Feeding a cob...help!

[Suzie-May_hw]

Hello,
I currently own a 14.1hh 13 year old cob mare who lives out 24/7 at the moment but will be stabled overnight during winter. I'd say she's a good doer and absolutely perfect hacking out although she can be quite tense in the school sometimes - it's something we're working on...
One thing I'm struggling with is keeping her full! We currently have two small paddocks which we rotate but there's very little grass in either of them at the moment! Due to this she is having one hay net in the morning and one hay net for over night (she lives out so we tie them safely in the field on the fence). However she seems to be CONSTANTLY hungry and over the past week or so I've noticed her grazing a lot less i.e. she's always stood at the gate or just stood in her field - the grass is disappearing rapidly! Her belly always seems to be rumbling as well! I know cobs are known for being greedy and she doesn't look to be losing too much weight but I'm just wondering if there's anything I could do to keep her fuller for longer!? We've got slow feeder hay nets like the ones with tiny holes to slow her down but she just never seems full!
I ride her most days say 4/5 times a week at the moment as with too many days off she can get quite excitable so I don't want to be feeding her anything that will take her up another gear (lol)! We don't do anything extreme we either go on 30min/1 hour gentle hacks or do about half an hour to an hours schooling either flatwork/poles/jumping.
I'm finding feeding a bit of a mine field so if any one has any advice it would be very much appreciated!!!
TIA

 

[IrishMilo]

I don't like haynets with tiny holes - they must be so frustrating for them, not to mention bad for their teeth and neck. Can't you just put out more hay for her?

 

[MuddyTB]

If you soak the sugars out of the hay you could give her more, or try mixing it in with some straw if she'll eat that so she has more to go out without much more nutrition.

 

[meleeka]

This made me ?. It’s impossible for a cob to feel full so I really wouldn’t stress too much. To give you an idea, when my cob got in the hay store he ate two small bales of hay in 10 hours ?

Are you feedinge enough hay and are your net holes 25mm? I usually feed one smallish holed net and another teeny holed one so he’s not hungry by the time he gets to the really small holes.

You could soak hay or pad it out with straw, but do introduce gradually as some can’t manage straw.

 

[Suzie-May_hw]

This made me ?. It’s impossible for a cob to feel full so I really wouldn’t stress too much. To give you an idea, when my cob got in the hay store he ate two small bales of hay in 10 hours ?

Are you feedinge enough hay and are your net holes 25mm? I usually feed one smallish holed net and another teeny holed one so he’s not hungry by the time he gets to the really small holes.

You could soak hay or pad it out with straw, but do introduce gradually as some can’t manage straw.

That's reassuring!! I currently use Elim-A-Net Haynets which have 30mm holes in it and hold 5.5kg/12lb of hay! She gets two full ones a day ... I'll try soaking the hay but I'm not sure about putting straw in as she's on straw bedding and loves to eat that any way when she's in the stable... just to add to the frustration haha!

 

[Suzie-May_hw]

I don't like haynets with tiny holes - they must be so frustrating for them, not to mention bad for their teeth and neck. Can't you just put out more hay for her?

I'd love to be able to put out hay without it being in a net but unfortunately we don't have anything we can put it in at the moment and putting it on the grass just leads to most of it ending up squashed into mud or being blown away! I am making a wooden feeder at the moment to put in her field though so I don't lose hay/have to use a hay net

 

[Suzie-May_hw]

If you soak the sugars out of the hay you could give her more, or try mixing it in with some straw if she'll eat that so she has more to go out without much more nutrition.

Thank you, I'll try soaking the hay but I'm not sure about putting straw in though as she's on straw bedding and loves to eat that any way when she's in the stable!

 

[meleeka]

Thank you, I'll try soaking the hay but I'm not sure about putting straw in though as she's on straw bedding and loves to eat that any way when she's in the stable!

In that case I’d probably add a net of straw. She clearly sees it as food anyway so you aren’t confusing the issue. if what she has is enough compared to others on your yard and the pony isn’t losing weight I think she’s just trying to con you ?. Cobs generally don’t have an off button with regards to eating so whatever you do it will never be enough as far as she’s concerned.

eta have a look at Martsnets, they do 25mm holes which will slow her down more.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Thank you, I'll try soaking the hay but I'm not sure about putting straw in though as she's on straw bedding and loves to eat that any way when she's in the stable!

If she eats it in the stable without coming to any harm, there is absolutely no reason not to feed it in the field.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

All I would say is be careful not to overfeed a cob; they'll always have that haunted hungry look but they really CAN survive on air!

 

[Red-1]

I am new to cob ownership (on Saturday I acquired mine) but (because he has EMS) have consulted with the vet who was treating him to get my head straight about feed.

He advised that mine (15hh, 15yo) would lose weight on 8kg of soaked hay, if he had no other grass, but would maintain weight on 9kg of soaked hay, if he had no other grass.

If he was at grass for a few hours I was to take 30% off, even if he was muzzled.

I am allowed to give oat straw too, so he is having a dish of Top Chop Zero twice a day, with just a heaped 3lb scoop, damped. I daren't put more in as his poos are already a bit hard/dry.

I will ask locally to source actual bales of oat straw. That way he can self serve extras so he won't be hungry, but he won't be in danger from sugars.

 

[Chianti]

It's very hard as they could all win Oscars for playing the poor starved beast role. Mine is on a continual diet so everything is rationed but no matter how much he's eaten he still looks at me as if the RSPCA should be called.

 

[tda]

I've got a few starving ponies ? they all think so .

I found mixing straw with hay, really shake it out and mix, then net it, it takes longer for them to sort out the best bits ?

 

[laura_nash]

Both my cobs are always hungry, even when they are piling on the pounds. The best way to judge if she is actually getting enough fibre is to count the poos for one day, once you know what is normal if it drops significantly then you have actually got a problem.

As others have said to increase the fibre without increasing the calories soak the hay and feed a bit more, mix with straw, provide straw chop in a trug. I also give mine other random fibre such as hazel / rose branches, cut wilted nettles etc.

There's no point at all giving a bucket feed, if that's what you are considering. IME she'd love you for it but be just as hungry 5 mins later.