Keep your horse warm,top tip.

M

Mike007

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 May 2009
Messages
8,222
Visit site
Horses generate a large proportion of their body temperature from the digestion of fibre in the hind gut. It is the equine hot water bottle. It is how they can live wild in Alberta.A feed of corn has to be digested and then burnt in the muscles for heat. A full belly of hay warms as it is being digested and then warms again if necessary via the muscles.Dont skimp on the hay at the moment . Ad lib is the way to go.
 
Great post to put up...mine's getting double rations at the moment so if he needs it, it's there...I don't mind it if he doesn't eat it/want it/need it but at least he has the choice and you never know how many inches of snow or treacherous road/ice conditions you may wake to each morning at the moment which may delay you in getting to the yard.
 
my mare is always naked in winter but when drops below minus 1 for more than 2 nights extra slice of hay - internal warmth not warmth fom rugs and she is TOASTIE he he he e he h
 
MochaDun said:
Great post to put up...mine's getting double rations at the moment so if he needs it, it's there...I don't mind it if he doesn't eat it/want it/need it but at least he has the choice and you never know how many inches of snow or treacherous road/ice conditions you may wake to each morning at the moment which may delay you in getting to the yard.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much, I wasnt sure of the reception when I put it up.:confused:
 
I put lots out then the next day there was some left, they didnt touch the bit that was left. As soon as I put a brand new bale out they were eating it again. Whats that all about? Fussy eaters? It wasnt wet or anything, just from the day before!
 
- internal warmth not warmth fom rugs and she is TOASTIE he he he e he h[/QUOTE]

Er ... He He would have done, but, he he he e he h,suggests someone stroking a persian cat and dreaming of world domination.:D
 
I actually put something similar into a thread earlier on today. I do wish people would realise this and not worry because the horse 'can't move around to keep warm' when in a stable overnight. It is always better to spend money on extra forage, rather than expensive rugs.
 
almrc said:
I put lots out then the next day there was some left, they didnt touch the bit that was left. As soon as I put a brand new bale out they were eating it again. Whats that all about? Fussy eaters? It wasnt wet or anything, just from the day before!
Click to expand...

They left it for a reason and who are you to question a highly tuned eating machine like a horse. If they leave it ,Bin it.
 
almrc said:
I put lots out then the next day there was some left, they didnt touch the bit that was left. As soon as I put a brand new bale out they were eating it again. Whats that all about? Fussy eaters? It wasnt wet or anything, just from the day before!
Click to expand...
"Grass is always greener...." and all that. I bet you if you'd removed it from the field and brought it straight back they'd have started eating it too! Nowt so queer as hosses!!
 
Also other horses hay is always better.
Get hay from the same bale for Frankie and his neighbour and he'll turn his nose up at his own to try and grab some from the barrow as it goes past.

He gets a big net of haylage, a big net of hay, and an extra pile on the floor.
 
What a good post :)

I am off tomorrow to forage out some readi grass or something for mine as ad lib haylage makes them fat but they definitely need something to keep them toasty in this weather.

Very wise words.

Although brown horse will also be wearing expensive rugs as he really is a pansy and needs both!
 
Mine get exist on fibre - the only thing that changes is the amount they get - since the snow arrived they are going through a bale a day plus their fast fibre for supper and they will get more as they need it. The coblet is in a lw and had sweated in it last night:rolleyes: so is back to naked and my WB is in a mw - both are the right temperature and keeping the weight on.:)
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I actually put something similar into a thread earlier on today. I do wish people would realise this and not worry because the horse 'can't move around to keep warm' when in a stable overnight. It is always better to spend money on extra forage, rather than expensive rugs.
Click to expand...
I mentioned that earlier, not because it's a concern of mine, but many horses I know that are stabled overnight do not get ad lib hay, and run out during the night. It's not a concern for me as my horses live out... with loads of forage.
 
mine all get ad lib haylage and oat straw, as extra, all in l/w rugs or naked and they are tb's and ISH nd doing fine like that.
I was always taught if they are not in work dont feed them for work hay/haylage will be plenty.
If mine need extra they get simple sytems feed as it is all digested in the hind gut like haylage
 
babymare said:
my mare is always naked in winter but when drops below minus 1 for more than 2 nights extra slice of hay - internal warmth not warmth fom rugs and she is TOASTIE he he he e he h
Click to expand...

