grazing dilemma

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UKa

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Hi, I am not sure as to how to go about the grazing dilemma I face at the moment with my mare. I have a fine built TB who is a poor doer and never fat. She does well on good grazing and is currently looking really well (very pleased as she looked very poor a couple of months ago and she was also suffering from back pain and generally needed to put on weight which she has after 6 weeks of part rest - long story) I NEED HER TO STAY AS SHE IS otherwise she may have problems again....

She is sharing a field with a big coloured cob who has put on too much weight lately and his owner rightly can\t increase the grass for him at the moment. We are resting a piece of field which now has quite lush grass and it would be a pity to make it go to waste so would love to put my mare in it but she is a pain being separated from her friend, she doesn't even really tolerate being in a field NEXT to her mate.

Field with grass would be away from her mate but next to another horse but for above reason I am not sure if she would tolerate being there even though she could really do with the grass right now as the current paddock is quite grazed down by now.

I could risk it and leave her as is and hope she doesn't lose her weight again/ feed her on top of field, but annoying (more expensive) option as we have all this grass to be used...

What do you do when horses have so different needs but need each other so much?

May not result in any answers but I am feeling a bit in a muddle at the mo as to what to do ...

I wish she wasn't such a clingy baby :(
 
... interesting idea. But how am I supposed to tell the cob's owner... TB has not been in proper work for 6 weeks for physical reasons... Can't really reduce workload anymore in future in fact I am going to start riding again soon hopefully or else she is a total field ornament :(
 
I own a fatty who lives with her best mate who is a skinny. Over winter mine was a good weight out 24/7 on not a lot of grass. Skinny looked a slightly ribby even though she was hayed and got a big hard feed. Now out on new grass mine is the size of a house and skinny is looking just right. Once I've found a grazing muzzle that doesn't rub bleeding sores on mine shell wear it 24/7. I can't seperate ours either, skinny frets into a sweaty neighing mess and fatty is a fence jumper so will find her way back to her mate regardless!
 
Faracat said:
Take skinny TB into the lush area and graze in-hand twice a day?
Click to expand...
Oh yes :) that's an idea :) Thanks! Was thinking of trying her in the lush area but I think the grazing may work best as she is calmer when with human friend. Great idea. At least it would top her up a little and grass really is best. Feeding hay or more hard feed would just not do the same thing.
 
I have lots of lovely grass that my oldie needs to eat, but my porky cob doesn't!! At the moment the oldie gets the run of the whole lot while I hack the porker , and I let them out again the other end of the day and porky has a muzzle on so gets to mooch around and pick bits while oldie scoffs. Not ideal but he's gained condition which was the idea and I'm riding the cob as much as I can and muzzling when she comes out of the paddock :)
 
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