Feeding - twice a day?!

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almrc

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Ok quick question. Monkey = 3yr 7 months, TB X. Lives out all year and rugged. Been fed scoop alfa once per day. Decided to add in cool fibre cubes gradually over winter and will move onto conditioning cubes if needed. Anyway, just phoned local feed merchant who suggest feeding her twice a day. I have heard feeding twice a day can be better for horses but I have always just fed one feed a day. If I changed, it would only be her out of the 3 horses on 2 feeds a day. I check them twice a day, but the morning check is a very quick one so I wouldnt have time to feed then! Surely one feed a day is ok?
 
I personally am a two feeds per day person... apart from in summer when I cut it down to one or preferably none...

I take it you're trying to add condition?

By simply splitting her feed into two feeds she may actually utilise more of what you're feeding. remember their stomach is only about the size of a rugby ball... not very big at all... so if feeds are huge, it will get pushed through the stomach before it has been properly digested...
 
Totally depends what amount of feed you are giving. Remembering the horses stomach is only small they can only digest a limited amount in each meal so overfeeding 1 meal will do nothing for her weight and waste your money. Personally I always split my feeds over 2 a day even if they are on small amounts. If you can find a way to give her 2 meals I would, but depends if she's prone to weight loss or not. A good-doer would be fine on one small meal over winter (if any feed at all!) but my lads drop dramatically over the winter so they need meals of 2kg (hard feed and chaff combined) feeds a day to keep them stable.
 
I understand that, it makes sense-thank you. Well I have 2 good do-ers and monkey! She is looking very good at the moment, I am just looking ahead. I am going to weigh tape her everyweek just so I know if she is keeping weight or loosing it. She is currently just on alfa, I am going to introduce the fibre cubes, just like 1/4 of a scoop. I guess if she is dropping weight and if I need to feed more then that will be the time I would need to split her feed? What is the max you would feed in one feed, alfa and cool cube wise?
 
Hi!!

One feed is ok depending on the size of the feed.

The thinking is that as horses have a small stomach in realtion to their size they should not have more than 4 - 6 pounds of feed at any one time, anything more than this goes relatively undigested and nutrients unabsorbed. The surface area of the intestines (where absorbsion of nutrients takes place) is only a certain size so if small regular amounts of food go through i.e feeding multiple times during the day (and grazing) this maximises the nutrient absorbtion and makes best use of the feed given rather than large amounts just passing through.

So, to make the most of the food you are giving it is best to feed small amounts regularly (this also avoids peaks and troughs in glycemic?? levels i believe) but if your horse is well on one small feed then thats fine too.

If you find your horse needs more and more food to hold condition, dont make the mistake of feeding one really large feed, it would be a waste, if this is the case later in the winter you may then have to consider feeding more often or a different feed.

Sorry its a ramble I do get myself all in a flap! x
 
I'm not really sure TBH my boys just get scoop of chaff (usually Happy hoof or similar) and 1kg of Calm & condition each feed, twice a day. They are both cobby types but on appauling grazing so I give them the feed to help weight and condition. Never used cubes so wouldn't like to say.
 
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