How much Hay??

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aimuth05

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Hi Everyone,

This is my first post so bare with me!:)

I feed my mare (15.1 TB x Hannovarian) about a slice and a half of hay a night, which she devours by the morning!

I was wondering if I was to start weighing my hay how much should i give her? Alot of the girls on the yard wiegh it but they all give there horses differant amounts which confuses me slightly!

Please help!
 
Is she in at night? I wouldn't have thought that is enough tbh. My show cob has approx 4-5 slices overnight (in Winter when there is no grass for daytime grazing) - in Summer he has approx 3 slices.
 
I have two gypsy cobs, both 14hh, They have three - four cobs at night each. If they are in all day they have the same otherwise they are out on rubbish grass.
 
aimuth05 said:
Hi Everyone,

This is my first post so bare with me!:)

I feed my mare (15.1 TB x Hannovarian) about a slice and a half of hay a night, which she devours by the morning!

I was wondering if I was to start weighing my hay how much should i give her? Alot of the girls on the yard wiegh it but they all give there horses differant amounts which confuses me slightly!

Please help!
Click to expand...

It depends on how long she's in for - but I would say that you need to be giving her a minimum of 3 sections of hay at night. No idea what that would way as sections can vary in size. But you don't want her standing with nothing to eat for hours on end......
 
Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of the help!!

So in reality i need to give her more, i do find if she has more she tends to waste some of it!!

Will the amount of hay i give her make her put on weight though, as she is WELL now!!

Thanks
 
aimuth05 said:
Hi Guys,

Thanks for all of the help!!

So in reality i need to give her more, i do find if she has more she tends to waste some of it!!

Will the amount of hay i give her make her put on weight though, as she is WELL now!!

Thanks
Click to expand...

You could get some good quality straw and do a half and half ration.

Good doe'rs are always tricky - because whilst they need enough food trickling though the system, you don't want them to have so much that they get fat.

Are you feeding hard feed?
 
Yes she has a hand full of chaff the recomended amount of blue chip orginal and Garlic and Oil!!

It looks like a tiny amount!!

We have just swapped over, so she is in by day and out by night, she has a bout 8 hours grazing a day and is ridden about 5/6 times a week!
 
If she is looking a bit too well it might be better to up the hay ration, but soak it well first to reduce calories, and restrict her grass intake by strip grazing/muzzling. I've always found it easier to get weight off horses by keeping them off grass.

Also the blue chip original and oil might be adding quite a few calories, it might be best to use something lower calorie.

Mine is currently muzzled during the day, brought into the stable/small paddock overnight and given an 8lb haynet soaked.
 
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