How long should I leave fresh hay to cure before feeding it to my pony?

[Snowy Celandine]

The farm next door are going to let me have a couple of small Hestons when the hay is cut over the next fortnight or so. I've never had such freshly cut hay before, so I'm not sure how long I need to wait to feed it? I bring my old girl in overnight if the weather is bad because she doesn't want to stay out so I make her up a net and I've got very little left now because some of my haylage went off in the heat and I had to chuck it. I suppose if the weather is very hot and dry during haymaking I can use it sooner but I'm only guessing so any advice would be welcome please

 

[meleeka]

Ideally 8 weeks but if it’s been well made and is dry and cool I’ve fed it straight away before. Mine will be a month old when I start feeding it.

 

[rabatsa]

If you can change over gradually then stay on the new stuff you can start feeding straight away.

 

[ester]

If it's well made and dry you can feed it straight away. Leaving it is a bit old wives

Also heat? when was that

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks everyone ?

 

[brighteyes]

I'll add immediately as long as no heat present. You still need to be mindful of the quality and energy content when assessing suitability for a particular pony or horse and their requirements and soak sugars out, etc.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I'll add immediately as long as no heat present. You still need to be mindful of the quality and energy content when assessing suitability for a particular pony or horse and their requirements and soak sugars out, etc.

Thanks brighteyes

Actually, I don't know if anyone has any more useful advice for me re the feeding? In the day she has her own paddock, adjacent to the mini Shetlands, but at night I want her to stay out on the fairly sparse paddock with the minis. Those two are immensely good do-ers who definitely don't need any extra feed!!!

She's in her 20s, retired and has arthritis. She has one sachet of Danilon every day with a few soaked grass nuts to get her to eat it and has had no lameness issues for years, although obviously I keep my eye on her. I really need her to keep moving about but she won't leave her stable, even though the door is wide open, until morning. I wondered if it was an eyesight issue so OH rigged up solar lights to illuminate the area round the stables but that's made no difference. She does lie down at night so maybe she just needs to rest? If I don't give her a small-holed or double netted soaked net overnight she will call and pace around incessantly which worries me because of the strain she's putting on her joints. All ideas and suggestions welcome if there's a better answer ?