Horses and feed times

S

Shilasdair

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'Horses should be left alone when they are eating their hard feed'.

Discuss.

S
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Well my horse is too bothered or worried about people being around while she eats her 'hard feed' (hifi good doer and supplements) so I am sometimes in the stable with her when she eats - not great when she's eating bran, though - she's so relaxed she will give you a kiss with feed all round her face.
 
My two are very good if you work around them or even brush or rug them etc However my personal policy is that while they are eating their hard feed I leave them alone completely.
 
Neither PF nor A mind if I hang around when they're eating. I can't think of anything duller though, than watching PF ponder whilst she very slowly chews her oats... pauses... ponders some more... chews
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Antifaz just inhales them
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ETS I think horses should get used to people being around them when they're eating in case you need to put a rug on, whatever, but I don't see the point of standing over them whilst they're doing it
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If a horse gets very upset, perhaps as a result of earlier abuse/starvation, then best just to leave them alone.
 
my horse is fine to do anything to whilst eating. i tend to leave him alone, and give him his 'space'... but like i do with my dog, every now and again, i harrass him, or move his food bucket, because i need to know he's ok if one of my small kids were to go past him when he's eating.

as it happens, my two year old son has a fondness for mixing up the horse feed and feeds him. he always waits for the bucket to hit the floor before touching it, and has never shown any concern over it at all, so that's good.

i do wince though when i see other horses on the yard snatching the buckets from their owners, with their ears pinned back and teeth showing. and also when they grimace at anyone in a 100metre radius whilst eating. i think it's a part of manners/pack leader stuff and therefore i try to make sure my horse is ok with it... but like i say, generally i tend to leave him alone.
 
Roo isn't too bad, she'll occasionally give me a look of 'do you mind, I'm eating' if I try to put a rug on or anything but then she'll just continue eating. I tend to leave her alone though, it's just if I'm in a rush that I do both at same time.
Nickie
 
We bought a rising 4 WelshDxTB who had been kept very short of food by a previous owner. She was extremely 'proud' of her food but our view is that you should be able to do anything you need to with any horse under any circumstances. We were fortunately at a livery yard at the time with boxes which had mangers at the back with steel mesh to a walkway behind. We put her bucket and hay in the mangers and stood behind them while she ate. She got used to the idea quite quickly and we then got her used to things like a lunging cavesson rattling etc by attaching them to the mesh and moving them gently while she was eating. When she was living out we used to hold a feed bucket over the wall until she got so used to it that we could feed her in the field with her field companion. Certainly by the end of the 1st year we stood in the box with her while she ate and later she would bring her hay to 'share' with us for the first few evenings that she came in, in winter.
 
None of mine have been bothered by my presence while eating. I have been able to do do all my jobs around them, take off rugs, put new rug on, etc no problems.
 
Ideally it would be great to be able to leave him alone - but as I normally have to rug or skip out at the same time he has had to get used to it. Mine can be quite grumpy about it so I never trust him not to try to let his feelings be known!
 
My mare is used to me doing things while she's eating. I sometimes rug up although only if in a real rush cuz i dont like to bother her too much by getting her to pick her head up to do the rug up at the front. I tend to pick her feet out while she's eating too. She doesnt mind as long as her face is in bucket.
 
Horses, on the most part, have a very easy life.

So if I wish to go into the stable while my horse is eating his hard feed to shovel his Sh*t, or whatever other menial task I may be doing, then the horse has to put up with it I'm afraid whether he likes it or not.

If he really didn't like it then I might be prepared to negotiate for my own safety!
 
During Winter I usually change rugs when they are eating and over summer they usually get hoof ointment applied. Millie is the only one who objects slightly, Charlie doesn't give a hoot, neither does Pixie who I have made a point of handling whilst she is eating so it doesn't become a problem when she is older.

I am never with them for longer then a couple of Minutes so they still get some 'peace' whilst eating.
 
I don't think they should necessarily be left alone when eating.
I do all sorts with my girl while she eats, i rug,groom, pick out feet and she does not mind one bit.
I would not like a horse being aggressive just because it was eating, i have heard of some horses being terribly dangerous while eating, and i think if they can be trained young to get on with it no matter what you are doing round them than all the better. Horse manners are essential and if us owners can do our best to teach them manners and respect then all the better imo be it when they are eating or anything else.

ETS: Often i leave her to it, but if i need to do things with her then i will.
If i am at a lose end while feeding i just stroke her
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tbh, I dont bother feeding mine-saves washing out buckets and doesnt give them bad habits like wind sucking and door kicking
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my horse doesnt care but if you hang around the stable door he will show you in everyway he can think of that he doesnt want you there!!!
but my old boy will not eat if anyone is in view of him at all even if you were like 50 metres away
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I tend to feed mine in peace however I don't think she should expect to be left alone so I sometimes rug/derug, brush tail out or skip out around her, she doesn't bother at all.
 
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I tend to feed mine in peace however I don't think she should expect to be left alone so I sometimes rug/derug, brush tail out or skip out around her, she doesn't bother at all.

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Same as above. Also, I compete in endurance and on longer rides my mare needs to eat at vet gates, which can be very busy places with a lot of comings and goings.
A
 
Can groom and rug Ellie while she's eating but she will let you know she's not happy with too much fussing by flicking her ears. Never known a horse with such expressive ears
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Bella I can groom and even put my hand in her bucket whilst she's eating but wait til she lifts her head as she's not fussy what she's eating. As far as she is concerned if its in her bucket that means its edible and I'm rather attached to my fingers
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I only have one who has food issues although she is a lot better now but that was down to issues in her past. I tend to just leave her to get on with it. The rest of mine don't bother but I do prefer to let them savour their food in peace. However, ALL of them know when I open the door to enter with their buckets that they step backwards and away from me until I have put it down, I would not tolerate mugging.
 
Can do anything with mine with they are eating -if they are wearing rugs I do them while they eat.

Although if I don't need to dress them, then I tend to leave them and chat - they tell me when they are done by whinnying to go out.
 
It's a real pet hate of mine to see people 'fiddling' with their horses whilst their eating. In the winter, in the morning, I muck out around the horse. But other than that I leave well alone.

(I seem to have many pet hates
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I think it fair to leave horses in peace to eat but it depends on their temprement tbh.
5 out of 6 of mine don't seem to care less whether I am there or not but Benji is different...'special' if you like!!!
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If you stay around when his bucket goes down he will double barrel...he is a wuss and is easily chased off his feed so is extra protective but will do it whether other horses are around or not. So I put his feed down and walk away. I don't even look at him...that way he's fine.
After he has eaten a few mouthful's you can look but don't touch and when he's almost finsihed you can do as you please
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I fiddle with both of mine when they are eating! I normally rug up and pick out feet when they are eating. My gelding knows the command "head up" for when I do the front of his rug, he grabs a giant mouthful and lifts his head and chews it for the buckles to be done.

Both of mine are good to deal with when they are eating but I appreciate all horses are different, in the winter I tend to deal with mine when they are eating and my friends mare last - who is less tolerant - when she is finished.
 
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i mean how many of us would like to be fiddled with while eating our dinner !

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I also wouldn't fancy eating my dinner from a bucket on the floor - but then, I'm not a horse...
A
 
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