Feed advice pls

Supertrooper

Supertrooper

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I'm starting to feel like a cruel mummy!! The field our shire x is on is now pretty bare, grass just isn't coming through. He is being strip grazed but that grass is fairly sparse and certainly not lush. I'm moving fence approx 2-3 feet every other day.

At the moment he is fed am and pm and has 1 stubbs scoop of hifi lite, 1/4 scoop high fibre cubes plus 1/4 scoop cubes in treat ball. He is a 16.3hh shire x cob, he's the right weight now but he is hungry, TBH whatever I gave him he would be as he LOVES his grub, but i'm wondering now if he needs more. His poo's are fine, not too hard and he certainly poo's enough!! SO do I???

A) just carry on as I am?

B) start giving him hay, was thinking 1-2 wedges once/twice a day

C) increase bucket feed amounts?

He is ridden 3-4 times per week, mainly hacking and doesn't lack energy xx

Thanks xxx
 
Hi, are you strip grazing to give your grass a chance to come through? Personally I would give more hay rather than increase hard feed.
 
Yes, we've basically got field split into 7 paddocks with three horses in it. However we're trying to rest three for winter and then 3 horses using 3 paddocks as can't mix them!!! They don't get on unfortunately xx
 
I would suggest hay, he seems like a big chap and as you don't want him to have any more energy I wouldn't feed him any more concentrates. The hay may also give the grass a little bit of a rest, though not completely and you could even put him in a smaller paddock or stop moving the fence to give him more grass, providing he has enough hay. They say a horse should eat around 2% of their body weight daily (including grass intake) and for a horse in light work the forage to concentrate ratio should be around 70:30. This is just a theory and is not always right but it might be worth working out how much you are giving him and comparing it..? x
 
I don't really understand why you are giving a bucket feed if you don't want him to put weight on.
In the main, bucket feeds give energy (calories) without providing a feeling of being full (even high fibre feeds). Long fibre is best for filling a horse. If you don't give a bucket feed/treat ball you could give him more grass/hay. 1 of ours is on a serious diet, 1 needs to maintain her weight and the third loses weight if we are not very careful. They are all out on a bare paddock together with haylage put out in the evening. We address their differing dietary needs with bucket feeds - all high fibre. The dieting one just gets a small handful of dried grass for her Pink Powder and biotin.
In your position, I would feed hay and dispense with the bucket feeds.
 
Your horse won't be anywhere near meeting his appetite (approx 2.5% of his bodyweight), so it doesn't suprise me that he is hungry.

I assume he is living out? As others say, feed hay, I would feed 2 slices twice a day, and half both feeds, and see how it goes. Your horse would benefit really from a 100% hay and grass diet (hay fed according to grass availability), rather than bucket feeds with additives etc in, if he doesn't need them for any supplements.
 
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