How much to feed?

[Bossdog]

Hi

My new mare is coming on saturday, 14.3 welsh cob type, bit porky at the moment, has had no work for over 6 months. She will be out all day, in at night and will start a fitness programme next week. The thing is I'm struggling to find some nice hay and as she has had haylage already, I will just continue with this. But I'm not sure how to work out how much to feed her at night, enough to keep her busy but not so much that she puts on any more weight. So can someone give me a basic idea in kg how to give?

Thanks

Jules x

 

[AmyMay]

10lbs of haylage is more than enough. Give it to her as late as possible after she comes in.

Others will totally disagree - as many like their horses to have adlib access to forage. However, having lived with a 'fatty' for 14 years I can assure you that the only way to get rid of the excess is to diet them.

You can always feed something like HiFi lite as part ration which can be given in a big rubber trug.

Amy would be given her hay when she came in and then her Hi Fi tub at around midnight. Worked brilliantly for us - especially last year when she had to be uber trim to get in to foal.

 

[Bossdog]

Thats great, thank you. I don't think ad lib haylage will help her fattiness so I agree that she's going to have to be restricted, she is out all day and i've got a really small hole haylage net so it should keep her going a while!!


Thanks again

Jules xx

 

[Scarlett1980]

I agree, limit her haylage and give her something else instead like Happy Hoof or even a ball with High Fibre Cubes in. Both are apporved by Laminitus trust, hav all the vits and mins in and are save for her to eat loads of.

Just don't starve her, like us, she will hold onto her weight if she doesn't have enough fibre.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

I would start her on haylage then gradually change to hay over about two weeks. Haylage is richer than hay so more fattening, with hay you could feed her more so she doesn't get bored without the worry of feeding too much so she gets fat. Don't know if you feed her any mix but if you do i would seriously consider reducing it to just a vitamin and mineral supplement for now, once she's doing a bit more work and needs more energy you can gradually introduce a mix again.

 

[_Jazz_]

Hi, This is probably not much help as my mare is 17hh but it may just give you hope!!!
She had spent a few months at liberty

whilst I was still in England and was 680kg in October 2006. I started stabling her at night and she was out for about 7-8 hours during the day, the field is strip grazed. I gave her 4kg of TIMOTHY horsehage(highest fibre) in a haylage net, I bought the branded ones, at night and 500gm Hi Fi Lite and 600gm Lo Cal split into am/pm feeds plus carrots/parsnips and an apple a day ! I gradually increased the horsehage to 7kg a night and the Hi Fi Lite to 1kg total daily allowance as the winter progressed and the grass stopped growing. She also has her 1/4 share of 4kg damp hay during the day. I am now decreasing her fibre levels, very gradually.
The good news is she is now 650kg

So she's lost an average of 1.5 kg or 3.3 pounds a week. I weighed her via weightape once a week .She looks very well and I'm happy that we have achieved a good, steady weight loss.
Good Luck