Food for a 3 year old

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Maisy

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My 3 year old appears to me to have lost a bit of condition on his back end. His 'flank' area is a bit tucked up and his hips are protruding a little more than I would like.

I assume this is down to growth and he certainly doesnt look poor, but am considering feeding him something additional.....

Currently, he has about a scoop of alfalfa, a cup of ultimate balancer and a small scoop of sugar beet morning and night. He has adlib haylage overnight, but nothing out in the field as my girls really dont need to eat anymore than they do!

He appears to have plenty of energy, so I dont want to feed him anything heating!!!

Is it worth giving him something else, or should I just wait for the grass to come through?

My grazing isnt wonderful (it is a mix of weeds and grass).....which is great for my fatty girls, but wont be lush spring grass when it comes through.....
 
if he was mine id try to get some more haylage into him during the day.. if your others dont need any more could you section off a bit of the field for him or would that not be ideal?
x
 
Well my 3 year old NF pony is basically on the same rations as yours, but with the fulll recommended amount for her weight of D&H mare and youngstock mix added and just about adlib haylage. No balancer as I am feeding the mix at full dosage as it were. It's done a very good job on her over the past 2 months since I brought her in off the forest for TLC and feeding up because she was getting a bit "plain". She's looking a bit tubby now, which I am pleased about as when I turn her back out at the end of the month, she will drop back slightly until she adjusts to forest living again.
 
is he getting chilly? My boy always ticks up when he's cold...

I personally wouldn't want to feed him much more ... he's probably had a bit of a growth spurt and will fill out again with time...
 
I dont think he is cold...he is wearing the same rugs he has done all winter....

I would rather not separate him in the field as he loves to play with the girls, and last year, wouldnt eat the hay he had out there anyway!

I have put his haylage on the floor today, rather than in the haynet, as he wasnt finishing his net....I am hoping if it is easier for him to eat, he will eat more of it!

Fingers crossed he is having a growth spurt, as he could do with another 2" anyway!!!

Thanks for your replies!
 
My three year old looks like a "cut and shut" at the moment, he's very croup high, and his hips jut out (not in a thin way, more like a Clydesdale.... he's ID/Welsh D). He's on ad-lib haylage, but is not eating as much as I'd like him to. I think he's had a growth spurt, and hopefully he'll even out soon!
 
I wouldn't worry. The spring grass is not far away and should help him pick up. Our younger horses have fortunately dropped a bit of weight in the last few weeks as I don't want them going into spring carrying excess weight.

Has he had his teeth checked recently. Our young horses are done every six months on the recommendation of our EDT.

A growth spurt can make them look pretty ropy.
 
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