Horse advice please

[icelandic]

hello
im a teen girl who’s been riding for 6+ years and might be getting horses soon.

the breeds i hope to get is an icelandic and a shetland pony as these are what i have most experience with.

anyway i have a couple questions:
- how much will it cost per month?
im planning on cutting down costs by not needing to buy rugs as these two breeds do well in cold weather and it doesn’t get v harsh here. also i ride bareback so the only tack i will be buying is a bridle and maybe a barebackpad depending on how the horse is.
so what i’m really wondering is, how much hay will these two ponies eat and how much feed will they go through?

next question:
how much should i feed them? i plan on doing something with both every day, but on two days when i have school till late just a little groundwork or something. so should i feed them alfalfa and their feed daily?
a friend of mine who has a horse works hers daily and feeds it daily too

also, how often should they have access to grass? i was thinking 2 hours a day in the afternoon but is that too much or too little?

lastly, what plants aren’t safe for horses? what ones will i need to dig up and how do i identify them?

ill probably be posting again soon but that’s it for now.

 

[9tails]

One question: if they're having access to grass 2 hours a day, where will they be the other 22 hours of the day?

 

[icelandic]

in the field but just with short grass/sand and access to hay.

i plan on having the option to go in a shelter 24/7 but i won’t be shutting them in it

 

[cobgoblin]

Are you in the UK? I ask as you mention feeding alfalfa,, which is rarely used here except as a chaff. As a forage, I would have thought it would be too rich for either of those breeds.

 

[icelandic]

no i’m not in the uk. it might not be alfalfa but i mean the hay type stuff you add to feed so the horses don’t eat it as quickly

 

[icelandic]

they’ll get hay 24/7, grass for maybe 2 hours and then feed and alfalfa mixed after exercise

 

[cobgoblin]

no i’m not in the uk. it might not be alfalfa but i mean the hay type stuff you add to feed so the horses don’t eat it as quickly

Ok, that's chaff.
Where are you? We could tell you poisonous plants for the UK but they may not be relevant to where you live.

 

[icelandic]

im in the netherlands, so the climate and plants are the same i’m assuming?

 

[cobgoblin]

There's a pretty good list of poisonous plants here..
https://valleyviewcornwall.co.uk/Poisonous-Plant-For-Horses

The most common would be ragwort, both in the field and dried in hay where it becomes more palatable.. And sycamore leaves, seedlings and seeds. I'm not sure if sycamore trees are common in the Netherlands.
.

 

[icelandic]

There's a pretty good list of poisonous plants here..
https://valleyviewcornwall.co.uk/Poisonous-Plant-For-Horses

The most common would be ragwort, both in the field and dried in hay where it becomes more palatable.. And sycamore leaves, seedlings and seeds. I'm not sure if sycamore trees are common in the Netherlands.
.

thanks!!

 

[cobgoblin]

You might be interested in this too... I don't think you will be needing much in the way of hard feed at all.
https://ihsgb.co.uk/icelandic-horse...a salt and mineral,“filler” for greedy horses.

 

[icelandic]

oh thanks!

 

[Widgeon]

Can't speak for Shetlands but Icelandics are pretty cheap to keep (sadly not to buy, even in mainland Europe!). Unless you're in a very cold climate I would barely feed one at all (other than grazing and hay), unless in hard work - they get fat easily off decent grazing and you are more likely to be constantly monitoring their waistline. Turnout on a bare field might work well - mine got fat on 24/7 turnout with grazing, so limiting the grass sounds like quite a good setup really.

 

[icelandic]

wait so how much would you recommend feeding? every other day or half portions? i’d rather feed a small amount than nothing at all just to be on the safe side

 

[cobgoblin]

wait so how much would you recommend feeding? every other day or half portions? i’d rather feed a small amount than nothing at all just to be on the safe side

Both Shetlands and Icelandic horses are adapted to harsh conditions and will put on weight easily. I wouldn't give hard feed to be on the safe side.. You will be anything but on the safe side!
It would be a good idea if you did some research into laminitis if you are going to keep these breeds. I keep hardy cobs and they only get hard feed in the harshest of winters if they are losing too much weight.
.

 

[Widgeon]

Both Shetlands and Icelandic horses are adapted to harsh conditions and will put on weight easily. I wouldn't give hard feed to be on the safe side.. You will be anything but on the safe side!
It would be a good idea if you did some research into laminitis if you are going to keep these breeds.
.

Absolutely this, I really do mean don't feed them anything! Just grass. And hay. That's all. They can get really quite fat just on that, and that's dangerous - cobgoblin is right about laminitis. Trust me, if you can keep either of those breeds trim enough to feel their ribs you're doing better than I could manage.

 

[icelandic]

so no feeding at all? is it worth buying feed or just not even buy it?

sorry for all these questions but a horse is a big thing

 

[Widgeon]

so no feeding at all? is it worth buying feed or just not even buy it?

sorry for all these questions but a horse is a big thing

I would buy a bag of something like grass nuts or unmolassed (no sugar) chaff or chop then if you want to give a treat you've got a super low calorie food. You can put a handful in a bucket with a bit of warm water after a really long ride. But even that isn't actually necessary! Honestly, don't worry about feeding from a sack. It's better for your hairy horse and your bank balance.

 

[SheriffTruman]

Hi Icelandic, how exciting you're are going to have horses. I'm in The Netherlands as well. One of the poisonous plants to look out for here is the above-mentioned ragworth (Jacobskruiskruid), and the variations of nightshade (nachtschade, de bloemen en besjes zijn vaak giftig).

Will you keep the horses on land of your own or will you share the land with other people? If the latter, do ask them for advice.

In my opinion, you'll only need good quality hay, preferably unlimited supply in haynets so they don't eat it all too quickly. You could add a vitamine supplement (een vitaminebrok bijvoorbeeld) if you like. Or give them a little bit of muesli after they work, just as a reward.

Riding bareback all the time may be hard on their backs, even with a good bareback pad. It's a lot of pressure directly on the horse's back. I'd consider buying a saddle if you'r going to ride more than two days a week.

Most importantly: ask the knowledgeable people around you for help, and have fun!

 

[icelandic]

hello thanks for the advice but i’ve done quite a bit of research and it seem that there are mixed opinions on bareback riding. i plan on riding two or 3 times a week and bareback each time. if the horse starts showing signs of discomfort i might consider a saddle but i have little experience with a saddle so a bareback pad is preferable

 

[SheriffTruman]

May I ask if you have had lessons? Were they all bareback? Just curious!

 

[icelandic]

yes i ride twice a week since last winter, and before that once a week for 6 years. so i’ve only been riding western since christmas, before that bareback.

so yeah it’s hard to explain but i currently do both once a week

 

[SheriffTruman]

Western is fun, have done a little bit of it in the past. Love to ride with a bareback pad, gives me a good feel for the horse. I myself choose to do it once a week max, but each to his own.

When will you start horse hunting?

 

[icelandic]

once we have bought a field, and if it doesn’t come with one, have built a shelter

 

[icelandic]

hi all, long time no see but i am getting a horse either in june/july!!

we have decided to opt for boarding since for my first horse i feel more comfortable at a large yard with professionals around at all times.

anyway i know its a little short notice but in 2 hours we are going to see the yard and get a tour, what questions should i ask? aside from obviously the pricing details

 

[icelandic]

hi all, long time no see but i am getting a horse either in june/july!!

we have decided to opt for boarding since for my first horse i feel more comfortable at a large yard with professionals around at all times.

anyway i know its a little short notice but in 2 hours we are going to see the yard and get a tour, what questions should i ask? aside from obviously the pricing details

(june/july because that is when they have a spot free)