What weight haynet

[GLEEK]

Hi I have never bothered weighing my horses hay before and just wondered what weight haynet a 16hh ID around 550kg (she may be more that is a guess!) horse should be having? She is in no work didnt see the point in trying to get her fit for winter she will be back in work in the spring.

Thank you for any help!

 

[GLEEK]

Anyone????

 

[Dolcé]

to maintain her current weight she needs around 2% of her weight in feed (forage and hard feed, if used) so would need around 11k (241lb) a day. You need to work out what you are feeding and make an allowance for grazing then make it up in hay. You will obviously have to adjust amounts depending on how she 'does' with what you are feeding and how cold it gets as she may need a little more. You should be able to tell if she is hungry or not. We tended to feed ours (16hh+) high forage content feed twice a day and they got 4 sections of hay overnight and turnout through the day with hay in the field if needed. Last year we didn't feed most of the winter because of the set up we had but this year they will all be fed according to exact weights with hay as required and nutritionally balanced feeds.