feeding tips for new forest pony?

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japersmummy

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I have just brought my first pony who is coming to me at the weekend and looking for advice on feeding? At the moment he is out 24/7 but also hasn't really been exercised much. with me it is not an option for him to be out all the time he will be out in the day and in at night and wondered what i should do re food. as i say at moment he isnt getting anything other than grass, should i carry this on? really i feel he should be having a proper "meal" but dont want to over feed him. anyone have any recommendations?

bit of info on him hes a 4 year old newforest. at the moment they have him barefoot but farrier will be coming out next week as want an opinion on whether thats nest for him. sorry for stupid questions just want best for him
 
The New Forest I had was a good doer & I imagine yours will be no different. I didn't give hard feed just Vits & minerals. His hay was soaked for 12 hours & triple netted in small holed haynets so that he could have quantity without getting fat plus strip grazing. He was exercised regularly, mostly roadwork. Didn't need shoes though. Never sick or sorry. A regular show winner in M&M. Hope you have a lot of fun with him.
 
thats brilliant thank you so much ill do that then felt bit guilty bringing him in without dinner but guess hell have his haynet so he should be ok
 
I have a new forest and he is a good doer he lives out but he still has a balancer to make sure he gets his vitamins. At the moment he is on blue chip native but as I am struggling to keep the weight off him will probably swap to blue chip lami lite.

I do have to work hard to keep him trim he is ridden or lunged every day and has to wear a grazing muzzle when there is lots of grass.
 
If forest bred then he won't be used to "good" grazing. He'll probably not need hard feed but limited access to grass which what you are planning anyway. Generally they have good feet. As one of mine did most of her work on the forest she was unshod. When I put her out on loan she did more roadwork so just had fronts on.

Hope you have lots of fun with him. Pics are a must!
 
I have a 6 Y/O new forest and he's not the typical good doer... Over winter he's out during the day and in at night, summer months he's in during the day and out at night but during winter he became very unweight and poor condition. He is now on calm and condition plus alpha a oil and in the winter I add "Stay power muesli" by Dodson and Horrell which is great for the condition but doesn't over heat him. I think all horses can be different even if the breed is normally known for being a good doer.

Feet wise - he came to me unshod but as he got into work he became foot sore so I have front shoes on him... The ground near us is quite stony and uneven so that may be the reason he's foot sore.

Hope you have lots of fun with him x
 
I've got a Forest bred New Forest.

He's a very good doer - like Falconers I soak for 8-12 hours, then rinse & triple net his hay (soaking & rinsing reducing the sugar content) he has in his stable overnight.

During the Spring/Summer he had a grazing muzzle when turned out depending on grass quality.

He's just on a TopSpec Lite balancer (currently with Allen & Page Fast Fibre, but looking to TopSpec TopChop Lite chaff once the FF is used up) & salt & garlic.

He's barefoot & does really well barefoot, as he has good feet.

Good luck with your new boy - mines been a challenge, but I wouldn't swap him for the world :)
 
Dodson & Horrell Sure grow is absolutely fantastic! I swear by and have known other people who use it for all ages, breeds etc! As part of a correct and balanced diet it is amazing x
 
My 2 foresters are in at night, out in the day. One is a restored laminitic! Both are on Baileys lo-cal, speedi-beet, & micronised linseed. Soaked hay & muzzled when necessary. Front shoes on the Forest bred & full set on the laminitic one as he has rotataion in his fore feet
 
Our NF is prone to getting overweight, at the moment he is on restricted grazing and hay. For feed he gets a double handful of "happy Hoof" chop, but this is only to give him his vitamins and minerals in and so he doesn't feel hard done by. As he is just new now I would be very careful about what grass she is going onto - most NF's are very good doers and can be laminitis prone

For hard feed If you are going to ride him more you could step up the energy and add a little non heating coarse mix but I wouldn't start with this.

Also re the shoeing, if he has no shoes on and has never been shod, why not stay this way, and if you find you need something on the fronts hoof boots can be good ( this is what we do)
I would say If you ask the farriers advice on shoeing most will say to shoe.
 
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