How much hay do you give your horses

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H1lda

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Hi there,

I'm kinda new to this forum - I've been reading post for a while, but always to chicken to post, but I now have a genuine question.....

I've always given my horses (both 17.hh) as much hay as they like overnight - if they don't want it they won't eat it. They usually get through 3/4 sections a night. But i've moved to a different yard and they only give horses one section a night and seem to think i'm overfeeding my horses. Am I? My girls are a healthy weight. I just don't like the idea of them not having anything to eat during the night...

How much do you feed yours? Do you give them ad lib hay, or restricted quantities?

Thank you!
x
 
mine have about 2% or there about of their body weight when they are in,this is spread out through the day.i know it`s not good for them to have nothing but mine would over-eat if they had ad-lib.
 
The mare whos on box rest gets 4 slices at night and 3 in the daytime, there is always a bit left over
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Hello
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I feed mine as much hay as he will eat. I'm like you and don't like the idea of him not having anything to eat during the night.

I don't think 3/4 sections of hay a night is too much.
 
When my two were on hay (haylage at the mo due to no a1 hay in our area) we would go through about a bale a day during the winter. I've got a 16.1hh tb x welsh d and a 16.3hh shire x tb.
Surely if horses are grazing animals and their digestive process is geared up for them to constantly eat then restricting their diet to one section of hay a night isn't all that good for them, IMO.
I know my two certainly don't sleep from the minute they finish their tea to the minute I put them out in the field!
 
Ad Lib (winter) approx 12-14lbs (always some left and if there isn't she gets more the next night) overnight in the winter (15.3hh cob mare), turned out during the day.

Restricted (summer) out at night (with grazing muzzle), approx 5lbs hay during the day.
 
My 16.2 TB X is fed ad lib hay.

My little 15hh mare was not - because she was a little porker.

I suspect that my horse would be prone to ulcers if he did not have a constant supply of hay in front of him. He is also not adverse to having a little chew on the door frame - something I definately do not want to encourage through boredom.

Feed your horse as you've always done, and don't let others sway you.
 
mine get 3 sections morning and evening and sometimes have some left and sometimes dont. It works out about 6kg per net, which when you work it out is just over 2% of their body weight
 
My ArabX vet gets adlib hay/haylage- loads of it - massive nets hanging off the walll---usually some left over...he eats what he wants and leaves what he doesn't...weight is ok at present but he tends to lose it easily.

Shettie gets a flap in a haylage net and theres usually some left, she's pretty trim for a hairy.

Cob mare- gets about 3-4 flaps depending how long she's in. She would eat the barn down if left to her own devices and end up the size of a trailer. I put it in a haylage net to keep her occupied.

I would keep doing what you are doing- ad-lid forage is best as long as beasties not fat
 
Some of our (The more slim line ones) get ad lib. I tend to make sure thet stil have some left in the morning!

The porky ones get 1 full largish haynet (small holes) we feed from a big bale so not sure how many sections that is!

My old ID x 16.2ish used to get porky and he had 2 sections per night but in a small holed net so it took him longer to eat it!!

It sounds like you have a stingy yard!! A horses gut is designed to be eating for most of the day / night so really you shouldn't restrict them too much unless it is due to laminitis or they are getting too fat!! If so little and often!
 
The lami prone pont has adlib hay all year round when as her grass intake is very restricted but her hay is soaked for 12 to 24 hours. My horse has two section when in during the day in the summer (he's a fatty and out in a muzzle) and adlib hay when in durng the day in winter.
 
I have been in a similar situation when on livery with my two big horses. I was paying £1500 per month for livery and having to buy extra hay because they were given tea at 4.00pm and two slices of hay that would be gone by the time I got there at half seven.

I bought extra bales as I like mine fed ad lib, for me its not just about body condition it keeps them sane with something to do. Horses in the wild graze for circa 18 hrs per day I believe.`

They are now kept at home and eat as much as they want.
 
