feeding my horse too much??

[princestar]

My Denny is 5 1/2, New Forest 14.3hh. He lives out 24/7 with shelters, stables and some hay in the evening after dinner. He has a small dinner of a handful of apple chaff (molichaff I think), a small handful of pony nuts, apple/carrot, oil, garlic powder and limestone flour. When the weathers better he will have nothing because of the amount of grass he'll be eating, unless he is working very hard. He is having a little chaff with a **tiny** few nuts for breakfast too, as the other horses are and I don't want it to get rivaled because 3 are eating and one isn't.

His work load is zero, I'm backing him myself but am only doing weekend work, but he goes for 'in-hand hacking' as much as we can. During the week he lives out and eats!! Recently saw the woman I rent the field off, 'topping up' his brekkie, apparently she does it everyday 'as he needs some meat on him' for winter. And it a massive huge scoop of pony nuts!!

He doesn't need this and I've told her he's not to have anything else than what I give him, and *never* alowed the sugar beet. I told her I don't want her to feed anything else that's in my bucket. I have buckets for 'brekkie' and 'dinner' and have his name on. So they know what feed is for when if I'm not there.
My horse, my rules, but he's got bigger, I took his rug off and was like 'omg he's fat'

I never say that about anyones horse, let alone mine, but he is!!

Is he eating too much for the lack of work he's doing? What other suppliments should he have?

I'm not giving treats unless he's done backing work, when he gets a little treat. But I'm annoyed because my feed is going down amazingly fast! Too fast! I know she's putting extra feed in, that's being sorted and if it carried on; I'll lock my feed bin haha.

But does he need anything else in his diet, or anything removed (the extra food!!!!)

Thanks x

 

[lottiepony]

Personally I'd go pretty mental if someone decided to alter my horses feed! If he looked okay on what you were feeding him then I wouldn't worry and if all the others are being fed it can make things easier if he has a 'token' feed. I would def be locking your feedbin and having words with the woman again!

 

[princestar]

Yeah its just to keep him busy, she said I should feed sugarbeet 'as they like the taste' I was like NO NO NO NO, never ever feed him that! I'm sure that she thinks I brought this horse on a whim and never had a horse before, 10 years I've had hoses so don't need her to say what I need to be feeding him. But now she's making me feel like I'm questioning I want to feed him!

When I brought him 6 weeks ago he lived out for 5 years with an occasional bit of dinner, nothing like he's having now. Her opinion is he needs feeding up, but gives her old mare the smallest dinner and she is slim!

Denny is looking far! And its not good for his health, now I don't want to reduce his feed as with winter he needs feed as the grass is rubbish.

Grr!

Thanks hun x

 

[LD&S]

I would doubt very much he needs a whole scoop of pony nuts, if any at all.
if you think he's too big and don't want to offend too much can you tell a white lie and say the vet is concerned he has got so fat, really over play it, especially the lami risk.

 

[princestar]

He probably doesn't need any feed - he's not had much in the last 5 years as he lived out 'wild' for so long. He will never need a whole scoop of nuts - he's a very good doer, New Forest - hardy boy. He even lived totally without rugs and doesn't really get fluffy. So annoying because if I started feeding her horse more, she'd go mental, but because I don't want to be a pain and cause a row I just say, please don't keep feeding him that, I know what he should be eating, rather than going what are you doing! Even told me I needed the farrier, when he was out only 5 weeks ago and she hasn't had him out for at least 8!! *sigh*

 

[meesha]

if he is holding weight or overweight then as you said he needs no feed at all, instead put a mineral lick in the field and some hay out as and when necessary.

I would remove your bucket so none can be added and in place leave a carrot for him to be given instead so he is getting something.

I agree that you may need to use a "white lie" if removing the bucket doesnt work and say that the vet has confirmed he is at lami risk and said strictly no feed.

Horrible situation, hope it all resolves itself without any fall-outs.

 

[Pinkvboots]

New forest are really good doers I think what your giving him is fine if he looks fine, a whole scoop of nuts and sugar beet is way too much and I would be really angry at someone feeding my horse behind my back, I always up the hay before hard feed with mine and it does the trick to be honest horses dont really need hard feed to stand in a field unless they are under weight, tell her not to feed him anything and to mind her own business.