How long would you leave your horse WITHOUT food?

lilaclomax said:
I also know this used to be standard practice on some yards, we are continously learning as a species and knowledge is adapting to create the best enviroment for all including our horses.
I had never heard of ulcers when younger, it doesn't mean they were not there, if we are going to do what is best for our own horses we need to look at what they actually need not want we think they would like!

Maybe we should all ask ourselves the following questions?

Do they need a hard feed?
Would my native be better off on scrubland rather than the current pastures?
Do I feed according to the exercise my horse does or because they expect a feed?
Would I like to go without food if there is no entertainment and I cannot do any exercise for more than a few hours when wide awake?
Sure there are loads more questions that I should be asking myself too ;)
Click to expand...

Good post :) I do feel that many owners are pressurised into feeding hard feed unnecessarily by advertising etc. Also not many horses are truly in 'hard' work nowadays. I'm working hard on developing 'scrubland' too! :D

I find the balance between feeding sufficient fibre and keeping weight down is difficult with a native good doer, but not impossible; I have to restrict grazing quite severely and feed fibre continuously all year. I did allow extra grazing for a few months but weight has gone on, so back to hardly any again :(
 
Mine always has access to food, but in the heat yesterday she has a shelter with a haynes and a bucket of water but shed still rather stand by the trough in the sun and not eat at all..
 
caitlin95uk said:
Mine always has access to food, but in the heat yesterday she has a shelter with a haynes and a bucket of water but shed still rather stand by the trough in the sun and not eat at all..
Click to expand...


I wish mine would do that! The poor doer tb does, but chubby native stuffs all day as long as possible whatever the weather!

I know in hot climates it is recommended to feed less fibre to help the horse keep cool; it's a wonder mine doesn't self combust in hot weather:rolleyes:
 
I think most horses when left with a haynet eat it within a few hours. Mine are fed around 5pm and pony finished by 6.30-7pm (I have them at home so can check them) the big horses would get abit more at that time but would finish around 9pm until 6am the following morning. They are happy and well fed on this. I would not give them so much it is left I the morning to be thrown away, that to me is wasteful.
 
Oh! I didn't know that, we are in a VERY hot climate and all have unlimited access to hay. They all seem to cope really well with the heat to be fair but I will google this. That's really interesting.

Mind you, i'm one for ad lib hay at all times. Was at a yard years ago where YO insisted on long periods without hay and it turned my last horse into a stable destroying wreck. I moved pronto.
 
Out 24/7 throughout summer, no hard feed unless I get a really lazy one that needs some oomph, or they're working hard.

In winter they're out as long as possible - usually 6am-7pm. Fed hard feed for conditioning when they come in, and at half 5 get enother half feed and those not turned out until later a slice of hay. For my TB, who loses condition in winter, he gets a haynet stuffed to the brim and some on floor, so basically ad-lib. However this can last him a few days, so technically he's never without food.

However my youngster is half connie and the biggest pig ever :( She's never semed to budge from overweight despite our every effort, she's coming into work so hopefully that will help a little! She gets three slices of hay, soaked and double netted. Fed this at 10pm before I go to bed, so must take a couple of hours to get through, so I would say 5 hours without?
 
Dougalsmum said:
Oh! I didn't know that, we are in a VERY hot climate and all have unlimited access to hay. They all seem to cope really well with the heat to be fair but I will google this. That's really interesting.

Mind you, i'm one for ad lib hay at all times. Was at a yard years ago where YO insisted on long periods without hay and it turned my last horse into a stable destroying wreck. I moved pronto.
Click to expand...

There's a link here might be useful :) :- http://www.applesnoats.com/hotweather.pdf
 
Nocturnal said:
Your horses stand in a stable all day with nothing at all to eat? I knew you were a crackpot, but jeeez.
Click to expand...

excuse me they are out 16 hours they are ALL over weight the owners DONT want their horses to have anything in day they have the choice of lunch time hay ,they choose not to. WE HAVE EX GRAZING YES they do get hard feeds the grass so long its over their knees . IF YOUR GOING TO START HURLING ABUSE I WILL REPORT U . Their is no need for that my yard I run it BHS way as I am BHS trained . I been in horses a very long time MY Horses also are way over weight All horses are very happy All the horses come in a sleep most of the day before being ridden and turned out we spend over 900 pounds on our grazing all its ex quality we have been told we have the best grazing around our area so don't come all the holier than though with me. . :mad:

What !! its better to let them get laminitis then is it?? of heart problems due to weight?
 
