating time, i am a believer in nutrition, i try to find a diet that is interesting and offers nutrition and fibre, and no empty calories, in the hope of regulating blood sugar and keeping them occupied munching.

several small feeds of hay two feeds of alfa hi fi lite, sprinkling of oats, spoon of fast fibre, linseed oil, salt, and at the mo seaweed, sometimes straight herbs, swedes, carrotts apples in very small quantities, including a pony who would get lami at the blink of an eye.

it looks or sounds at lot, it is`nt, i make the effort because i believe in it because it works for mine, the lami pony is in her twenties, and she is slim, fit and full of life and energy, and looks at you with eyes that say `life is great`, and interestingly she has more bucket feed than the bigger horses.

the others are also very fit on their regime, their wind is great, no puffing, no sweat when worked, even at the mo when work keeps stopping because of the weather, they are slim, muscled and shiny, and have an attiitude of joy to their work, i love slim horses, they look so much more elegant and move far better.

all the time i get people saying i feed them too much, but i don`t!, if they eat too much they will get fat, they are not fat they are slim.

i think all efforts to provide a horse with an interesting and varied diet will pay dividends in the long run, horses need to repair themselves and maintain their large skeleton as soundness is paramount.
Click to expand...

What slow feeders do you use?
 
we made some of our own, some big outdoor ones, some indoor ones, and use hayplays and sometimes very large tiny holed haynets
 
Update on food :)
Have cut down their food almost to nothing now but the free sample of Oat Straw came today: Spotty mare thinks it's the best thing ever and got so excited about the teeny dampened down pinchful she got before her tea that she almost ate my glove as well, which she's not done for ages because it's bloody terrible manners!!
Mini mare thinks it's poison but she's obsessed with hay...
So plan is for next year to move spotty in to stable next door to the twattish TB so she can have as much straw as she likes (will probably just buy big bales and give her that); mini mare, who will be 19 next year, will be moved into the field with the field shelter with the geriatric Shetland so they can have hay and high fibre blue horse hage and share a stable as like to keep the older ones moving about. Not sure what to do re. bucket feed with mini mare but she may not need any.
Thinking of trying the molasses free hi fi lite but still not sure as she is quite fussy when it comes to hard food. (And yes teeth are fine.) Maybe just buy a billion tonnes of hay and give her that she'd be happy as larry lol....
Doesn't matter yet at least - have a year to think about it!!
Just want to say thank you for your help everybody :) it is much appreciated!! :) :)
 
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