Is it really bad to let overweight cobs run out of hay overnight?

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darkhorse123

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Just read something on another post thats got me thinking.
My cob is a very good doer and is currently being muzzled on turnout -hes in
on soaked hay overnight.
I understood it was very bad to let your horse run out of hay through the night - as it can cause ulcers?
I was always told to make sure he had some left in the morning - thats how you measure you are giving enough?
But ive just read another reply saying this isnt so.
So - opinions please because im very confused and am desperately trying to keep my cobs weight in check
 
You just have to make sure he is eating forage as he would naturally... Little and often.

If they have ran out of hay at 7pm then that is 12+ hours of nothing going through the alimentary canal.

Doubling up Haynets, small holed Haynets, barley straw mix. It doesn't matter how you keep calories down but intake has to stay steady.

For me personally, I do like to see some hay in the net, I double mine up for the lami-prone but hay on the floor is also a sign they have not been starved as most horses will Hoover every last scrap... Some divas I have heard are averse to floor hay :D
 
my wee highland is a podger (u can see in the pics i just posted ha ha) and is a high lami risk and she is muzzled ridden everyday and in alot through the day on soaked hay....
previously when she has been in at night through winter she has only ever been given a small double haynet soaked for 12hrs, never had a problem with her

dont know how other people do things tho?
 
It is bad for them to not have some sort of forage as their gut is designed to be trickle fed.
Some people double or triple net hay to try and make it last longer...it is difficult though :(
My pet hate when I was at livery yards was people putting their horses in for the night at 5pm and by the time I left at 7 pm they had finished all their hay until 10am the next morning when they rolled up to let them out.....
 
Some horses and ponies don't seem to have an off switch when it comes to hay and will eat all night. My natives are on a restricted diet. They are muzzled in the day, come in at 6 ish and have a feed and have their small haynet at 10 ish. They are also bedded down on good clean straw. I find that they pick at the straw overnight but don't eat large amounts and it keeps their stomachs occupied.
 
tallyho! said:
You just have to make sure he is eating forage as he would naturally... Little and often.

If they have ran out of hay at 7pm then that is 12+ hours of nothing going through the alimentary canal.

Doubling up Haynets, small holed Haynets, barley straw mix. It doesn't matter how you keep calories down but intake has to stay steady.

For me personally, I do like to see some hay in the net, I double mine up for the lami-prone but hay on the floor is also a sign they have not been starved as most horses will Hoover every last scrap... Some divas I have heard are averse to floor hay :D
Click to expand...

this morning his net was empty but there was hay on floor - guess hes a wanna be diva then :)
 
My cob is in during the day and out at night! this way he is off the major sugars during the day :) He eats a double feed a day (think 1 TB feed) and about 8/9kilos of haylage a day. He looks good and holding the right weight :D

PS I also feed Magnesium which helps for fatty deposits
 
give a net full of barley straw, it has very little nutritional value so will not put weight on but gives something to keep going thro the gut. Vet advised this to help mine loose weight and its worked. They have ad lib barley straw and one haynet over night. They have all come out of winter looking trim rather than over weight.
 
Chellebean said:
My cob is in during the day and out at night! this way he is off the major sugars during the day :) He eats a double feed a day (think 1 TB feed) and about 8/9kilos of haylage a day. He looks good and holding the right weight :D

PS I also feed Magnesium which helps for fatty deposits
Click to expand...


i cant do that yet chelle - have to be in at night still on my yard - but ty for magnesium tip
 
soltydog said:
give a net full of barley straw, it has very little nutritional value so will not put weight on but gives something to keep going thro the gut. Vet advised this to help mine loose weight and its worked. They have ad lib barley straw and one haynet over night. They have all come out of winter looking trim rather than over weight.
Click to expand...

ty will try this as its very difficult getting weight off him
 
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