How to slow down a greedy horse...

[Luci07]

Inadvertently found this out. My mare will literally stand at her net and not move till she has finished it. We have tested her to the limit by increasing her forage but she has no off button..this is a horse who when out on loan cleared a new straw bed 3 nights on the trot.

Till now. She has dropped some condition (she is 24) so YO had started to mix some Haylage in with her soaked hay. Madame now guzzles the Haylage...and will leave the hay..not for ever, she does go back for it but not till she is actually hungry enough to want to eat it. Hay is really nice and previously she would have bolted it down but she so prefers the Haylage it seems to hold her off the hay for a bit. Result! And the bit of Haylage is doing the trick with her weight as well..might be worth trying for those who have similarly greedy horses.

 

[Hen]

Good to know it worked for your horse but possibly not ideal as a blanket solution for greedy horses: Those which are insulin resistant will migrate towards more sugary haylage and that is not a Good Thing. Those types need to tough it out I'm afraid and trickle feeding of low sugar fare as far as is possible is the only suitable solution.

 

[Lotty]

I have a very greedy mare, like yours she will not rest until she's eaten the lot but with her I have to limit sugar. I weigh & soak her hay and she has them in elim-a-nets (very small mesh), also she is bedded on shavings as she would eat her straw bed.

 

[Luci07]

Good to know it worked for your horse but possibly not ideal as a blanket solution for greedy horses: Those which are insulin resistant will migrate towards more sugary haylage and that is not a Good Thing. Those types need to tough it out I'm afraid and trickle feeding of low sugar fare as far as is possible is the only suitable solution.

Good point. I have had my mare blood tested in the summer as she was drinking a lot and it came back normal. We came to the conclusion shed wont drink in the field, even with new buckets etc. I would never have considered giving a greedy horse Haylage but it does work for her. Trickle feeding is a great idea and we do this but she will literally stand and guzzle. This way she now actually has hay after an hour of being fed.

As she is 24 I do monitor her quite closely. She is much loved diva and gets away with a lot as she has really earnt it. Helps that she is a yard favourite as has lovely manners. She comes in when she wants, she does get treats, she does have random people cuddling her. Basically behaviour that would not encourage good manners in a younger horse!