Riding a hungry horse

[peanut]

Does anyone else's horse get really stroppy when ridden in the evening when they know it should be supper time?

On work days, I have to ride him in the evenings but it's almost pointless because he's so bad tempered and it's a nightmare to get him to work. Ride during the day and he's a different horse.

 

[_OC_]

Yep...my lovely TB mare was the grumpy,uncooperative,difficult,moody mare to be ridden in the evenings.....throw in a few flies on a hot Summers evening and forget riding.......I used to give her a small net before riding or a handful of chaff would be a completely different horse!

 

[CheziBrown]

Yes my horse is the same, so I give him a pretend breakfast or tea of a few carrots and a handful of chop. I always make sure he's had a munch on some haylage before I ride.

 

[AmyMay]

I tend not to ride a hungry horse - I just dont' think it's fair.

If they are comming in hungry from lack of grass, then I would give it some hay to munch on - then ride an hour or so later.

 

[peanut]

[ QUOTE ]
I tend not to ride a hungry horse - I just dont' think it's fair.

If they are comming in hungry from lack of grass, then I would give it some hay to munch on - then ride an hour or so later.

[/ QUOTE ]

He has adlib hay in the field so he's not starving, but mentally he knows it's supper time!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
He has adlib hay in the field so he's not starving, but mentally he knows it's supper time!

[/ QUOTE ]
Then he's just having a strop because his normal routine is disrupted - different scenario.

 

[khan]

mine get really grumpy too and i really have to push them on, so always give some hay first, although they are living out now anyway and getting loads to eat, its as if they've discussed it and i'm being completely unreasonable - lol!

 

[Storminateacup]

Give a small haynet and a pretend dinner, Alfa A and a few carrots. That's what i always do with Jack.
He associates me with a pleasant experience that way, and he still gets his proper dinner afterwards.

 

[peanut]

Thank you everyone. Yes, I shall try giving a small pretend supper and hope that helps!

 

[ladyt25]

I am weak and feed them first (they are out 24/7 so they don't get much hard feed, it's more psychological!), i have a haynet tied up for them too whilst am grooming.

Otherwise they seem so stroppy (but maybe that's me just thinking that - who knows). I just give in too easily maybe?! They are not getting hammered though just going for a hack to keep them ticking over during the week steadily trying to get them fitter.

 

[DuckToller]

I was told by a horse nutritionist at a lecture evening that short feed is only in their stomachs for a maximum of 20 minutes. So I give my ponies a small feed of cubes, and by the time the kids have groomed, tacked up and faffed about the cubes are on their way back out, so to speak! Much happier ponies to ride and they get the rest of the feed when home.

 

[Gorgeous George]

George used to get in a tis if I had to ride just before tea time, so now if this happens I give him a handful of hi-fi and a carrot and he is quite happy!

 

[Kenzo]

I suppose you have to decide if he is really is hungry or because your taking him out of his usual routine,...the one he looks forward to!, ie being caught and put into a stable with his hay net and a nice bucket feed and therefore throwing his teddys out of the pram so to speak.

Obviously I can sympathize with your horse if he is genuinely hungry but surely he should not be put into the position where he's starving (feeling extremely hungry) and only most of his food intake is done during the night, in which case you really need to put some hay out or alter how he's kept with a few simple changes. I know its hard though as we cant always cater for our horses every need if there kept at livery etc

Perhaps a hay net for him to much on for half an hour while your do your grooming/yard duties etc so your compromising, if its a case of not being totally famished then he has got to learn that this behavior does not get him anywhere, never give in and let him return to his stable where he can tuck in to his bucket feed, some horses are clever little so and so's.

If you an alter the times of when he gets his bucket feed?, routine works for some horses and can cause problems for others. My horse went through a bit of a nappy stage in the ménage because he got used to the fact once he's finished, it was back to his stable and feed time after he'd cooled off but instead he just had to settle for a huge haynet to his sheer dissapointment and have his feeds at a different times to keep him second guessing....penny dropped after a while and he's fine since, sometimes he has it a morning, sometimes evening, sometimes not at all! (but not very often).

Worth a try.