Need Help-Feedng a Shetland

oscarwild

oscarwild

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As per title really looking for a little advice on what to feed my shetland pony this winter. She will live out as long as possible. (Well until my tb decides she has had enough and wants to come in.) They still have some reasonable grazing and are getting a additional hay. My tb is in great condition but due to her many allergies and liver issues she when hard feed gets speedi beet and micronised barley. So I'm looking to give the shetland a small token feed at present that I can increase as we feel necessary. She is ideal weight at the moment but was really thin when I got her March this year. So I am concerned about her dropping weight as winter sets in.
Thanks for your help in advance
 
To be honest, I'd let her get a little bit thin this winter. Natives are meant to drop off in the winter and then gain a bit of weight in summer. Grass and hay sounds more than enough for your shettie, these things live off fresh air. If you want her to feel like she has a feed just give her a little bit of chop or a carrot in her bucket.
 
Mine just get a token amount of un mollassed beet to carry their balancer and a bit of extra salt. They do get micronised linseed added when off all grazing
 
You will probably find she doesn't lose weight this winter if she has plenty of hay (unless she is elderly or has other health problems). If you need a token feed you could give something low calorie such as Fast Fibre or a low sugar chaff.
 
I give mine a couple of handfuls of Hi-Fi lite. I make it really, really sloppy with lots of water so that it takes hime ages to eat/drink it! Means the other pony has more time to eat her bigger feed without greedy interrupting...
 
Our shetland just gets chaff when we feed so that he doesn't feel left out. He just about doubles in size at the sight of new grass so I wouldn't worry about winter weightloss..
 
Mine gets a handful of alfa-a oil and a handful of fibre nuggets purely for mixing her pink powder through. If I didn't give pink powder she probably wouldn't get a feed, they live off fresh air, you'd be surprised at the amount of grazing they can find in a field you would otherwise think is 'bare'!
 
Tiny Fuzzy (all of 33ins tall) does not need any hard feed.
However, I am a sucker for giving all something at the same time.

She has (twice daily!):
1 table spoon of hi-fi lite, 6 pony nuts, minute drizzle of 3 drops of garlic, parsley & linseed syrup (they all love it) and possible half a tiny apple sliced into 3.
This is dampened with a small amount of speedi-beet water (about a dessert spoonful from FLF's feed)

In the worst of the winter she will have 5lb of hay overnight in a tiny holed net, possibly sharing in the field in the daytime.

Still currently out with grazing muzzle on in daytime, tho in at night now :)

Works for me :)
 
Thank you all for your help. Have got some chaff coming today. Yes I dont want her to be left out when her big buddy gets some food as her little face would make me fell terribly guilty. haha.
 
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