Hard feed/Hay/Haylage first?

catherine22

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 January 2006
Messages
1,075
Location
New forest
Visit site
Those of us who keep their horses out 24/7, if you only feed in the winter do you start feeding hard feed or hay/haylage first?
I normally feed hard feed first but only questoned myself as to why last night and thought it's probably more benficial the otherway around
 
Mine is one of 6 living out, only get haylage, no hard feed at all, except the 33yr old!!
All are looking fit and well, my lad is unrugged and still looks a tad fat if anything....
Having plenty of fibre going through the gut is what keeps their internal heating system working!
 
I always up the hay/haylage before upping the hard feed - better for the horse in all sorts of ways and usually better for my pocket as well!
 
Thats what i've always thought and was telling someone else to do when they asked me about feeding, then suddenly realised that I don't do it myself, as it does make perfect sense. I think it stems from when I had my old TB in with a field of very good doer foresters so they didn't have hay until late and she needed more so started hard feeding first then she had hay with them, will definately be doing it that way round this year
Thanks
 
Top