How much is enough?

[Laurayoung03]

I have an OTTB gelding, 16.1 , 12 years old in light work. Weights 500kg.
I also have a 13.2 Dartmoor x Welsh cob, 13 years old also in light work. Weighs 380kg.
I have been struggling to find the right amount feed to give them. It’s all calculated by the weight and workload but I can’t seem to understand it.
Would anyone by any chance know the calculations for either of these? For feed and for haylage amount.
Both stables at night, 2 x feed a day of calm and condition and coarse mix with linseed oil and a haynet, 7kg for the OTTB and 5kg for pony .
Anyone able to help? Greatly appreciated x

 

[Red-1]

7kg does not sound enough total feed by dry matter for a 16.1.

I work to 2% of body weight as a starter, and would feed this in hay, split into several times. Other than a vitamin carrier, does the horse need hard feed? Hay is my feed of preference, with chaff and no molasses sugar beet as a vitamin carrier.

So, if the horse is perfect weight, 10KG of hay and weigh tape weekly, being prepared to adjust up or down to suit.

For a 500KG horse, 8KG of hay would be weight loss and as low as I would go. To lose weight you could also up the work. That could simply mean a larger area to live in, if the horses don't work. Lighter rugging, or no rugs, helps weight loss too.

If it is really cold and they are not over rugged then I would be prepared to up the feed. It work ups then I would up the feed. If they need to put weight on I would also feed more.

I am not generally a fan of course mixes, as they tend to have molasses.

 

[TreeDog]

I agree that 7kg hay doesn't sound like enough for the horse. But you haven't said what weight hard feed you're also giving, or what your grazing is like. Is there any hay left over in the morning?

If ideal weight is 500kg, minimum dry matter feed should be 1.5% of this, so 7.5kg, this would be for weight loss. In your other post you mention tb needs to gain weight, so I'd aim for at least 2.5-3% of body weight, so at least 12.5kg dry matter. People forget hay isn't 100% dry, a rough guess is about 90%. So if fed hay only you should feed at least 14kg daily for weight gain. However if they have access to grass this would be less.

In your other post you also say you don't want to feed molasses, but you also say you're still feeding a coarse mix which as red-1 said typically contain molasses. I would expect as both in light work, stabled overnight and TB's liver fluke now treated they should be fine on ad lib hay only, though if you still need/want to give bucket feed cut out the coarse mix and give micronised linseed instead of linseed oil if you can (it's generally cheaper feed this way too).

 

[Laurayoung03]

7kg does not sound enough total feed by dry matter for a 16.1.

I work to 2% of body weight as a starter, and would feed this in hay, split into several times. Other than a vitamin carrier, does the horse need hard feed? Hay is my feed of preference, with chaff and no molasses sugar beet as a vitamin carrier.

So, if the horse is perfect weight, 10KG of hay and weigh tape weekly, being prepared to adjust up or down to suit.

For a 500KG horse, 8KG of hay would be weight loss and as low as I would go. To lose weight you could also up the work. That could simply mean a larger area to live in, if the horses don't work. Lighter rugging, or no rugs, helps weight loss too.

If it is really cold and they are not over rugged then I would be prepared to up the feed. It work ups then I would up the feed. If they need to put weight on I would also feed more.

I am not generally a fan of course mixes, as they tend to have molasses.

My vet suggested hard feed when she was treating liver fluke. I do intend staying away from molasses I get the molasses free stuff as it drive my pair crazy. I started rugging up so he has a liner under his New Zealand . I do a lot of work with trotting poles on lunge line and ridden to build a top line which is helping the slightest x

 

[Laurayoung03]

I agree that 7kg hay doesn't sound like enough for the horse. But you haven't said what weight hard feed you're also giving, or what your grazing is like. Is there any hay left over in the morning?

If ideal weight is 500kg, minimum dry matter feed should be 1.5% of this, so 7.5kg, this would be for weight loss. In your other post you mention tb needs to gain weight, so I'd aim for at least 2.5-3% of body weight, so at least 12.5kg dry matter. People forget hay isn't 100% dry, a rough guess is about 90%. So if fed hay only you should feed at least 14kg daily for weight gain. However if they have access to grass this would be less.

In your other post you also say you don't want to feed molasses, but you also say you're still feeding a coarse mix which as red-1 said typically contain molasses. I would expect as both in light work, stabled overnight and TB's liver fluke now treated they should be fine on ad lib hay only, though if you still need/want to give bucket feed cut out the coarse mix and give micronised linseed instead of linseed oil if you can (it's generally cheaper feed this way too).

Thank you, there is always hay left with both of my horses when stables, our grazing is limited atm with the hard weather up my end but there’s still enough between the two. I use a Stubbs scoop so the big lad would get 1/2 and 1/2 of c&c and mix , I will definetly look into the micronised linseed as the oil can be so expensive in places

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

For forage/ feed it’s supposed to be approx 2% dry weight of body weight per day. So a 600kg horse should get around 12kg a day. This includes a total of all grass, hay, haylage and fibre feed consumed. I feed around 7kg small hole net to my Warmblood overnight which seems to be plenty. There’s usually some bits on the floor.

If the horse is on the thin side and will eat it then add more and less plus soaking for an overweight horse.