I give ad lib. Mostly they get through about 3 slices per night, but they are smaller than yours (mine are 15hh, 15.2hh and 15.1hh). One slice is way too little poor horses!
 
My coblet only get a section at night as he is a little fatty. But he is not greedy and there is often some left over.
It really does depend on the horse. TB's at work tend to get 2-3 sections a night (on grass during the day) but if they leave too much we decrease it.
Try not to be influenced too much by what others do, if your horses look fine on what you give them, then leave things as they are
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my three (15.2-16h sports horses) get one to one and half slices of the big bale hay(soaked of steamed) over night or in the day(depends on weather-at mo they are in in daytime) plus one big haynet in the field(around 1/3 slice) each.
at the moment they are still on 'summer' paddocks and they are really bare so they are getting an extra 1/3 slice each per day.
not quite adlib but plenty enough.all in good condition and fed hardly any hard feed(hifi,fast fibre and mineral/vit suppliment)
 
Thank you all so much for your replies!
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Guess I just needed some reassurance! I really don't know why I let people who are less experianced then me (i don;t mean this in a snobby way, but most people at new yard are relatively new to owning horses) sway me from my beliefs!
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The beastlings are both warmblood types and by no means good doers so I will happily continue with the ad lib approach.

Thank again for all responses - I don't feel like a rubbish horse mum anymore
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x
 
Hi LHS,

I also had a similar experiance with full livery - needless to say it didn't suit me either
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I wish i could keep mine at home too....I'm still working on convincing the OH that having the horses at home it the way forward - he'll have to give in eventually right?
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My skinny 15.1 tb has about 4/5 slices a day and my wb who's on a diet has about 4 slices a day. That's if they go out - they have more if they stay in
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Carry on as you are - 1 slice is nothing!

There is someone on our yard who has a 15.2/15.3 big cobby type horse that is very overwieight. She only gets fed about 1 slice overnight which I think is nowhere near enough for a big horse.
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a couple of years ago my cobby girl (14.2hh) was really prone to gaining weight so i had to manage her diet accordingly which included giving her two slices of hay in a double haynet to make it last
now however she seems to stay nice and slim so i can feed her more as she seems to need it, now i feed her endless hay, she generally lives out but when i bring her in sometimes i give her 4-5slices of hay on the floor now plus her feed(i put out 3slices in the field in winter at night), basically i feed her more now as she seems to need more, where as before she didnt need much to keep weight on, now she needs lots so she gets it
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My 14hh cob has 3 sections (small bale) morning and evening. I soak them for 24 hours and double net using two haylage nets, but she can still get through them in a few hours if she's on box rest. Hope she can go out if she comes with me to uni, or she'll bankrupt me!
 
I prefer my horses to always have something to eat as they naturally trickle feed in the field...so my 14.2hh arab yearling gets at least 4 slices per night there usually is some left but thats fine. I also have an IDx 16.1hh mare who is out 24/7 but gets a haynet in her field shelter so she has something to munch if she is hiding from the rain. IMO 1 slice is not enough so keep on as you are.
 
my 16hh TB is on adlib and it usually works out at about 4 slices at night, he gets throught just over 3/4 of a bale in a day...

i dont htink your over feeding at all...

I think one slice for a horse is going to mess with the digestive system as there is going to be a point where it is not full..

Lou x
 
I couldn't bear to leave him with one section. He gets the equivalent of 2 full big haynets, there is always a little left in the morning (which he delights in mixing in with his bed!).

I get teased at my yard for 'over feeding' lol.
 
Good for you LadyOmnistar. One of my pet hates is people who don't give their horses enough hay or haylage and leave them standing for hours on end without anything to eat.

You're lucky that yours aren't good doers. One of ours is, and he has ad lib hay but soaked overnight in water first to get rid of all the sugars.

You must have very happy and contented horses, and you most definitely are not a rubbish horse mum either!
 
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