Sorry... Another feeding thread but could do with some advice please.

[rose bud]

Hi everyone,
As i always get brilliant advice from this forum i just wanted to ask for some about feeding.
I have got a new pony (irish cob mare) and a shetland as a companion.
They both live out and seem to be good doers.
Over the winter my mare will probably only be hacked out at weekends, so very light work.
What is best to feed, if anything??
I put hay in the field but it is only the last couple of days that they have started eating it as there must have been enough grass.
Her previous owners only fed her after exercise as a treat.
My main concern is that i want her to be getting all her vits and mins but do not want her to have excess energy when ridden.
I would welcome advice please!

 

[ThePony]

I'd stick with the hay. If you are worried about vits and mins then you could pop a rockies block in the field then they can help themselves to what they need, without adding heaps of sugar or cals to their diet! http://www.happychicks.co.uk/mall/p...es Baby Rockie Red mineral/salt lick 2kg each

 

[MiCsarah]

Would also agree with vit & min block. Mine loves his. Also just feeding after riding is not the best of ideas as have known a few horses become ill doing this

 

[dunkley]

Hay, hay and more hay! You can give her a double handful of chop with her supplements in it without any problem and at least you know she has had it, rather than relying on a mineral block. Having said that, I'd put a mineral block in as well, to cover all bases!

 

[FoxTrotx]

He he, I'm just chuckling at the fact I made the mistake of giving my greedy warmblood a mineral lick (in a holder!!) once. She ate the entire thing overnight
Not in anyway saying mineral blocks are a mistake, I actually think they're great to be used along side lots of hay. (Just beware of piggy horses )

 

[rose bud]

Thankyou for the advice so far.
I was wondering about feeding her dengie good - doer as it is complete so she would be getting all vits and mins, but am just scared of her having too much energy as we are not doing much work at the moment.
Maybe a lick would be good, but don't really want a mollassed one.

 

[Hedwards]

Why not look at giving her a 'lite' balancer, they will provide nutrients etc and shouldnt add any excess energy... I'd recommend the Top Spec Lite balancer, Spillers Lite balancer or Baileys No. 14 Low Cal balancer.

 

[be positive]

Dengie do a stable lick that is not really molassed, I found it better than the field lick that mine would not use, they recommend that it will last 2 weeks in the field but I found it lasted longer even with 2 sharing, they did only take a little at a time.

 

[Bertolie]

My 18 year old welsh cob - 14.3 really good doer - only hacked at weekends at moment, gets Baileys Lo-Cal (No. 14) and a small handful of Dengie Good-Doer plus hay. It doesn't give him too much energy and doesn't put the weight on him either. Since using it he looks in great condition.

 

[Orangehorse]

Unless she starts to loose too much weight then I wouldn't give her anything other than the hay and the mineral lick. Don't worry about weight loss - I don't mean getting thin! - as horses are suppose to loose weight in the winter.