Haylage/stabling question..........

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Tayto

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This will be the first winter with my horse. She is a good doer and the livery we are on will provide ad lib haylage in the field during winter and in her stable overnight - I am worried she puts on weight, I will keep exercising her as much as possible to try and keep her weight steady but the YM said if she is going to put on weight, I should take her haynet away at night.

She will be stabled from 3pm - 7am (a bit longer than I would like but thats the livery rules so cant do much unless I want to move) surely I cant leave her that long without a haynet?!?!

Also - how can I make her haynet last as long as possible? She really gorges on it so am thinking that double netting would help and that from when she comes in (3pm) to when I go up to ride (5pm ish) she could be in the stable without a haynet then get ridden, get her dinner and then get her haynet.

I know that horses are grazing animals so should have access to graze all day but it would be impossible to make 1 haynet last from when she comes in until when she goes out so I am not sure what else to do....... we are only allowed 1 haynet a night BTW

Am I over-thinking this?! :rolleyes:
 
What bedding does she have? If she has straw she'll eat that when haylage runs out.

How can it ba ad lib if limited to 1 haynet? Or do you mean YO won't put more nets in at late night check? and the rest of the yard has ad lib from the floor/ hay bar?
Soak the haylage so she can have more?
 
I would use a Tricklenet .
I would leave the horse without any from three to five when you come up.
But I would use a wieght tape and see if the horse is gaining wieght before worrying .
I also don't understand how add lib haylage can be restricted to one net.
 
Definitely double net or use a trickle net. I wouldn't leave her stabled without haylage for much longer than an hour - any longer and you risk ulcers developing -but if you do decide to leave her without from 3pm til 5pm, give her a small forage feed before you ride, even if just a couple of handfuls of dampened chaff.
 
Hmm, not really ideal at all unless the nets are massive it'd be difficult for them to last over night. TBH I'd be worrying about her having too little not too much.
Can you pay extra for more nets?
 
I suppose it depends what size haynet ;) I can fit a whole traditional small bale of hay in one of mine, so they do get one haynet and it does last :)
I also would be worried the horse doesn't get enough rather than too much, though.
If she puts weight on - rug less, exercise more and cut hard feed.
 
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