Quick sense check..

[Michen]

I have a connemara who I would like to get quite a bit leaner before the end of winter/spring hits. He’s turned out 8 hours a day on good grass (never hungry to come in).

He was on haylage but I’ve swapped him onto hay. He’s really not keen on it, it’s green and he just picks at it. He’s on a straw bed so I suspect he’s eating more of that than anything. He’s not yet actually dropping any weight though!

Would you persist with feeding him the hay he doesn’t want to eat, even if he’s then potentially only eating straw or even not eating anything for 16 hours (though he is pooing plenty so he must be!)?

Obviously if I wasn’t keen on him loosing weight I’d be swapping the forage for something he would definitely eat!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

When I wanted my mre to drop weight, I gave her a measured amount of hay and plenty of plain oat straw chaff. The only concession I made was to split the hay into 3 meals, one when she came in at dusk, one about 7.30pm and another at last checks. If she didn't want to eat the chaff, fine, it was available. I would take the same line with your horse

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

If he's not dropping weight, I'd stick with the hay. If you've got grass still (lucky you!) then he's likely not that hungry, and eating his straw bed shouldn't do him any harm..

 

[Michen]

If he's not dropping weight, I'd stick with the hay. If you've got grass still (lucky you!) then he's likely not that hungry, and eating his straw bed shouldn't do him any harm..

He is saying he’s hungry (pathetic whinnies when I put Boggles haylage in next door!) but there is definitely plenty of grass, he’s not bothered about coming in in the evenings at all.

If he drops weight I guess I’d still continue with the hay as that’s the aim after all..?

 

[Red-1]

I would continue as you are, as he needs to lose weight, if he leaves hay then give it to the other one the next day. They always seem to like someone else's hay.