How much hay is ad lib for your horse?

H

HaffiesRock

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2011
Messages
4,720
Visit site
Sorry for the random question, I was just wondering on a wet, cold Thursday morning.

I am moving my ponies in a few weeks due to lack of grass at the current livery. The land is massively over stocked (12 horses on 4 acres) so not able to rest or rotate paddocks. I love it there, the people are great ect, but it is costing me an arm and a leg in hay! I have to hay all year round otherwise my gelding drops off weight significantly and my mare gets very possessive over food and they squabble.

They live out and are currently getting 1 and a half small bales of hay between them a day. They get 1/2 of a bale at 6.30am and a full one at about 6pm. This is just enough I think, as by the evening there is still a bit of hay left, but by 6.30am it has all gone. Although it has all gone by the next haying, they don't dive straight on it, just amble over and pick (WW3 breaks out when they are hungry) So I am happy they are satisfied for now. I would have to increase again I should think once winter really hits so glad I am moving!

So for my 2 ponies, 13.2hh and 14hh. 3/4 to 1 small bale a day each is ad lib or sufficient. So how much do yours eat?
 
Mine always has a fresh haynet in her stable when she comes in, full its about 5kg but she very rarely eats it all even if in over night - probably because for the time being anyway she gorges on grass all day! if i were feeding adlib in the field i would just put a big bale in!
 
You only need a path five feet wide to get a quad or a ride-on lawnmower with a small trailer and round bale on up it. We put tractor type tyres, not grass tyres on our lawnmower and used it to lug round bales round the place.
 
I have a 15hh Arab, a 14.2hh Arab and a 14hh DHP. They all get ad lib and it works out about 7-8kg each. It sounds a lot but I like them to have hay left and they don't get fat on it.
 
Your question is a little confusing - ad lib means they can eat as much as they want or not as the case may be. I do the same as the others, big round bale in the corner and they help themselves. The amount will depend on how much grass, the weather etc.

It would seem you really want to know how much to put out for yours daily. There are some hay feeders now that take the small bales - or you can make them. I have seen some very clever ones made from wheelie bins and plastic barrels. Google might be your friend.
 
I take ad lib to be, when they have some left. I put out enough that they've always got leftovers.
If feeding for weight, then if they're at good weight, I feed 2.5% of it, if overweight, then I give them 1.5% of their bodyweight.
 
Honey08 said:
What's the grass like where you're moving?
Click to expand...

The grass at the new place is good and I have 4 acres so should save a fortune on hay.

I was just asking as mine eat a lot compared to others on the yard and people tell me I feed them too much. One lady only uses 1 small bale between 3 big horses a day (living out) but they are rugged all year round so I don't know what condition they are in. The paddocks are small with no more than a nibble of grass so I am happy with what I feed. There really is no way to get large bales in. I can't get them into the hay barn as it is too small and to get a tractor in with a bale on Id have to take down the fencing of 3 other people's fencing to get it in mine. It is the only reason I am leaving as I like the yard otherwise.

It was just a general question really. I am happy with what I feed nine. I would feed them more if I could, hence the reason I am moving to pastures new :)
 
I use about the same as you for 2 of mine, one is a good doer, the other is native but doesn't do as well in winter. Another one, Now on loan would eat a small bale on her own in 24 Horus.
I call add lib when you put the hay out and find some still left, only a small bit. This suggests the horses are having sufficient that they eat as much as they want. And if some is left, then they have had enough. Obviously it's too expensive waste, so you literally only want to find a bit, as you suggest when you go at night. Your horses look in Greta condition from when I have seen you post photos, so you must be doing it right.
Chances are, the other owners either have good doers or don't realise their horse needs more, and not just for condition but to reduce chances of ulcers too!
 
Last edited:
Ad lib for me is 4 slices of hay for a 15.3hh ISH/Anglo Arab shoved in a blue barrel with lid chopped off. Whatever she doesn't eat then gets chucked over the stable wall to the companion pony to eat the next night. Works quite well for us!!
 
By weight I couldn't tell you as I don't weigh.

My 16.2 is prone to lardyness, and eats for England.

She doesn't get adlib! Overnight she gets 2 small holed nets stuffed full. This is approx 3/4 of a slice of large Heston bale hay . It is all gone by the morning.

If I was feeding her adlib hay 24/7 I would imagine 1.5 small bales a day. One would hope she would self regulate her intake, but having seen how she inhales the stuff I doubt it ;)
 
Another one for whom ad-lib means that there will be a small amount of hay left over. Like ihatework I don't give ad-lib as some of mine would just gorge themselves stupid on it. With the youngsters we put out a large rectangular bale out in the field (about 350kg per bale). A bale tends to last about a week for 9 horses who are out on 20 acres.
 
Thank's everyone. Sounds like they are about right then which is good. I had a lady suggest to me a couple of weeks ago that I would save a ton of money by giving them just a couple of slices each of hay a day, and feeding 2 large feeds of barley instead "as it's only £4 a 25kg sack"

Roll on the big move :)
 
It depends on the horse of course. For mine, currently adlib to her is 3 leaves of hay in a net. She leaves a lot because she's stuffed with grass and not greedy. Next door's pony could eat his weight in hay. But mine always has something in front of her when she comes in, the pony next door is brought into an unmade stable without a net and left sometimes for a couple of hours. I think that not always having enough can make a horse greedy.
 
It sounds like you're giving them what they need at the moment. If they have plenty of grass where they're going. I'd not bother with hay for the first week at least - they'll be way too interested in the grass. After a week, depending on how much frass is left, I'd maybe pop out half a bale and see what they do it with it. I suspect until the grass really disappears, they won't be very interested in hay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top