Hay - Ad lib or not???

I give my horse a v large haylage net every night when he comes in, I guess thats the closent to ad lib as you can get really and then he gets another haynet at 7.30am. Horses are trickle feeders and so should be constantly eating as if they were in the wild, so ad lib is definitely good for digestion, hay shouldn't make them get too fat either so its ideal to keep them going during the night, then they can have grass in the day if you can turn them out.
However it might be different for ponies, especially if they're prone to laminitis you don't want them getting overweight obviously.
 
I prefer ad lib more for the boredom factor than anything else... Mine live out all year round so always have access to grass but feed hay in winter to relieve any boredom which may lead to sneaky ponies trying to get up to mischeif!!!

If stabled I would definitely prefer ad lib for boredom again but would have to soak it thoroughly cos all mine are fatties..
 
for ponies like yours I wouldnt feed ad lib UNLESS it was old pony hay. Shetlands will notoriously eat and eat until they just balloon, yet in the wild they have rubbish forage, and more exercise than you could imagine. I would feed both a small amount of hay (say, a section each over night), and give them snackballs with fibre cubes in to keep them fron getting bored. The grass will be starting to come through soon so the shettie needs to be on the slim slide if possible so you're not worrying too much come that first flush of grass. If Inky's a good doer too then I'd be aiming for the same with him.
 
Yeh they are both good doers!!! I feed a limited amount of hay as i do believe should i feed them ad lib they will eat and eat till they pop!!! I understand people saying you should trickle feed them but i just dont think it will work with these two!!!

I hear some things that not feeding them ad lib caused them to bloat and wondered whether this was true???
 
when it comes to feeding shetlands are a different breed altogether lol. Whilst there may be a risk of problems associated with not allowing them to munch all day, the risks from them being overweight (the strain on their legs, heart etc and laminitis) is far far more serious and likely with ad lib feeding.

I found a great source of entertainment was to allow them lots of play. Shetlands love to play, they're naturally highly intelligent and inquisitive. A snackball filled with fibre nuts, slivers of carrot hidden in the bed, swedes hung up, bits of apple in their water, an old plastic bottle (with a hole in the bottom, filled with more fibre nuts and hung from the rafters so they can just headbutt it)... sometimes it's about making them work for their food and keeping their minds active. You can then feed them limited hay and not have to worry about them getting bored, stressed or going hungry.
 
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I prefer ad lib more for the boredom factor than anything else... Mine live out all year round so always have access to grass but fee

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Snap!

George is a very good doer, but I find that if I over face him with hay he actually eats less!!! He gorges on hay if it's drip fed.

Also he only ever puts weight on with lots of grass. In winter when he's been in, ad lib hay has had little effect.

Just my opinion though
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(Oh and he is worked regularly)
 
You could always mix straw in with the hay as straw has little nutritional value, but is a great source of fibre.
 
I feed all of my horses and ponies ad-lib and have done for years.

Pros are;

the horses don't stuff themselves or bolt it down as they know they will always have food whenever they wish it.

excellent for the gut and inner workings of the animals.

rarely do any of my horses fight over hay as they know it is always there.

Cons are;

sometimes it can take a while for some horses to get the hang of it so they stuff themselves and forget to stop.

there is lots of wastage if you ad-lib hay. I would say that about a quarter of all hay I feed is wasted - and I feed approximately 8 large round bales per week which works out to 12,000 lbs of hay; so the wastage on my farm runs at about 3,000 lbs of hay per week, so 2 round bales in all.

I wouldn't ever feed grazing animals by withholding forage from them for any length of time.
 
Yes thats what ive been thinking Tia, as cosmo_sam also said i do wonder whether they gorge on it because its limited and wonder if i feed it ad lib whether they wont eat as much as i think.

Inky still has a pot belly. Ive done worm counts that came back <50 eggs so i know its not that. He really does eat hardly anything and he gets exercise. I am wondering whether me feeding limited hay is actually not helping his digestive sytem at all and that its making him bloat.

Any idea???
 
I would say it is fairly rare that a horse will develop bloat because of the hay, however I guess it could happen depending on the type of hay you feed. The grasses and legumes we grow for our hay are excellent at keeping bloat at bay because of the way in which they have to be digested.

Maybe Inky is just a funny shape? I don't mean that nastily, I have a little pony who is a very odd shape and for the 3 years I've owned her she looks like she has always been about to drop a foal! It's just the way she is built though.
 
Are you sure its not just because he is still a youngster? He is isn't he? I have a little Exmoor who is a right peculiar shape atm. Her very long coat doesn't help though.

Is he really hairy atm...I'm often amazed at the shape of my mini in winter and relieved when he gets clipped in spring that it was his coat making him look like his belly is about to touch the floor...
 
Hee Hee yes i think he is a funny shape. I didnt mean that i thought the hay was making him bloat but the opposite in that by limiting his hay, his digestion isnt working properly and this is making him bloat. Do i make sense??? Am probably talking nonsense anyway!!!
 
Mine gets enough that there are just a few whisps on the flor in the morning, any more than that and it gets reduced, if there is nothing and he is searching for food in the morning, he gets a bit more. The other option would be to feed a smaller amount in a small holed haynet so it lasts longer...though personally not a fan of haynets at all!!
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Oh sorry
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, I picked up the wrong end of the stick there LOL!! Yes sporadic feeding of a grazing animal can cause bloat.

Shape-wise; how does he compare to others of his breed and age? Are they funny-shaped too?
 
They are all different sizes i suppose. The proper show animals are very lean
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however i dont believe that they are like that through any methods that i would impose. Alot of mini people dont feed hay, they just use a hard feed system. i dont think i could ever bring myself to feed like that though i think its cruel on their minds. Alot of owners use belly and neck wraps. Another thing i dont think i could use. I have heard that some withold water 24 hours before shows to to reduce the belly size
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I dont believe any rossette is worth that
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Yes it is a tricky one to balance especially with good doers or Shetties. I have a Welshie who lives off nothing and puts weight on. I have always fed him ad lib hay because it keeps him sweet in nature, happy and maintains a healthy gut and digestive system. BUT I always have to source year old hay in order that he is not getting anything too good or he would put weight on in winter! I then balance between weigh taping every week and loads of exercise to keep him slim in winter and going into spring until the mornings are lighter and I can ride every day to keep his weight in check. Not easy at all!
 
My fat cob has ab-lib hay and if anything eats less than with restricted. If she starts getting too fat, I restrict her grazing (rather than her hay).
 
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