hard feed for mini shetlands?

[ponymia]

so exciting day today - we are getting a pair of mini shetlands that are arriving later on today, about 7 o’clock They’re going to be living at home where we have 2 paddocks with very good grazing, the paddocks themselves aren’t very big but i’m still planning to section them at first so the ponies don’t have too much as the grass is fairly long at the minute. Now I do already have a ‘full size’ horse and I’ve been riding for a long time now so i do have a good idea about most things, but after reading up about it and getting different info from everywhere i’m not entirely sure about feeding. I was planning on just giving them a vits and mins lick in the field and once they’ve grazed it down a bit, a handful of chaff each everyday but not sure if i’ll need too. Also will be living in at night during winter (with hay - should I soak it?). Any advice?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Mine would think they had died and gone to heaven if they had hard feed!
Absolutely not necessary imho.
They have smallholed mini nets only in winter when no grass, usually January till March, tied in field shelter, and only come in if weather absolutely dire, and thats not for their comfort but more to save the ground or let their feet dry out a bit so farrier doesn't have to deal with soggy legs etc.
You might still find you need to muzzle part of the time, they live on air!

Hope you enjoy your little ones

 

[ihatework]

No they shouldn’t need hard feed.
You might also need to think about how you might restrict their grass intake too

 

[BORODIN]

I wouldn't feed them - they survive on very little, very successfully where they originate from

 

[meleeka]

Mine was poor when I got him so I fed a small Feed of Speedibeet and micronised linseed. These days he gets a small handful of whatever everyone else has.

 

[Ruby's Mum]

They don't need hard feed. They survive on thin air, I have two mini Shetlands and a miniature horse x, they get equibites in a bucket each (so they are not left out as everything else gets fed), super cheap as you feed one equibite per 50kgs of mini loveliness and this gives them their vitamins and minerals.

 

[varkie]

I breed shetlands, so have experience of feeding a wide variety of the breed.

If they are a good weight, and have no other health issues, they should not need a hard feed for weight purposes, but I would advise providing them with vits/mins in some form or other - either as a block or a very small, low calorie feed. You are unlikely to need to provide them with a feed, even once they've grazed the field down - they truly do best on starvation type paddocks. My advice would be to weigh them weekly and only add a more significant feed if their weight drops below what seems to be their ideal.

As far as hay goes, yes you would do best to soak it, as shetlands can be prone to impaction colics - and wet hay helps to prevent this.