Maximum amount of hard feed to give in one feed?

Stomach is roughly the size of a rugby ball, so feed needs to be fed by volume and weight. Weigh to make sure that the correct amount of hard feed is given and then split into just-less-than-rugby-ball-sized meals more frequently through the day if necessary.


 
Today I am dissecting a horse's stomach- I shall measure the contents of it when it's full and get back to you with an approximate volume.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I was taught that you should not feed more than 4lb of concentrate in one meal, chaff does not count, it is forage, and with sugar beet, its the dry weight that counts. A stubbs scoop (level) holds about 4lb of cubes and about 3lb of mix.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this - no links I'm afraid but a vet told me.
 
I attended a talk by Top Spec, and Nicola said, no more than half a standard black (water type) bucket, per feed including chaffs - otherwise you are wasting the feed (it will start being pushed out of the stomach undigested) and also you risk colic.
 
^^ that makes more sense,

rather than not including the chaff, If you are feeding a big bowl of chaff and small amount of concentrate it is going to all end up in the stomach at the same time anyway. Taking up space!!
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I just always think that more that 1 'stubbs' scoop of short feed per bucket and you should start splitting it. Just my two penneth!


[/ QUOTE ]

That's the rule I use too, although you need to use common sense with size of horse and type of feed i.e course mix is not as dense as nuts or straights etc.

However I have yet to feed anything close to that amount for any horse, my 16.2hh warmblood gets by on 0.5kg of grass nuts a day spilt between 2 feeds!
 
does it not depend on the size of the horse as to the acceptable amount to feed it? ie you'll be able to give a 17.2h more in one feed than you would say a 14.2h?
 
I always say that if the concentrate potion of the feed would'nt fit inside of a rugby/football then there is too much in the feed. Especially as most horses will drink after eating, too much food just increases the risk of food being flushed out of the stomach too soon and fermenting in the wrong part of the gut causing colic.
As we are all told as beginners - feed little and often.
 
I also work on the rugby ball rule, but include all the feed i.e. chaff, nuts, speedibeet by volume. That is the maximum I would feed in one meal.

However, in determining how much I would feed in a day (i.e. weight), that depends on the feed and the work the horse was doing/weight etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top