Good doers coming into Spring

C

CobsGalore

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 August 2012
Messages
2,298
Location
Buckinghamshire
Visit site
My cob is running out of grass in his winter field, and he is obviously a little hungry as he is keen to come in for his breakfast in the morning. There was quite a lot of grass when they went into that field in November, and he naturally put some weight on.

I would like this weight to come off before the spring, (it's not much, maybe 20kg extra on weight tape?), but worried that he is going to get too hungry before the grass starts coming through?

Would you put some hay down in the field, or let him shift some of the weight before haying the field?

Despite his 'I'm starving' faces at me, he hasn't yet lost any of his 'Christmas belly' :D
 
Last edited:
It's a lot easier to get weight under control now than still to be battling in April, also if he;s a good doer if he goes a little too far the other way then very easy to pick him back up in spring if you feel he needs it.

My good doer oldie I used to stop all hard feed and cut hay from early Feb as well as changing to light weight rug, when he went out on loan I suggested he should almost look like an RSPCA case come late March (only a slight exageration) so he could enjoy the spring/ summer without days in the stable to hours fighting a muzzle.

I'd be putting on my 'I don't care that you're starving' face and thinking of his long term wellbeing.
 
CobsGalore said:
Despite his 'I'm starving' faces at me, he hasn't yet lost any of his 'Christmas belly' :D
Click to expand...

Know this feeling well. I've just put Merryns muzzle back on and boy is he making me feel guilty about it. I just ignore him though it's for his own good I'd feel much more guilty if he got Lami!
 
A friend keeps her horse with me on grass livery. It was fat coming out of summer, and only really started to drop weight in the last few weeks. She is equally aware that the weight will go back on in spring.

He gets a small hard feed of chaff and beet once a day and a small net of haylage - it is hard as he is hungry, the grass has gone, and the field is a bog, but better that than laminitus in a couple of months time.
 
Wagtail said:
I would be worried about ulcers personally, and would put him some hay mixed with oat straw down.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, I didn't think of that. Could I just feed oat straw, or would I have to mix it with hay?

The thing is, that the field does have grass left in it at the moment, and he is grazing when I go up. It's not like he's hanging around the gate, and we have no mud so field is still green. He's just getting hungrier.
 
As long as he has something to 'nibble' on and keep his gut working I would let him get poor. Don't forget that the more native type have an 'urge' to stock up at this time of year. I have a good doer and like her to look poor going into the spring, it's the only way I can get her to stay slim enough over the summer to not get laminitis. Does he need breakfast? As long as he is getting vits and mins in say a handful of chaff?
 
crazyhorse37 said:
As long as he has something to 'nibble' on and keep his gut working I would let him get poor. Don't forget that the more native type have an 'urge' to stock up at this time of year. I have a good doer and like her to look poor going into the spring, it's the only way I can get her to stay slim enough over the summer to not get laminitis. Does he need breakfast? As long as he is getting vits and mins in say a handful of chaff?
Click to expand...

Yes he definitely has something to nibble on :)

His breakfast is 2 mugs of Bailey's Lo-Cal Balancer, and that's it!
 
I have 3, 1 poor doer, 2 good doer's. They get haylage (although more like wrapped hay) morning and night, in total just over a bale a day between 3 14.2's on 3.5acres of very little grass. I do start to drop the ration off in Feb depending on snow etc.
I would put some oat straw mixed with hay down for yours, even if only 2 slices from a small bale, as previous poster said - hungry horses create issues.
As soon as March comes drier and temp rise, I section mine in 2 acres and get the sheep in... some hopefully got it covered.
 
If hes nibbling hes getting something. I used winter to reduce babys weight(unrideable at end due to sight) as wearing a muzzle in summer would have blown her mind. No rugs regardless of weather. Handful (and i mean handful)of happyhoof and a carrot tea &brekkie as was her routine and hayed to weather(minus 1 for more than 2 nights hayed bit more). sound ground but limited grass in winter. She always went into spring lean but well and by heck she always looked well :) for good doers winter when used right(weather forecasts were my friend) are godsend :)
 
I always feed straw as a filler, its tops them eating every blade of grass down to the roots so it recover quicker in spring, they only eat it if they are hungry although sometimes I think they just like a bit of a change.
 
twiggy2 said:
is he in work and rugged?
Click to expand...

In the winter we just hack out at the weekend, and I lunge / long rein him a couple of times in the week. He has been in a no fill sheet all winter with a trace clip, that has now grown out.

I think I will get some hay/oat straw tomorrow and put a bit down in the field just to keep his belly a little fuller. There is definitely still grass to eat and his head is down, and he is pooing! But I don't want him being too hungry or causing trouble!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top