Hungry Hoss??

[nelle]

The saga of Sonny's feeds continues (sigh) ...

He's a good doer, on 24/7 turnout at the mo and my RI scored him as a 4 about 2 weeks ago. He's in a field of about an acre with an old shetland and a TB.

The TB and Shetland get a huge feed in front of him as do the ponies in the paddock next door - he gets very worked up during this time. Sonny gets his Baileys Low Cal Balancer and an apple later in the day when I'm back from work. Compared to the size of the meal that the others get its pathetic by anyones standards. When he's fed he bolts it down and looks for more and snatches at the grass as we're walking from the field to the yard BUT he is holding his weight.

YO doesn't think I feed him enough anyway, but now I'm in a quandry 'cos I don't know what to give him. If I buy hi-fi light to pad out his balancer he'll only be getting a couple of handfuls at the most, which is hardly likely to fill him up.

Is he likely to be hungry or is he just cross because he's not being fed at the same time as the others? How do I know?? I feel like I'm being a really mean mummy!

[nelle]

Bump - any ideas anyone??

He acts like he's starving, but isn't loosing weight. What can I feed him to satisfy his hunger without piling on the pounds!!

[Joyscarer]

I don;t see how a horse out on enough grass can be hungary as such just fed up because others are eating when he isn't.

There is a chaff even lower in cals than the Hi Fi Lite and that's the Good Doer one.

My understanding is that it has less in it than grass does so you can feed as much of that to pad out what you give him as you like. :)

[nelle]

Oooh okay thank you.

If I gave him the Good Doer, would he still need his balancer??

[Fizz]

jay is out at grass, gets 2 feeds a day & is still hungry:rolleyes:

i would feed a bit more of the chaff [ happy hoof or good doer] & still feed the balancer:)

[Joyscarer]

jay is out at grass, gets 2 feeds a day & is still hungry:rolleyes:

i would feed a bit more of the chaff [ happy hoof or good doer] & still feed the balancer:)


If how you have been feeding has been working then I agree. Bulk up with the chaff but stick with what you have been doing :)

[Widget]

Maybe the person feeding the others could give him a bucket of chaff at the same time? If he isnt dropping weight he is probably p'eed off that he is left out.

[nelle]

Thanks, I think I will try him with the Good Doer and see how it goes.

[KAB]

Nelle, have you ever worked out how much he should be eating for his height and workload?

I did that last year, and it worked out really well for Taz. Sonny is a good doer like Taz - I bet he is just being greedy. Taz will eat, and eat, and eat if given the chance.

I have got a diary that works out the quantity if you want me to help.

[Sexy Sietske]

Maybe he is just greedy, the grass is always greener on the other side ;)

[nelle]

Nelle, have you ever worked out how much he should be eating for his height and workload?

I did that last year, and it worked out really well for Taz. Sonny is a good doer like Taz - I bet he is just being greedy. Taz will eat, and eat, and eat if given the chance.

I have got a diary that works out the quantity if you want me to help.

Well last winter I fed the hi-fi light at the recommended quantity (can't remember what it was exactly, but it was a lot), he ballooned and was a nutter!!

On RI advice I cut it back to two handfulls, his balancer and 1.5% body weight of hay per day. He lost a lot of weight, and went into Spring a tad underweight which was good because then he could afford to put on a bit when the lush grass eventually came through.

However, I constantly get conflicting advice from YO and RI who have differing ideas about feeding. YO seems to give hers a lot of hard feed and tells me I don't feed enough. Then when I feed more RI tells me I'm feeding too much and to cut it back.

Now I'm confused because although he does seem hungry he isn't underweight / loosing weight.

Sorry I'm waffling, I would appreciate some help working out what he should be getting for his workload / height - thanks very much.

He's 14.2 and going by the Dengie website he is in light work.

[KAB]

I have PM`d you.

I forgot to add, I fed Taz Chaff and cubes last year in the format I have sent you. He also had his hay too. x

[Pink's lady]

He might be hungrey - the grass is starting to get poor now.

But being hungry and not getting enough calories isn't the same thing!

Why not give him a leaf of hay when the others get fed - it'll be less energy they more hi-fi and last longer.

[Kerpug]

Oh KAB could you PM it me too please :)

I feed Harry Dengie good-doer and i think its baileys lo-cal horse and pony cubes with 2 x large haynets of hay. He only has grass through summer puts on a considerable amount of weight.

But come the winter he does lose weight so i start to feed evening food when he is stabled which is usually mid-november and he gets 2 x handfulls of good-doer, half handful cubes in treat ball with a couple of carrots & 2 haynets. When it gets really cold and grass is just more of a mud bath he then will show if he's still hungary by trying to swipe at grass without any luck!! I then will give him breakfast of 1xhandful of good-doer and 1xcarrot. Also if he has to stay in during day he has 1 x haynet.

So would be interesting what the correct calculations are:)

[KAB]

Kerpug, what height is your boy? I will then PM it to you. :)

[KAB]

Oh and also workload, Light medium or heavy. Light is i hour walking daily. Medium is walking, trotting and some cantering daily and hard work is 1 day event training or competing.

[Kerpug]

Oh and also workload, Light medium or heavy. Light is i hour walking daily. Medium is walking, trotting and some cantering daily and hard work is 1 day event training or competing.

Ok he's 15.1 and i'd say he's in light work cos i ride him prob about 4 times week with walk, trot and abit of canter but depends for how long on how long babysitters can sit for!! Usually min of 40 mins but more if can so thats light isn't it?:confused: Thanks

[nelle]

He might be hungrey - the grass is starting to get poor now.



Down here it is still quite lush as we've had rain and then warm, sunny weather. But as there are 3 horses in 1 acre there probably isn't enough to keep them all going.

[KAB]

Kerpug - just PM`d you the details. :)