Feeding horses that are turned away

[billylula]

My daughter is about to have a knee op so we have decided to turn the two horses away for 8 weeks, shoes off and left out mainly (will probably bring in if weather really bad and just to break up their day and give them a good groom etc). We have about 4 acres, on clay, so not ideal but enough for them to wander about, we'll feed hay as well. At the moment they both have two feeds a day - one has had ulcers so each feed is Equilibra balancer, Dengie Healthy Tummy, a scoop of Magnitude and a scoop of vet supplied tummy medicine. He looks great on this and events at BE90 very happily, has plenty of energy, is the calmest and happiest he's been for ages. The other one is an overgrown New Forest and a very good doer, so has a small scoop of Dengie Healthy hooves with Baileys Lo Cal Balancer. He also has plenty of energy (too much tbh!!).

I've never turned horses away before, and was just thinking - should I carry on feeding them as before even though they aren't working? They have no hard feed apart from the balancer anyway, and I am loath to change anything for the ulcer horse as he is going so well atm. Any advice welcome - I'm planning to send them to livery about 6 weeks before daughter can ride again (which should be 4 months after op).

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It depends, really, on how much work they usually do. I would probably try to stick to what they have now but less of it.

 

[billylula]

Thanks. They are normally ridden 4 or 5 times a week and compete most weeknds.

I'm not sure its worth giving less of the balancer as then they won't be getting enough of the vitamins and minerals? I might drop the balancer altogther for the pony...

 

[Equi]

I doubt what your giving will have any negative side effects. But if there is plenty of grass don’t be too worried about the hay cause you may end up with two even more rolypoly ponies.

 

[Lady Jane]

Stick with the balancer and reduce the rest

 

[billylula]

Thanks. I'll test them with hay if the grass looks poor - they will only eat the hay if there isn't grass!

 

[billylula]

Ok so just a tiny bit of chaff to mix in the balancer? (was hoping I'd save money on balanccer :-D even though its not that expensive}

 

[Equi]

If they’ll eat the supplement without the balancer drop it. It won’t kill them for a few months

 

[meleeka]

I’d feed whatever you are comfortable with as long as it isn’t high in calories (which it doesn’t sound like it is). If you need to feed them in the same field you could adjust the chaff amount and feed a low calorie one in whatever amounts you need to ensure they finish at roughly the same time. When I lost use of my stables, the fat one had more in his bucket than the others but it was the lowest calorie chaff I could find but it meant he didn’t go after everyone else’s bucket.