NO HAY AT NIGHT??????

[Malibu]

I have asked about this before but does anyone feed no hay at night for their horses in stables?

I am finding out more and more people dont give their horses hay when in at night!!
is this not bad as they could colic and also wont they run the risk of getting those tummy ulcers?

i am just very confused - is this not cruel

 

[frannieuk]

This post quite suprised me - I can't fathom leaving a horse in overnight without hay (obv. except on vet advice). IMO they are trickle feeders and need the hay to keep the gut working properly, and to keep them amused. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't put hay in - what are their reasons?

 

[Super_Kat]

How would you feel if you were locked in a 12 x 12 foot room with nothing to do and an empty tummy from about 6 PM (ish) until around 7AM (ish). Bear in mind that horses are designed to eat for most of the day.

 

[Judie]

here here ....can not imagine a horse being in all night with no hay - how odd

 

[Llwyncwn]

Never heard of this. Imo you would be asking for digestive problems together with stable vices.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I agree. Even those who are laminitic or on strict diets need to be trickle fed. If weight realy is a problem soak hay for several hours to remove soluble goodness and put it in two small holed hay nets (one insoie the other). This would slow them down and reduce calories, but still allow them to have something in their tummies. I was always under the impression that to leave a horse for longer than eight hours without food is V bad news.

 

[Malibu]

well about a year ago i found out a friend although i only know her to speak, that she didnt give the horse hay at night,in summer they were brought in at about 11 at night and out at 7 in morning and in winter she does it too! but they come in at 5 and out at 7 so OVER 12 HOURS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is surley cruel!
i askled about this wen i discovered it in summer and few people didnt do it but it was not that uncommon!

 

[claire1976]

OMG how awful for the horse to having nothing to eat all night. They need trickle feeding to keep warm and to keep digestive system working correctly - they are just not designed to go long periods without eating.

 

[Malibu]

thats what i thought, i WOULD NEVER DO IT! EVER but i just could not belive the horses didnt colic but i BET they have tummy problems!

 

[Theresa_F]

Some people do give their horse a smallish net at 5 and expect that to last until 8 the next day. Poor horse has normally finished the net by 8. I like mine to have hay all the time when in, or certainly no more than a few hours without.

I give mine huge nets and alwasy like to find a little left.

There was one stupid girl at our yard trying to diet her pony - left it in 24 hours with two slices of hay a day - one about 8 am and the other at 4 pm. Tried explaining to her (a) the pony was not that fat (b) to increase its excercise and (c) she was going to end up with a pony with vices and colic.

Used to give the poor thing a slice of my hay in the evening and the YO did the same during the day.

 

[Chex]

wow, I've never heard of that before! Its appalling though!

 

[burtie]

A horse will start attempting to digest it's own stomoach after around 8 hours without food. So leaving overnight without any food is asking for trouble and health problems.

 

[JoBo]

If they don’t have hay do they have something else? Like straw or Redi-grass? Just wondering.

Would never even consider leaving ours in with out something to nibble on!

 

[Malibu]

i think i have nothing else to do but say how i feel and the facts, for the horses welfare ! as it is not fair!

 

[Malibu]

i dont know joella, i just know they get two feeds and graze for about 10 hours

 

[magic104]

I can well believe it, shame people do not educate themselves b4 going out & buying an animal.

 

[Baileysno1]

The yard where I do my BHS training don't give any forage to allot of their horses for through the night - I was really shocked I've always given enough hay or haylege so there is a little left the day after.

 

[UKa]

Seems simply cruelty to me - I get worried when my girl finishes all her hay over night and always like to see some leftover in the morning then I feel she has had enough ...

was at a yard before where they gave very little hay at night only (flimsy haybnets, no idea what the reason was) and all the horses were looking out of their stables and kicking their doors by 8pm because they had nothing to bite (standing on shavngs on top of that) - needless to say we were there for not very long ...

 

[CJ1]

whats the point of giving them 2 feeds a day and no fibre? surely not weight gain or money...so what is their reason?

 

[frannieuk]

I've just been looking at the Equine Industry Welfare Guidelines Compendium for Horses, Ponies and Donkeys, and I quote5, para 18

[ QUOTE ]
"Horses are "trickle feeders" and should have access to forage feed during most of their non-active hours . This may be fresh grass, hay, haylage or straw as appropriate or preferred."

