Feeding Advice please - Hay or not...

J

JLH85

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2013
Messages
51
Location
Cambridgeshire
Visit site
I bought my TBX in May and he is out 24/7 with 3 acres to himself. Since May he was not fed any additional feed (just his grazing) and he is looking good going into winter. I have now started giving him a feed a day (1/2 scoop spillers cool mix, 1 scoop chaff & 1 scoop sugar beet). There is still grass in the field and he is grazing, not standing at the gate! When should I start feeding hay? I have been told to wait until he has dropped a bit of his summer weight or when it snows! Am I giving him the right hard feed? His previous owner gave him this and hay only when he was stabled overnight and nothing in the day(he had limited grazing). He is a bit fizzy atm but I don't think I can do anything about this as it just lack of riding due to getting dark early (I only ride once a week in winter). I will soon be moving him to yard where he will be stabled overnight so will get hay net and feed morning and night but do I give him hay now..... Any help greatly appreciated!
 
JLH85 said:
I bought my TBX in May and he is out 24/7 with 3 acres to himself. Since May he was not fed any additional feed (just his grazing) and he is looking good going into winter. I have now started giving him a feed a day (1/2 scoop spillers cool mix, 1 scoop chaff & 1 scoop sugar beet). There is still grass in the field and he is grazing, not standing at the gate! When should I start feeding hay? I have been told to wait until he has dropped a bit of his summer weight or when it snows! Am I giving him the right hard feed? His previous owner gave him this and hay only when he was stabled overnight and nothing in the day(he had limited grazing). He is a bit fizzy atm but I don't think I can do anything about this as it just lack of riding due to getting dark early (I only ride once a week in winter). I will soon be moving him to yard where he will be stabled overnight so will get hay net and feed morning and night but do I give him hay now..... Any help greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

How much grass is in the field?
Is there molasses in the chaff and, if so, how much?
What's the quality of the hay?

Honestly, I hate mixes . . . but that's just me. He might be fizzy because there is sugar in the chaff/mix . . . there certainly isn't any sugar in the grass right now . . . but he isn't working enough to warrant tons of hard feed and I'd be erring on the side of more forage (hay/haylage) and less cereals.

Horses need good quality fibre and forage far more than they need mixes and cereals. If I were you, I'd ditch the mix, make sure the chaff doesn't have molasses in it, and feed him good quality hay and/or haylage (made by a reputable farmer with no molasses "coating").

As for whether he needs hay in the field . . . I can't answer that without seeing the field . . . but I'm giving my own sharp sportshorse hay in the field now because there's nothing left in the grass and he's a poor doer.

P
 
IME he won't eat any hay if he is getting enough grass. Put him a small net out and see whether he is interested - mine aren't yet, they only nibble some while they are waiting at the gate
 
Its Dengie Hifi Original chaff - I think it does have molasses it in but wouldn't know if too much... as I haven't fed him through summer I have not thought about it too much. I suppose he was on hard feeds before as he was being worked more. There is still plenty of grass in the field IMO so I think what i'll do is get some hay and try him on it and see if he's eating it - if not wait to see if he drops condition and then give hay.

I have been advised by the lady who was on my yard previously that hay is £6.50 a bale (small bale) is this expensive?! I'm sure it was never that much!

Is sugar beet heating? Is it good for weight gain?

Thanks for your help everyone!
 
JLH85 said:
Its Dengie Hifi Original chaff - I think it does have molasses it in but wouldn't know if too much... as I haven't fed him through summer I have not thought about it too much. I suppose he was on hard feeds before as he was being worked more. There is still plenty of grass in the field IMO so I think what i'll do is get some hay and try him on it and see if he's eating it - if not wait to see if he drops condition and then give hay.
Click to expand...

I would feed him a molasses-free chaff . . . he isn't working hard enough to process the sugar.

Is sugar beet heating? Is it good for weight gain?
Click to expand...

For most horses sugar beet isn't heating at all and is excellent for adding condition.

Good luck.

P
 
JLH85 said:
I have been advised by the lady who was on my yard previously that hay is £6.50 a bale (small bale) is this expensive?! I'm sure it was never that much!
Click to expand...

Eek!! Where are you? Even last year when there was a shortage it was around £4.50/bale round here, this year I will be selling mine for £3.50. You could have as much of mine as you want for £6.50 ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top