How many KG of hay overnight?

I don't do weights, however when mine are in they will get a decent sized hay net probably equating to around four small bale sections. Alongside that they would also get a straw net to pick at once the hay is gone which they won't have finished by morning. I don't like to see horses left for hours with nothing to eat regardless of condition. Mine are well covered although not fatties and range from 13.2-14.2.
 
Question, do people feed more or less of they've been out or in?

My boy is hungrier when he's been out as we have no grass so spends most the time playing with his mates. He's only out 3 times a week so I'll feed him an extra kg as I feel he needs it.
 
Kokopelli said:
Question, do people feed more or less of they've been out or in?

My boy is hungrier when he's been out as we have no grass so spends most the time playing with his mates. He's only out 3 times a week so I'll feed him an extra kg as I feel he needs it.
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Mine spend a lot of time yarded so I feed a lot of soaked hay ad lib but if some are on grazing and there is little grass, I split the yards and open up one to the fields, so those grazing can come and go as they wish for hay I supply for them in the yard.
I have only weighed for dieting as I feed ad lib. It can be a long haul (and hard work!) getting a steady, not too fast, weight loss.

More haylage should be fed as it has a higher water content, the weights are based on dry matter content.
 
I’m sorry but the whole horses stomach produces acid at the same rate 24/7 is completely untrue.

a horses body does have a circadian rhythm and digestion has periods of rest and activity.

Unstressed horses quite often choose to stand or lie down for a prolonged period of time at one or more periods with no ill effects during a normal day.
 
tallyho! said:
I’m sorry but the whole horses stomach produces acid at the same rate 24/7 is completely untrue.

a horses body does have a circadian rhythm and digestion has periods of rest and activity.

Unstressed horses quite often choose to stand or lie down for a prolonged period of time at one or more periods with no ill effects during a normal day.
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How long is 'prolonged'?

I watch my guys on camera when they're in and there would never be a time when either of them lies down without eating for more than two hours. My cob would lie down a lot, but still stand and eat every couple of hours.

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6 hours probably - voluntarily I mean. Not forced fasting. Over the years I've seen our herd rest for a lot more than 4 hours at a time on the big hill where the oldest mixed meadow is. Standing/laying down/standing again. I always called them the lazy bunch. The older ones can particularly go for longer - in OUR herd. Other herds are available for comparison I'm sure. Not so much on the grass leys - maybe the grass was different. I'm not sure.

I've also seen them have the same weight hay but rest more on one type of very coarse hay compared to small bale green bales.

All I was saying was, there's no recent evidence to suggest acid production is constant. Not even in the latest literature where they seemed to suggest fasting had no effect of EGUS (as an umbrella term).
 
Mine is 16.2 around 575 kg warmblood who has had ulcers this year. She comes in around 5;30 or bit later and has a good kg of dengie healthy tummy soaked plus half kg dry weight if alphabeet which us then soaked, she gets 20 min hand graze on long lush grass, 5kg of baillie meadow hay;age in net plus hay bar full of meadow hay. So around 5-8kg. In the morning she has same feed plus 3 slices hay and 1 acre grass which is growing slowly.
 
tallyho! said:
I’m sorry but the whole horses stomach produces acid at the same rate 24/7 is completely untrue.

a horses body does have a circadian rhythm and digestion has periods of rest and activity.

Unstressed horses quite often choose to stand or lie down for a prolonged period of time at one or more periods with no ill effects during a normal day.
Click to expand...

Recent vet studies shown horses produce more stomach acid daytime and less night time.

Advice if restricting hay is now feed 70% or something like that daytime.
 
My ulcer prone horse has to keep eating as much (regular) as poss so she has 18-20 lbs dry weight (8 - 9kg) at night and slightly less in the day (no grass - just in a pen during the day at the moment). The hay is soaked for 12 hours to try to reduce the calories but it can be difficult keeping the weight down. If I double net it she gets frustrated and leaves the whole lot (cue raw tummy!). We do vary the amount she gets a little, dictated by how much she leaves.
 
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