Last edited:
diamond_light said:
excuse me they are out 16 hours they are ALL over weight the owners DONT want their horses to have anything in day they have the choice of lunch time hay ,they choose not to. WE HAVE EX GRAZING YES they do get hard feeds the grass so long its over their knees . IF YOUR GOING TO START HURLING ABUSE I WILL REPORT U . Their is no need for that my yard I run it BHS way as I am BHS trained . I been in horses a very long time MY Horses also are way over weight All horses are very happy All the horses come in a sleep most of the day before being ridden and turned out we spend over 900 pounds on our grazing all its ex quality we have been told we have the best grazing around our area so don't come all the holier than though with me. . :mad:
Click to expand...

If all the horses are overweight, wouldn't it be better to cut out the hard feed, restrict the grazing in some way (strip graze?) and let them have a small net when they are in the stable. Eight hours is a long time to stand with nothing at all and can't be good for their stomachs.
 
at the livery stables I'm at my boy gets a MAHOOSIVE hay net at night, seriously huge! And then in the morning he will have whatever's left of that haynet and a wedge or two added on to that. He's only on hay and also has his himalayan salt lick to play with, during the day he will also usually go out in the field where there is plenty of hay and grass and plants for him to snack on, and he's always out for a minimum of 2 hours. I also let him have a snack and play with his Horselyx once a day usually. I'd never happily leave for more than 4 hours or so without forage, purely because it gives him something to do and it's good for him! If he's ever without, my friend takes all the old hay out of her haynet before refilling (her horse won't eat it if it's left?!) and then he'll get that on top. With the way he messes up his bedding though, there's always a bit left in there as well :rolleyes: xx

ETA: my boy is a 4 year old overgrown connie, so he's a pretty good doer, however he's not fat with this regime. He also gets bran once, occasionally twice a week as that's the practice at the yard I'm at :) And so far, he's happy and healthy!
 
Last edited:
diamond_light said:
excuse me they are out 16 hours they are ALL over weight the owners DONT want their horses to have anything in day they have the choice of lunch time hay ,they choose not to. WE HAVE EX GRAZING YES they do get hard feeds the grass so long its over their knees . IF YOUR GOING TO START HURLING ABUSE I WILL REPORT U . Their is no need for that my yard I run it BHS way as I am BHS trained . I been in horses a very long time MY Horses also are way over weight All horses are very happy All the horses come in a sleep most of the day before being ridden and turned out we spend over 900 pounds on our grazing all its ex quality we have been told we have the best grazing around our area so don't come all the holier than though with me. . :mad:

What !! its better to let them get laminitis then is it?? of heart problems due to weight?
Click to expand...

I won't get into an argument about correct management (as I doubt you're open to suggestions), but might I suggest a grammar checker? I'm struggling to understand you. :confused:
 
its the owners choice not to have hay

as for grammar why don't you look up dyslexia

no i don't need suggestions how to run my yard my way the way my owners want i been in horses over 40 years

we have a livery who is in horse welfare and they have no problems with what we do and one of the horses is hers thankyou :rolleyes:

The hard feed they need as they need their supplements
 
Nocturnal said:
I won't get into an argument about correct management (as I doubt you're open to suggestions), but might I suggest a grammar checker? I'm struggling to understand you. :confused:
Click to expand...

Steady now, or She'll whip out the Bullying Card quicker than the blink of an eye.
 
diamond_light said:
excuse me they are out 16 hours they are ALL over weight the owners Their is no need for that my yard I run it BHS way as I am BHS trained . I been in horses a very long time MY Horses also are way over weight All horses are very happy... You are a wonderful walking advert for the BHS then I am sure. I have BHS qualifications too, for what they are worth, which is actually diddly squat to me we spend over 900 pounds on our grazing 900! How so? Yes, expensive isn't it? all its ex quality we have been told we have the best grazing around our area Who by? Cattle farmers?so don't come all the holier than though with me. . :mad Deep breaths...:)
What !! its better to let them get laminitis then is it?? of heart problems due to weight? Of course not, but if you manage your grazing better perhaps you wouldn't have the weight problems to begin with perhaps.
Click to expand...

In answer to the original question, I don't.