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO this clearly states that forage should be provided and I believe that this document is used in Courts as guidance for prosecutions etc.

 

[AmyMay]

Oooo this is a tricky one - because my horse falls in to the catagory of 'please don't put anything else inside your mouth' as she does tend to be a little plump shall we say.

I am in the happy position of being able to bring her in at 4.00 to a handful (and I do mean handful) of hay - knowing that she will be topped up with her final ration at late night feeding time (around 11.00-12.00pm).

For those people with fattys it's so, so difficult getting that balance right - although not for one minute would I advocate leaving a horse for more than 4 - 5 hours without any hay.

I prefer to feed a mix of haylage and hay substitute such as HiFi, or Happy hoof.

 

[Theresa_F]

[ QUOTE ]
The yard where I do my BHS training don't give any forage to allot of their horses for through the night

[/ QUOTE ]

May I suggest you find somewhere that actually knows horses - anyone who does this has not got a clue about how a horse feeds.

God knows what else you are being taught!

 

[Sooty]

Is it on a straw bed? Maybe it just eats its bed...

 

[Santa_Claus]

woman at my yard does it as she fears her horse will become too fat. She gives it 2 or 3 slices of hay when it comes in at 4pm these are normally completly gone by 6pm especially as the hay is fed loose on the floor instead of in nets. The result is horse has nothing between 6pm and 8am when it is turned out.

It has been raised with her and YO but YO says owners choice and Owner is putting belly size over fact it could potentially be harmful to horse due to fact they are trickle feeders. Currently horse does seem fine, but it constantly boots the door VERY loudly when me and other liveries are down during the week in order to try and get us to give her something. I hate to see it but nothing I can do, other than bring it up every so often with the owner.

 

[Jemayni]

I always give my horse a large haynet at night, and would never do otherwise.

However just wondered what your thoughts are about the day... In the summer my horse is out for about 18 hours a day, and comes in 9-2 I dont give him any hay during this time - mainly because hes fat but also because he just sleeps when I bring him in during the day.....

Do you give yours hay always during the day aswell?

 

[Tempi]

Id never leave a horse without hay at night.........

 

[UKa]

it is simple for me: whenever the horse is in the stable there will be hay to eat - full stop. they dont make a difference between day and night as they live totally different waking and sleeping patterns from us!!!

 

[magic104]

Now this is many years ago, but I am sure that some people fed a mix of straw & hay to ponies that were prone to putting on weight. This way they could be sure the pony had enough forage, & they were only given chaff (again chopped hay & straw) with a few carrotts & vits, along with a mineral lick. No actual hard feed and lots of exercise.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Well mine has about half a bale of hay per night. Poor cob oposite has about 3lbs of hay and is in from 17:00hrs to 08:00hrs (later at weekends) and has a shavings bed, so has nothing from 18:00hrs onwards, poor little sole, no wonder he is soooo grumpy. Have discussed with his owner, but she says it is coz he is a good doer.

 

[magic104]

PS just did a search to see if straw is still fed & found this which is quiet interesting; (For those fatties!!)

Do not starve your horse - Commonly owners are led to believe that they should starve a pony with laminitis, but would you starve an ill person? It is vital that the pony with laminitis receives a fibrous diet supplemented with minerals and vitamins to keep their metabolism working. By restricting fibre intake too much you may risk inducing hyperlipaemia. This occurs when high levels of fat are released into blood in response to starvation and can be fatal.
• Give them a high fibre diet – It is a good idea to have your hay analysed to establish its feed value (Dodson and Horrell offer a forage testing service for a small fee). If your hay was found to have a high feed value, you could try soaking it for 12 hours before feeding it. This will “leach” some of the energy from the hay - thereby helping to reduce your horse’s calorie intake. Another method of providing a high fibre, low calorie diet, which can help to control weight gain, is to “dilute” the hay with good quality oat straw (50:50). However, feeding straw is not advised for horses with dental problems because straw is coarser and less digestible then hay and does require thorough chewing. Straw is also not advised for horses prone to colic.
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