Horse diet

[bz88]

Hi has anyone found that if restricted everything they horses hold on to their weight and are rather lethargic? My pony is normally muzzled and now with ground being soft he keeps pulling grass with roots and his muzzle is caked with soil so is his mouth so I decided to take muzzle off last week and he does look better than ever plus he isn’t lethargic. Yes he does come sleepy but ridden he has more energy and overall seems happier in himself. He does come in overnight to soaked hay and has small breakfast to give supplements. He’s ridden 5-6 times per week mixing schooling, jumping, poles, hacking and groundwork. I have limited his time outside 3 days (6 hours) and 4 days when I’m at work he’s out for 8 hours. Winter field he’s in had been grazed down and it’s not much in it. He will be strictly muzzled in spring though. He isn’t metabolic he’s just extremely good doer.

 

[SEL]

My friend's cob only started losing weight when he had ad lib access to straw. He could pick at it and full himself up.

 

[Equi]

I do the most awful thing and my minis have adlib hay when in (rarely) and are out on grass 24/7

Sure they are probably a bit porky in autumn but come the end of winter I’ve known me needing to start a hard feed for a few of them.

They spend a lot of time resting and sleeping and grooming/mooching about the non-grass areas hedge picking.

 

[Amymay Again]

If your calories were reduced to less than you needed them I think youdybe lethargic too

 

[bz88]

If your calories were reduced to less than you needed them I think youdybe lethargic too

True