-1C fine, -25C at night, even by day, for months...why feed the weather? I am blowed if I am going to;) Horses for courses, some cope, some don't.
 
Mine are rugged bar the weanling. She has way to good a coat for that! Mine are all on adlib forage within reason. As in I'm not going to put in 5 flakes when they only eat 3. Feed is in molassesed beet pulp, alfalfa chaff, a few oats and barley depending on horse. All soaked in a nice hot meal. I buy the best hay I can and it makes a huge difference in the amount of feed I need.

Great post as some people just don't get how horses keep warm.

Terri
 
This is the very reason my horse is on a Fibre only diet....

People laugh at the amount of hay mine gets but it's pretty much all gone by morning... I do have to feel sorry for those who finish their hay rations by 8pm and then have to wait til 8am for their breakfast before being chucked out in the field for 8 hours of not much to eat, to be bought in so ravenous that they scoff their 3 sections in an hour or two...
 
We are so lucky to have haylage supplied on our horse's yard, and it is nice quality, and there is a lot of it so we can make her 2 massive haynets every night, she always has a bit left in the morning. Only drawback is that we aren't allowed to put it out in the field with them this year because of the shortage, so we just turn her out a couple of hours later and bring her in a couple of hours earlier (lucky to have jobs where we can do this between us).

Her feed is also heavy on the fibre too, but we also rug her up as she is clipped.
 
My hunter always gets a huge haynet (I reckon you could fit about 5 small children in it) every night and there is always a tiny bit left in the morning. He has to fend for himself in the field but there is plenty of grass still in there - he just needs to search for it.

The other Saturday I had filled up my haynet and was walking down the yard when the racehorses all went out on first lot (we have one side of yard, trainer has the other side) and one of the girls commented on what a massive haynet he has and how can he possibly eat that much. I pointed out that he would be hunting all day that day and would be hungry. I even end up putting a slice or two more in last thing at night after a day's hunting.

I have always believed in feeding as much hay as possible and I'm sure the reason so many racehorses have ulcers is because they aren't fed anywhere near as much forage as they should be. Obviously yes, there are other factors such as stress etc but lack of forage is a huge one.
 
I hope more people are reading this. Apparently a girl at our yard was tearful at the cruelty of leraving the horses out 24/7! I know mine our happy, plenty of hay, been soft enough to put a rug on though, to give additional shelter from the wind. Not sure my wife would let me turn them out naked.
 
Mike007 said:
They left it for a reason and who are you to question a highly tuned eating machine like a horse. If they leave it ,Bin it.
Click to expand...

Bery interesting, I am learning a lot today! and I just thought they were being picky, purely because that hay had been out all night and if they were hungry they would eat it, like as you say, the stuff I bring down from the barn they love every day!
 
my TB scoffs so much hay!! gets two big-ass haynets but eats the lot and we're not allowed to put stuff on floor! was buying haylage... do you think that I should start buying it again? also wondering if speedibeat in his food is way to go but worried about fizzing up. gets molliechaff atm...
 
thanks for posting this!:)
and for the crucial reminder that if they don't eat it - bin it!
Mine are also out, with ad lib hay, and a small non cereal feed when they come in every day for a snooze and check over. After last winter on this regime in the scottish hills they remained bright and shiny and well covered.
The welsh A can't get ad lib or he becomes overweight - something for 'hairy' owners to be aware of.
 
I always feed plenty of forage, my horses live out in all weathers & look well.
Another livery asked me what I was feeding my 29 year old who stayed out happily in last winter's harsh weather & looked very well, I told her & she added alpha a to her oldies food but according to the yard expert this was wrong as forage is just bulk & won't do anything!
I explained the warming effects of forage to the woman who asked my advice & fortuantely she was stuck with it.
Her horse is now 30, the vet recently said she looks well for her age, the vet asked what she was being fed & agreed that she was being fed just right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top