Working out Amount of Hay to size of horses etc??

[StaceyTanglewood]

right we had to round bale our hay this year so i want to be able to make sure the horses are getting the right amount

im sure there must be some formula depending on the weight of the horse to the grazing / feed = how much hay ??

Anyone know ??

 

[Chico Mio]

Yes there is. A horse should have 10% of it's body weight as forage.

So a 500kg horse needs 10kg of hay a day.

The weight of all hay, round or small bale varies, depending on water content and compaction.

My round bales are around 250kg. I have two horses 15.2 and 16hh, neithr of whom actually weigh 500kg, but I feed them as if they were as I have no grazing and prefer them to be eating a little all the time. True forage ration wouldn't keep them busy. I would also say that I have two types of hay: lovely, fragrant, nutritious meadow hay that I fed overnight and poorer quality stuff that they have in the field all day.

A round bale lasts me about two weeks, give or take a day.

 

[TGM]

Did you mean 2%?

Personally I normally feed as much hay as they will eat unless they are overweight.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you mean 2%?

Personally I normally feed as much hay as they will eat unless they are overweight.

[/ QUOTE ]

lets just say all horses are rather on the large side/well rounded and if given 2 bales of hay would eat it !!!

i also have many liveries that think there horse should be fed over the amount they should so i want to make sure this is right going into the winter !!

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

so horses are all on good grazing during the day between 9 - 5

so this is just overnight ?? do you also have to take in the amount of hard food they also get ?

 

[Faithkat]

Try this: http://www.equine-world.co.uk/horses_care/forage_concentrate_feed_ratio.htm

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
Try this: http://www.equine-world.co.uk/horses_care/forage_concentrate_feed_ratio.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

but that does not take in grass does it ???

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

i feed mine ad lib hay but none are fatties! i go on a trial and error basis, if they have finished it all by morning i give a bit more, but if they have left some i give a little less till i find a balance, i do a late check around 10 ish and top up if req. they also have am and pm feeds and grass or grass and hay in the day. my aim is to maintain a regular weight and condition through the year! and fit for what ever job they are doing, be it hacking, jumping eventing hunting etc. its a hard one and there is no hard and fast rule, you have to find what suits your individual horse, his temperament and his work load and whether he is a fizzy one or a laid back one, and whether a greedy one who will eat til he pops or one that eats til he is full!

 

[Faithkat]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Try this: http://www.equine-world.co.uk/horses_care/forage_concentrate_feed_ratio.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

but that does not take in grass does it ???

[/ QUOTE ]

but you asked about the amount of hay . . . . .

 

[Pasha]

Well I start on the 2% and then adjust it accordingly according to how many hours out they get, so if out all day, I will give them 1% at night.... BUT if they are on the large side because the grass is good, I will reduce it and soak it so they still have something to eat

i.e. My 16hh boy weighs roughly 500kg on the weight tape (1102 lbs - my hay weight is incoviniently in lbs).
So 2% of that is 10kg (or 22lbs)
If he was on box rest and was of ideal weight, I would feed him 2 x 5kg haynets (or 2x 11lbs)

BUT he is a fatty and is out all day on restricted grazing, so he has a 6-8lb (approx 3kg) haynet of 12 hour socked hay at night!

In the winter this will increase to 10-12lbs (approx 5kg) for his night hay.

He rarely has extra hay as he isn't in work and gets turned out 1st thing, but when he is, he would normally have a 2lb haynet in the morning before being ridden so he isn't starving lol!

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Try this: http://www.equine-world.co.uk/horses_care/forage_concentrate_feed_ratio.htm

[/ QUOTE ]

but that does not take in grass does it ???

[/ QUOTE ]

but you asked about the amount of hay . . . . .

[/ QUOTE ]

i meant of a night time the horses are out grazing all day so i guess i have to take that into account?

 

[Theresa_F]

Most horses when on good grazing won't eat so much at night if they come in with full bellies.

The 17 hand clydesdale will eat 1/2 - 3/4 of a bale a day when in with no turnout or turnout on sparse grazing, but if out from 9 - 5 with good grass then 1/4 - 1/2 does her for when she is in. My 15.1 cob eats about 1/2 bale a day and about 1/4 over night on days they are out on grass.

Personally unless you have a horse that must be on a strict diet, I always like them to have hay available all the time they are in, and if not soaked it can be left in the stable until it is gone and so not wasted.

You also need to take into account, how many hours they are stood in, condition of horse and workload and the type of hay you are feeding, hence I feed rough stalky hay as mine are fairly good doers so they can eat plenty but not pile on the pounds.

Try a read of this

http://www.spillers.es/eng_Calculate.htm

Very good advice on how to calculate feeds and mentions grass being taken into the picture at the end.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
Most horses when on good grazing won't eat so much at night if they come in with full bellies.

The 17 hand clydesdale will eat 1/2 - 3/4 of a bale a day when in with no turnout or turnout on sparse grazing, but if out from 9 - 5 with good grass then 1/4 - 1/2 does her for when she is in. My 15.1 cob eats about 1/2 bale a day and about 1/4 over night on days they are out on grass.

Personally unless you have a horse that must be on a strict diet, I always like them to have hay available all the time they are in, and if not soaked it can be left in the stable until it is gone and so not wasted.

You also need to take into account, how many hours they are stood in, condition of horse and workload and the type of hay you are feeding, hence I feed rough stalky hay as mine are fairly good doers so they can eat plenty but not pile on the pounds.

Try a read of this

http://www.spillers.es/eng_Calculate.htm

Very good advice on how to calculate feeds and mentions grass being taken into the picture at the end.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is not my horses but the liveries horses i check them at around 8pm every night and most of them have a lot left in there haynets but some of them have nothing - but they are the type of horses who are ganets and just gorge themselves even though they are out on good grass all day - they get roughly 3 - 5 wedges each ! hay is grown on our fields so is very good quality x

 

[Theresa_F]

Would it be too difficult to split their hay so they get say 1/4 of the ration when they come in, and the rest of the ration at 8 pm to do them until the next day so they can not go too long without food. I appreciate it is more work in having to do two amounts of hay but it could be a solution just for those that eat very fast.

My cob can sometimes play with his hay when bored and waste it by peeing on it or mixing it with his bed. We have to stay in three days a week in winter, so he has 2 slices in the morning, another slice about 4 and then 3 - 4 slices about 8 pm to do him until 8.30 the next day when the YO goes down - I have morning livery due to work and being 30 mins drive away. This means he eats it up and does not waste it.

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
Would it be too difficult to split their hay so they get say 1/4 of the ration when they come in, and the rest of the ration at 8 pm to do them until the next day so they can not go too long without food. I appreciate it is more work in having to do two amounts of hay but it could be a solution just for those that eat very fast.

My cob can sometimes play with his hay when bored and waste it by peeing on it or mixing it with his bed. We have to stay in three days a week in winter, so he has 2 slices in the morning, another slice about 4 and then 3 - 4 slices about 8 pm to do him until 8.30 the next day when the YO goes down - I have morning livery due to work and being 30 mins drive away. This means he eats it up and does not waste it.

[/ QUOTE ]

that could work though im sure the ganets will just guzzle it in about 2 hours !!!

 

[millitiger]

why can't you just see how you go as you go along and judge it by eye?

mine are all fed ad-lib and like the poster above i judge it by what is left in the morning.
they are out on fabulous grass all day and then get about 3/4 slice of haylage (4ft bale) at teatime and if they need more at late nights they get more.

none of mine would last until 11pm on 3-5 slices of a small hay bale.