Rant

[Lucy_Ally]

Feel free to ignore.

I have just been lectured about 'starving' my horse. Bearing in mind she is overweight and 1/2 native she is being strip grazed on this:

Now I know there is not much - but there is some, however she is cutting it up due to the amount of rain we have and there so happens to be a natural spring in my bit of the field

This is what is in the other side:

So equivalent to dairy pasture. I have been told that this is less nutritious than waht she is on at the moment as it is longer

and that she won't get laminitis because only ponies get that (basic ignorance). When I suggested that I supplement her with hay I was told this is more nutritious than the spring grass in the fields

despite the fact that her hay is last years crop. I was told to bring her in and give her nothing, which I said I wouldn't do.

The horse is hungry I agree, however I don't think she is unhappy and she is still overweight despite limiting her grazing. Spring would be happiest up to her belly in lush grass but I am afraid that ain't going to happen! She is supplemented with a good feed of happy hoof plus vit/min and gets given a couple of feet of extra grazing every few days.

I am not a clueless horse owner and I have had to manage fatties before, I am also a farmers daughter and know a thing or two about grazing and nutrition (I also have a bloomin' equine science degree

).

I think she is most upset about the field being cut up, but the fact is I was promised the whole field and would have been able to rotate her off the soggy bit she is on, but it is now being shared with another horse so effectively I have 1/2 what I was promised.

Grrrr!

Feels better to have vented though!

 

[Twilight]

Stick to your guns. Your field looks similar to ours, this rain has not helped matters. Laminitis is deffinately worth avoiding. My old lady came down with it last year and we are now paranoid about grass. Much better a muddy field and a slightly hungry pony than a very sad and sorry one.

 

[Tia]

So long as Spring is getting plenty of fibre throughout the day then she should be fine. Laminitis is an awful condition so I'd always err on the side of more hay and less grass. Just make sure she has plenty of hay throughout the day and I can't see what the person is whinging about.

Who is this person? Do they own the field or something?

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Yes she is the yard owner. I look forward to the day when I can afford my own place!

Spring has plenty of fibre and her droppings look healthy. Her coat is shiny and she has bags of energy so I really don't feel she is being hard-done-by! She is just greedy and would much rather be on the other side of the fence. I have had a laminitic before and do not want to go down that road again!

If this blasted rain would go away and the sun come out properly then some of that grass would burn off and I would be a bit happier about her having some more - but not while it is as lush as that!

 

[Shilasdair]

I sympathise but stick to your guns. Or ask sweetly if you can strip graze her onto another area. The real guide to a horse's nutrition is how THEY look, not how the field looks.
And if she has to do a bit of field maintenance...well that is what you pay LIVERY for!
S

 

[Foxford]

Perhaps she would like to speak to my vet who has been visiting our laminitic for the last couple of weeks... He's 16.2 by the way (1/2 native)! First ever attack and hopefully the last. Yes, stick to you guns. You horse sounds fine with what she is getting.

 

[sarahebradshaw]

It looks fine to me. The most important factor is your horses health. Its really difficult to manage a good doer if you dont have the understanding of your YO. I have come across this issue before in previous yards much to my frustration........Its not an uncommon occurance within the livery industry.

 

[Capriole]

my YO thought she was being helpful when she told us she was opening up a new field, not been grazed for 3 years and is waist high lushness, but she took it well when i told her it was no good, so now she's using it for hay and everyones happy

 

[MagicMo]

Stick to what you are doing, the comments your YO have made are nonsense.

You are doing the right thing. I have very good doers and I have spent a lot of time discussing this issue with my vet so feel I can say that with confidence.

If you feel she needs more bulk while she is out soak some hay for 12 hours and put that out for her. It will fill her up without having much feed value.

 

[GlamourDol]

Only just seent his but am going to reply anyway!
Your Y/o is a Pratt!!!
Having seen how S went to night, it is fairly obvious she is benifitting from a bit of weight loss and fitness.
There is no way you could say she is starved, and perhaps the Y/o needs to come and have a proper look at her and see how good she looks.
Ignore her L, u know what you are doing and you have a very happy (if not a bit tired tonight) and healthy horse!
x

 

[Capriole]

i know how you feel! some vandal came into our back field at weekend, broke the ball cock in the water trough so it flooded, and let 7 horses into a huge and luch hay meadow, b**sta*rds