how many feeds?

[diggerbez]

my horse doesn't get a lot of hard feed but currently has it split into two feeds (morning and night). he has 3 mugs of lo cal a day split between the two and then just some alfa a to bulk it out a bit (prob a round scoop's worth in each feed).
he goes out in the field most days for the day- so am thinking does he really need his feed in the morning? i could put 3 mugs of lo cal in one feed and it not be a huge feed that was too big for his stomach? i have to get someone to chuck his breakfast in you see so would be easier all round to not give it him! but wanted to check it wouldn't do any harm first

 

[Aces_High]

Go for the one feed! If it was 3 Stubbs Scoops I'd say two feeds but being mugs one feed will be fine

 

[HollyWoozle]

I think one feed will be fine too. Maybe wean him off of it over a few days, making the dinner gradually bigger and brekky smaller, just so it's not a total shock to him when he suddenly gets no breakfast, hehe.

 

[kazhar]

are there other horses there that get breakfast though? will he get upset if everything else is getting fed and he doesnt?

 

[Seville]

You say he goes out " most days" so does this mean he is in all night? I'd stick to the two feeds, personally, even if he is going out...theres no value in the grass this time of year and a small breakfast will do his gut good.
It will also break his day up...
Both of mine get a small feed out in the paddock every morning, not a huge one, but enough to cover given the lack of "oomph" in the grass this time of year.

 

[diggerbez]

thanks for ideas folks. yes other horses do get fed but not all at the same time- it depends what time their owners arrive! mine isn't one for stressing about food- yes he'll make a noise when he's getting it but he'll settle quickly if he doesn't get it. also, he's not in a 'routine' as such- so some days might have breakfast at 6am and somedays at 9am and he's not bothered...

i realise that the grass doesn't have nutritional value but horse is on ad lib haylage during the night (good quality stuff too)- so he is getting something overnight and before he goes out in the morning? (he has two full nets and always has some left over)

(in the summer he lives out and doesn't get any hard feed unless he happens to come in for a night- he evented this season on that!)

 

[Chestnut mare]

My pony gets one feed in the evening (feed balancer and bit of chaff). She's still living out, there is plenty of grass and she's a little fat..

 

[wellsat]

Depend on your horse's weight and the grazing really. I've just stopped giving Gerry breakfast even though he's a poor doer as we've transferred him onto our winter grazing and he's got so much grass to eat he really isn't bothered in the bowlful of expensive feed I'm trying to give him. He's putting on weight as well with just one feed and lush grass as he was with two large feeds and summer grazing so I'm not overly concerned.