Everything has ad-lib hay all the time, in pastures and stalls. It is their choice whether they actually eat or not. If they are being ridden then they'll go as long as they are out for without food, they can pick at grass if we stop but they are never so hungry they are diving for food. as ever, horses are individuals and all must be treated as such. No rule is set in stone.
 
Last edited:
Well if I was to give a enough hay to last one of mine through the night I'd of killed her by now.

Surely it depends on the individual horse and the type of diet and work they do to a degree, yes I'm all for feeding little and often and doubling up haynets etc to slow them down but some horses simply don't come up for air, like people some are just very greedy and eat very fast and leave nothing to spare, so eating twice as much comes with it's own dangers as well rather than letting them stand a few hours with nothing.

What works for one type of horse could in fact be very wreckless for another.
 
My horses have ad-lib hay too, I always make sure they have enough so that they've got a bit left when I get there so i know they haven't been without anything. Some horses on the yard have come in at 4pm and finished their hay by 7pm and then are left til 10am with nothing. I don't think that is fair on them at all.
 
That really was interesting reading. Will be printing off and showing to YO since a few of his def show signs of not coping as well as others. We were at a loss to know why and there are a couple of things in that document which could be the answer.

Thank you very much.
 
diamond_light said:
as for grammar why don't you look up dyslexia
Click to expand...

Sorry, i've looked everywhere and the medical definition for dyslexia definitely doesnt include;

Too lazy to correct poor typing skills,

or

Excuse for inability to proof read.

Wish people would stop crying ''ooh im dyslexic' at the drop of a hat. Its just insulting to anyone who is actually diagnosed and does suffer from it.
 
ThePinkPony said:
Sorry, i've looked everywhere and the medical definition for dyslexia definitely doesnt include;

Too lazy to correct poor typing skills,

or

Excuse for inability to proof read.

Wish people would stop crying ''ooh im dyslexic' at the drop of a hat. Its just insulting to anyone who is actually diagnosed and does suffer from it.
Click to expand...

actually FYI I am dyslexic have been diagnosed way before there was much known about,

I am guilty of not being a good typist. Hense why never took that up.

Anyway now you know ! as per post how long you leave your horse without food . I do what my livery owners want that's all that matters not some forum posters who have nothing to do with my yard so excuse me if i ignore your comments
 
Last edited:
I thought this thread was about feeding horses. How is it that we are now talking about grammer? :confused: Is there a correlation between how people write and how they feed their horses? If there is, then I must be pretty rubbish at feeding horses as I can't spell for toffee. :D
 
Gwennies said:
I thought this thread was about feeding horses. How is it that we are now talking about grammer? :confused: Is there a correlation between how people write and how they feed their horses? If there is, then I must be pretty rubbish at feeding horses as I can't spell for toffee. :D
Click to expand...

lol :D yup back to the topic in hand.
 
Why oh why do posters on this forum feel it is acceptable to personally insult anybody and everybody?? It shouldn't matter what the subject is, there is no need to prey on peoples' weaknessess and type personal insults and names. That is the way of the playground.

Back on the topic...if horse owners don't know that to with hold food for several hours is the best way to get horses' metabolisms to go into 'sleep mode' and will only help those horses NOT to drop weight , it's a shame. Little and often is the holy grail.Just look at how they evolved, to graze on grassland (not cultivated pasture), and to travel dozens of miles a day, eating 'on the hoof'. We have made most domesticated horses less hardy than this obviously...but the good doers and natives suit as natural a life as possible, in general.There are always exceptions but a native should , theoretically, be able to go back out into his native environment and survive happily without human intervention. Having humans to look after them is a luxury, just think how many Shetland/Welsh etc still live out on the hills in all weathers.But we go too far sometimes.


Grazing muzzles or restricted grazing is obvious if they are overweight. It's better to restrict grazing in the first place than to allow or encourage horses to become overweight, thought that was common knowledge? Lo Cal balancer if concerned about nutrients, but if grazing is good then natives particularly can get all they need from their grass.Not many horses in the UK,apart from the obvious eventers/competition types and the poor doers..need hard feed, even in winter, imo (experienced opinion)

As for the BHS..most of their stable and horse management hasn't been properly updated since the 1950s!! To keep a horse to the letter of the BHS books, without using Horse sense, current research, and looking at each horse individually..is illogical. With horses,especially natives, which I have and love.. my own view is...less is more..less faffing, less rugs,less stabling,less gadgets,and definitely less grazing and feed than we think has always worked well for me and mine. Diamond, you obviously love your horses very much...but please don't kill with 'kindness', anybody...and never leave a horse longer than a couple of hours without something to nibble on, barley straw or a big toy you can put low cal balancer will keep their digestive systems going but not add to weight gain. On long hacks again, I thought it common practice for horses to be allowed to pick at grass and trees, with permission from their rider? Mine knows when she can, I have trained her by saying 'OK' in a bright voice when she can have a nibble.
 
