Do they need more feed?

W

warrior_pony

Active Member
Joined
22 January 2016
Messages
33
Visit site
Will my horses need more feed?
Hi, I keep 3 my horses in a field with a open stable/shelter however there is not much grass. So we have been using the other field on the yard that has been empty for a few months due to a horse moving away, the grass in this field is much better. They normally go out for 2-3 hours and come back into the other field and get food and hay. But if they stay out for 5ish hours, like they sometimes do, will they need hard feed or just hay? I'm not sure what to feed them or if they are actually hungry? They are 25yo fell, 4yo section A and 5 yo appaloosa x fell, the 25 yo is no longer ridden and the 4 year old is ridden once a week atm due to weather and the 5 year old twice a week. All in a good condition! What would you do?
 
If they are in good condition then I wouldn't give hard feed. However, presumably the grass in the new field is starting to diminish now they have moved onto it, so you might need to put some hay out. But without seeing the field (or even knowing what size it is) or the ponies concerned it is hard to tell. You can judge by whether their condition starts to drop a bit and/or how they behave in the field - are they usually heads down eating, or are standing looking bored or starting to nibble things they shouldn't such as trees and fences, etc.
 
Last edited:
If you have so many equids, yet seem to have very little idea of how to feed them, how sure are you that they are in good condition, this would be my concern, sorry if I am seeming critical, but condition scoring in winter is a bit tricky.
Many older horses need a small feed, though fell ponies may be good do ers and generally all horses get a wee feed in winter.
They need worming against encysted redworm [special stuff] and the teeth need rasped every year.
In winter the grass is not nutritious, and if they are all eating hay, this indicates they are not getting a lot from the grass.
 
Last edited:
I just wanted other people's opinions, they are wormed regularly, have farrier every 8 weeks and teeth done every 6 months. To me they are in a good condition, but others may have different opinions. When they out out in the other field they don't eat hay, we put it out a few times and they didn't eat it...however when they get moved back into the field with shelter they eat the hay there was there is barely any grass. In the field with no grass they aren't always grazing but if they have been out in the field they have had a belly full. If they don't go out to the other field they get fed. But I wasn't sure if they would still be hungry, obviously I keep looking at their condition but they can sometimes look bloated after a few hours on decent grass x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top