LizScott
Well-Known Member
Just wondering how much hay in lbs you would guess at feeding a big 18.1hh horse? Sorry - I don't know how much he weighs but would guess it's over 700kg...
How much hay?
- Thread starter LizScott
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Nugget La Poneh
Well-Known Member
As a minimum, get a weightape to make sure you're vaguely near his weight. They aren't always accurate, but will give a better idea than guestimating.
I work to 2.5% of bodyweight for total forage/feed, but I think this is old skool now so others will suggest 2% for maintenance. Feed less for weight loss (minimum 1.5% unless advised other by vet), more for weight gain. This will include any grass and hard feed.
So for example:
Based on 700kg, 2.5% of bodyweight is 17.5kg. About 1/3 - 1/2 of that will be grass depending on how greedy the horse is and the state of your fields. You then need to take out the weight of any hard feed.
So, 17.5kg overall. Take off 5.5kg for grass which leaves you 12.5kg to split between concentrate/hard feed and forage. Assuming you have a normal workload and not an event/hunt horse I would be feeding either all hay/forage, or 20/80 ratio which is approx 2.5kg (ish) hard feed and the remainder as hay/straw.
I work to 2.5% of bodyweight for total forage/feed, but I think this is old skool now so others will suggest 2% for maintenance. Feed less for weight loss (minimum 1.5% unless advised other by vet), more for weight gain. This will include any grass and hard feed.
So for example:
Based on 700kg, 2.5% of bodyweight is 17.5kg. About 1/3 - 1/2 of that will be grass depending on how greedy the horse is and the state of your fields. You then need to take out the weight of any hard feed.
So, 17.5kg overall. Take off 5.5kg for grass which leaves you 12.5kg to split between concentrate/hard feed and forage. Assuming you have a normal workload and not an event/hunt horse I would be feeding either all hay/forage, or 20/80 ratio which is approx 2.5kg (ish) hard feed and the remainder as hay/straw.
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AmyMay
Situation normal
As much as he wants?
RobinHood
Well-Known Member
It would depend on a number of factors such as how much he weighs, what his weight's like, how many hours he's going to be in for and how good your grass is.
Presuming he's just going to be in at night and out during the day on good grass, I'd start him on 16lbs and put it up if it's all gone in the morning, or down if he's wasting some.
Presuming he's just going to be in at night and out during the day on good grass, I'd start him on 16lbs and put it up if it's all gone in the morning, or down if he's wasting some.
Lotty
Well-Known Member
I second this.