Oscar
Well-Known Member
I was talking to someone who said her horse doesn't get enough hay on full livery, and another friend who said hers gets ad-lib but I asked how much (in weight) their horses got and they didn't know!! It got me thinking do people not know how much their horses eat and if not why not?
They are all a good weight, have fantastic glossy coats and I never have problems with vices, ulcers etc.
I weigh all my nets, as sections of small bales can vary in weight but I currently use big round bales of meadow hay but in deep winter will switch to half and half with haylage.
My horses are currently still in their summer routine so come in around lunchtime, by the time I've done hay, feeds, and waters etc. They get 8lbs of meadow hay, which is roughly equivalent to 2 slices of hay - I turn them out at around 5:30pm and generally they have eaten the 8lbs in 5hrs or so they are in. Plus they have all had a sleep in between this! And we have lots of grass!!
In the winter they are in overnight, breakfast is fed at 7am with around a 3lb net of hay/haylage. They come in around 4pm & I give them 2 huge nets that equates to around 28lbs, they get one at 4pm, then I go back around 7pm to feed, add the 2nd net and skip out. By the morning there is rarely any hay/haylage left.
I have 4 horses, they are 1 16yr old 17hh WB, 1 7yr old 17.3hh WB, 1 16.2 TBxWB, 1 3yr old 17.1hh WB, Two are ridden regularly, hacking and dressage, 1 is buggered and the other will be lightly backed in the winter.
Feed wise they only get a token feed of happy hoof, with apples and carrots as they are used to getting a feed but they dont get any mix etc as they get all they need from the hay/haylage.
They are all a good weight, have fantastic glossy coats and I never have problems with vices, ulcers etc.
I weigh all my nets, as sections of small bales can vary in weight but I currently use big round bales of meadow hay but in deep winter will switch to half and half with haylage.
My horses are currently still in their summer routine so come in around lunchtime, by the time I've done hay, feeds, and waters etc. They get 8lbs of meadow hay, which is roughly equivalent to 2 slices of hay - I turn them out at around 5:30pm and generally they have eaten the 8lbs in 5hrs or so they are in. Plus they have all had a sleep in between this! And we have lots of grass!!
In the winter they are in overnight, breakfast is fed at 7am with around a 3lb net of hay/haylage. They come in around 4pm & I give them 2 huge nets that equates to around 28lbs, they get one at 4pm, then I go back around 7pm to feed, add the 2nd net and skip out. By the morning there is rarely any hay/haylage left.
I have 4 horses, they are 1 16yr old 17hh WB, 1 7yr old 17.3hh WB, 1 16.2 TBxWB, 1 3yr old 17.1hh WB, Two are ridden regularly, hacking and dressage, 1 is buggered and the other will be lightly backed in the winter.
Feed wise they only get a token feed of happy hoof, with apples and carrots as they are used to getting a feed but they dont get any mix etc as they get all they need from the hay/haylage.