who feeds a small (very small) token feed before riding, if the horse is hungry!?

[MrsMozartletoe]

Ours always have grass or hay or feed, or combination thereof.

Used to have to give LC a handful of something in his bucket before he worked, otherwise he was a majory grumpy g!t.

 

[RolyPolyPony]

I sometimes give my boy a small feed before we go out for a ride. To be totally honest though, we dont do much other than plod around at the moment, he then munches on hay when we get back (as it's usually on the floor from before we left as he is always offered this as well as his feed). His previous loaner also did this and we've never had any problems. It also stops him rushing home towards end of the hack! The grazing in his field isnt that great now, so i see no difference from him having been stuffing his face with grass (in summer etc) or even hay, to having a feed before a ride if he hasnt been stuffing his face (i put hay etc out after we've ridden)

 

[humblepie]

I used to with the old horse if riding early as otherwise as he was expecting breakfast and others would be being fed. It would just be a handful of chaff and a handful of mix to keep him happy.

 

[Orangehorse]

It is OK to feed forage before exercise - hay, grass, etc. But not cereals as they are digested in a different part of the gut and the horse needs time to digest or there is a risk of colic.

Well this is the explanation I was given. And think how hard endurance horses work - continous trotting and cantering for hours and they need feeding at vet stops and they can't wait an hour for it to digest.

 

[mystiandsunny]

I feed hay/haylage whilst tacking up.

 

[Cedars]

Our mare always has, on vet advice, a big handful of chaff before any exercise, and straight after - to combat her ulcers. xx