Leah3horses said:
Why oh why do posters on this forum feel it is acceptable to personally insult anybody and everybody?? It shouldn't matter what the subject is, there is no need to prey on peoples' weaknessess and type personal insults and names. That is the way of the playground.

Back on the topic...if horse owners don't know that to with hold food for several hours is the best way to get horses' metabolisms to go into 'sleep mode' and will only help those horses NOT to drop weight , it's a shame. Little and often is the holy grail.Just look at how they evolved, to graze on grassland (not cultivated pasture), and to travel dozens of miles a day, eating 'on the hoof'. We have made most domesticated horses less hardy than this obviously...but the good doers and natives suit as natural a life as possible, in general.There are always exceptions but a native should , theoretically, be able to go back out into his native environment and survive happily without human intervention. Having humans to look after them is a luxury, just think how many Shetland/Welsh etc still live out on the hills in all weathers.But we go too far sometimes.


Grazing muzzles or restricted grazing is obvious if they are overweight. It's better to restrict grazing in the first place than to allow or encourage horses to become overweight, thought that was common knowledge? Lo Cal balancer if concerned about nutrients, but if grazing is good then natives particularly can get all they need from their grass.Not many horses in the UK,apart from the obvious eventers/competition types and the poor doers..need hard feed, even in winter, imo (experienced opinion)

As for the BHS..most of their stable and horse management hasn't been properly updated since the 1950s!! To keep a horse to the letter of the BHS books, without using Horse sense, current research, and looking at each horse individually..is illogical. With horses,especially natives, which I have and love.. my own view is...less is more..less faffing, less rugs,less stabling,less gadgets,and definitely less grazing and feed than we think has always worked well for me and mine. Diamond, you obviously love your horses very much...but please don't kill with 'kindness', anybody...and never leave a horse longer than a couple of hours without something to nibble on, barley straw or a big toy you can put low cal balancer will keep their digestive systems going but not add to weight gain. On long hacks again, I thought it common practice for horses to be allowed to pick at grass and trees, with permission from their rider? Mine knows when she can, I have trained her by saying 'OK' in a bright voice when she can have a nibble.
Click to expand...


Thank-you for your concern in a civilized way unlike some :)..

But its the owners choices not to have lunch time hay, they have a choice. The yard has run 15 years this way and very few ask for lunch time hay. If your views are different so be it.

Some liveries tried the muzzles but the horses wont keep them on , other liveries don't want to try .

I am not going to upset my liveries by enforcing them to hay. This thread like most was asking a question , I answered it and all the worms came out the ground . I did not ask any opinion on what I wrote if it was right , wrong or asking should I do this or that. I was Just stating whats done here like some others did . I am sorry you don't like what we do, that's life you can't please everyone . Until a livery wants lunchtime hay we will keep our liveries and their horses happy as things are


They are whats important nothing else .
 
Last edited:
QR,
I would have thought that it was the responsibility of an experienced YO to educate less knowledgeable liveries, so that they learn that horses need to be trickle fed, that very few horses actually need hard feed and that 'good grazing' is more suited to cows than horses.

Incidentally, I am qualified to teach people with dyslexia and to diagnose the learning difficulty. It is a difficulty with reading and spelling, which can also extend into difficulties with social skills (the inability to read body language/'between the lines'), it is NOT an inability to speak/write in a grammatically correct manner, contrary to popular belief. This is because speech is learned by listening to others, spelling is learned visually.
 
This conversation is over I have said what my yard does. All my liveries are experience its their choice not mine . This is my last comment on this .
 
well as mine are rarely stabled they are never without something to nibble on for more than 2 hours max, thats the longest hack i do these days.:)


oh and i always thought forums were for the purpose of discussion, you know, exchange of ideas and different opinions :) doesn't seem much point in coming on if you never want to discuss anything and are closed to new ideas:rolleyes:
Hyde park corner is the place for preachers;):D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top