Winter grass

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figgy

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I've got my two boys on a lovely big 6 acre field, there is still loads of grass but they hang around when I'm there for hay,
I don't give them any but feel bad.
Does anyone feed hay when there is alot of grass ?
My boy's are out for about 12 hours and in of a night with plenty of hay.
 
No; but then mine are very easy keepers. Here's a useful formula: A. If horse is a good weight then there is no need to do anything different. B. If horse is tubby, then feed less hay at night. C. If horse is thin, feed more and also possibly give hay in field.

If your horses are A or B there is no need to feel bad at all.
 
I have 3 on 7 acres of good grass out 24/7. They are getting any hay and won't for some time yet, unless it's snows. They don't actually hang about for any yet though. Eat their token feed and go back grazing. Don't feel bad!
 
We have tons of grass also, our cob is coming in at night to keep her off it a bit. For some reason our YO gives the two boys who stay out in the field a haynet each overnight - they hardly touch it so it's pointless imo. I wouldn't worry if they're a good weight :)
 
i always try to have a little hay on offer even if it isn’t really eaten. Currently have 4 shetlands and a highland on about 4 acres with plenty of rough grass, I chuck a slice or 2 out in the evening and for the most part so far this year it isn’t eaten.. as soon they start to eat it all and look for it i’ll feed hay properly.
 
It's been pretty warm so the grass isn't dying off just yet. I would follow Cortez's formula!! Mine are all good doers and no hay yet :)
 
The only time I put hay out is if there is snow on the ground, mine would still prefer to scrape the snow away and eat the grass though if they can find some. I have so much grass at the moment that I'm still strip feeding but mine are in at night with a haynet. However, mine will hang about by the gate in the late afternoon and ask to come in.
 
mine are chest deep in grass (seriously you could lose a 13hh pony in it) and when i went home at lunch to teach, Bruce and Fig STILL came cannonballing over looking starved and upset. I ignored them and they went back to eating...........if they are fat and shiny and there is long grass visible, i doubt they need hay :)
 
Thanks all.
Both boys are good weight...they only hang around when I'm there,they go off when I'm gone.
The big one called me when I went in the field poo pick...like he wanted food. Fat boy lol
 
figgy said:
The big one called me when I went in the field poo pick...like he wanted food. Fat boy lol
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They have you trained :)

Wise words from Cortez, I don't think you can go far wrong with that advice :)

I purposely keep my fields grazed down and they have hay available at all times 24/7 all year round.
The mares (one good doer, one very bad doer) choose what they want to eat, when they want it.

Our grass is just waiting to die at this time of year, there is little to no value in it.
 
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agree that horses have you trained! my mare knows I equal food!!! so even recognizes my car!
my 4 have switched to in at night, as although they have about 10 acres it has very little in it. they were fine out over night until November really, when they started loitering, waiting to come in.
even in october, when they were in they never finished their hay, as full enough, but now they polish off every scrap
 
Enfys said:
Our grass is just waiting to die at this time of year, there is little to no value in it.
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I wish mine was, I swear its still growing. I have 2 on 2 acres of rough grazing and they're still putting on weight. I had them in overnight last night for the weather and they weren't much interested in the hay, though it was gone in the morning.
 
laura_nash said:
I wish mine was, I swear its still growing. I have 2 on 2 acres of rough grazing and they're still putting on weight. I had them in overnight last night for the weather and they weren't much interested in the hay, though it was gone in the morning.
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Me too, I am also still strip grazing - ridiculous!
 
We never used to feed fodder to field horses until there was little or no grass left, and often that wouldn't be until after Christmas. Mine are still on plenty of grass and we have two fields left yet, so other than carrier feeds for supplements they are getting nothing. Interestingly the one who had fat pads and laminitis is now out on longish grass (and 1mg Prascend) and is still ribby after about three weeks on as much of the stuff as he wants - I really think piling on the weight is as much about metabolism as supply of grass, unless the grass is very short and stressed.
 
We've got a ton of grass but are putting nets out for them,it's more because they live out 24/7 & we like to keep them in the habit of coming over to be civilised & have some hay! Think they like it for a bit of a change as well. It's obvious when it's been colder at night as where the hay is it's very sheltered & the colder it is the more likely they are to stand eating hay. Mines also a very poor doer so I'm happy if he comes & eats some.
 
I have plenty of grass left, and some more to extend into through winter. I'm putting out a token half a net tipped out in piles on the floor in a morning and they get a little bit at night as well (they get this all year). They always choose to eat it, even if they go away and then come back to finish it. If the weather has been very wet I like them to have something drier, and if it's been very dry I wet it more. This was on the advice of my instructor, who dos the same for her horses, and they do seem to appreciate that bit of variety in the type of forage they're getting. It helps my gelding when it comes colder because he's not such a good doer, and in summer it distracts the mare a bit from the grass which tends to make her rather bloated.
 
Our two have just gone into an 8 acre field that has only been grazed by a few sheep so has lots of grass in it. In fact it has so much grass that during the day they go back into their old field which has been grazed down, or they'd get too fat. No hay as of yet, though I'm sure they'd be delighted to have it if we offered it too them! Horses are greedy, they always seem to think they ought to have more food!
 
Ours are in at night now and out on plenty of grass during the day. However, by 3 pm they are well ready to come in and hungry for their hay. If they were out longer then I would be feeding hay in the field. I usually throw them a bit at bringing in time to help dampen the rush to come in!
 
I am another who is strip grazing still and all mine are out 24/7 my two who are hunting & worked every day have a hard feed but def no hay
 
No hay for the Shetlands...they are knee deep in grass.
My 2 horses have plenty of grass but I do leave hay in the shelter for them to pick at as and when ...usually after their token feed.
 
Mine are currently in electric fenced onto a decent piece of winter grazing - neither is thin. Despite this there is a clear path under the tape where they stretch to reach the other side and when I looked out my window this morning, horses gone! We've just spent a small fortune fencing our land so was pretty worried. They'd busted through the only patch of fencing we hadn't redone as it's not ours (we border a farm and they have a small corner section that needs doing) and were happily grazing with their cows. The grass is always greener I guess!!
 
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