Morning feeds

[The Dunner]

My hunt horse is back in this week and is a full Irish draught.His summer off intales him turning into an elephant he eats so much.

Any way exercise starts this week,only difference this year is i have to ride out early mornings.

Up at 6,ride out and go to work.Now i would be able to feed him at 6,and ride out at 6.30,question is does he need feeding before a hard hours exercise.His last feed will be haylage the previous evening around 7.30.

Will he be lacking energy at that hour without feeding.

His diet is oats,oat balancer mix twice daily and haylage twice daily.

No guess answers please!!

 

[schneeko]

He will need a small feed-at least-before you ride (or a small haynet)

If you don't he won't have any food in his stomach and he could get stomach ulcers from the acid. However, you don't want to give him a really big feed before you ride as that can give them colic and make them uncomfortable if they're too full.

 

[The Dunner]

He will need a small feed-at least-before you ride (or a small haynet)

If you don't he won't have any food in his stomach and he could get stomach ulcers from the acid. However, you don't want to give him a really big feed before you ride as that can give them colic and make them uncomfortable if they're too full.

Only a half hour window for him to eat and diegest it do!!!!!!!!!

 

[schneeko]

I just give mine a scoop of chaff with a feed nuts and a bit of sugarbeet before I ride. They don't have to digest it before I ride, they just have to have it in their stomach so their stomach acid is doing something and not just splashing about and cauding problems

 

[huntley]

Is he in? I personally would just give him some hay - a better thing for them to eat before hard food anyway. I wouldn't be feeding my hunters yet anyway, particularly if they need to lose some weight and, if necessary, one feed a day in the evening would be enough. I would get him a bit fitter and thinner before giving him any hard food.

 

[schneeko]

Huntley is right - as long as he'll eat some hay.

I only say to give a small feed as mine eat their hay so slowly it does no good if i'm riding in the early morning. But I have got a tb that loses weight very easily so he's on 2 feeds a day all year round, if not 3 feeds in the winter anyway.

Tbh, the best thing is if they have enough hay that they are eating most of the night, then they don't need their digestive system's "waking up" But that's easier said than done

 

[The Dunner]

Is he in? I personally would just give him some hay - a better thing for them to eat before hard food anyway. I wouldn't be feeding my hunters yet anyway, particularly if they need to lose some weight and, if necessary, one feed a day in the evening would be enough. I would get him a bit fitter and thinner before giving him any hard food.

Yes he is in on a diet,VERY small portions of haylage.The reason i am feeding him the hard feed is he lacks so much energy and the oats puts a better pep in his step after a couple of weeks.

1 and half scoop of oats,1 scoop of balancer and required measurement of Baielys Diegest plus.