Safe & Sound..how much to feed nf in light work

[gordysgirl]

As the title says really!
An owner on our yard is feeding her 4yr old new forest obscene amounts of it.
He is probably worked once a fortnight!!!
In stubbs scoop kind of terms how much do you reckon he should get a day.
He is out during day, in at night with ad lib hay.
Oh BTW did try looking at packaging but she has conveniently removed section with amounts to feed on!!:D

[Mimi + Me]

Is the Stubbs scoop one of those round ones? (Sorry not being very scientific here :o)

I'm guessing the pony is no more than 14 hh so I'd say between a third and a half of a scoop twice a day. As long as he's getting plenty of forage that should be ample. I would have thought it's also probably costing her quite a lot if she's giving him that much, as it's quite expensive.

[shandy84]

Safe and sound does require that you feed large quantities, it is because it is not a concentrate so you need to feed more of it to get the same results.

Have you tried asking the owner? Why are you checking her stuff? Seems a bit odd really, is the horse very very overweight?

My NF is 13.2/3hh and gets

3 x round scoops beet pulp
2 x round scoops conditioning nuts
2 x round scoops of barley rings
vit supplement.

There is no real stedfast answer to what to feed a NF because each is an individual.

[gordysgirl]

Have you tried asking the owner? Why are you checking her stuff? Seems a bit odd really, is the horse very very overweight?

There is no real stedfast answer to what to feed a NF because each is an individual.

Its not odd, she is a fairly novice owner who is totally soft & just thinks pony needs full bucket or she feels guilty! Pony was EXTREMLEY fat last year & this year he needs to go into spring a bit leaner.
She asked me to keep an eye on what she is feeding so I am.

I was just after a rough approximation really, he is 14hh, doing next to no work.
She probably gives him at least 4 scoops a day, plus a lick, plus as much hay as he'll eat. Oh & vit supplement as well.

[gordysgirl]

Is the Stubbs scoop one of those round ones? (Sorry not being very scientific here :o)

I'm guessing the pony is no more than 14 hh so I'd say between a third and a half of a scoop twice a day. As long as he's getting plenty of forage that should be ample. I would have thought it's also probably costing her quite a lot if she's giving him that much, as it's quite expensive.

Thanks, yeh stubbs scoop is one of the round ones!!
That is probably what I would have said. Really he needs nothing other than his vit supplement & hay but she thinks he needs it (more to stop her feeling guilty!).

[AlexNI]

Really he needs nothing other than his vit supplement & hay but she thinks he needs it (more to stop her feeling guilty!).

Absolutely!! :D He is a native pony, designed to live on next to nothing. Perhaps you could some articles about overfeeding online to print off to show her. Otherwise I'd guess she'll be looking at a lami case when the grass comes through.

[shandy84]

tell mine that :rolleyes: maybe get her to ask her vet :)

[gordysgirl]

Good idea...will try & find some articles!
She's not bad just ignorant! And it frustrates the days out of me cos no matter what you advise she totally ignores it out of guilt to her starving pony!

[shandy84]

Sounds like if the pony is chubby it could do with being on basic chaff with small vit supplement then she wont need to feed the quantities, pleanty of low grade hay will be fine if not having huge bucket feed :)

[gordysgirl]

I reckon she's convinced herself that as Safe&Sound is safe for laminitics its therefore ok to feed in vast quantities bless her! Have found a bag with recommended quantities on so will measure it out with her & see what we find!
Thanks for the replies.:)

[SO1]

I have a 14h NF and he only gets 1 1/2 stubbs scoop of Baileys Meadow mix a WEEK that is a week not a day :eek:and is out 24/7 on bad grazing and gets some hay once a day prob 2 slices at most and I am struggling to keep the weight off and he is worked 3 times a week moderately hard as well ;)

Think it depends on the pony though. Just because something is low cal does not mean they can stuff themselves and not get fat but like if you ate a 100 low fat yoghurts a day you would prob put on weight!

This is my forester - is the forest in question fatter than him!

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee4/saskiao/homey2004.jpg

[mogadoga]

Id say estimate or better still get his approx weight and weigh the feed. If she asked you too then speak to her :)

[Jorrocks]

In my experience it only needs ad lib hay and bugger all else. IF it started loosing weight I would and some hifi light. Avoiding turning it out on stressed grass ie, early morning and freshly mown stuff. Personally I feel we as horse owners have our pets far too fat than they should naturally be.

[Pink's lady]

um, about a handful a day to get a supplement in?

If she's a novice owner it should be quite easy to frighten her with laminitis into giving him much less food. She should be aiming to have him skinny by next months (although that's unlike if he's fat right now).

If she won't listen to you why not get her to ask her vet (even get the vet out) or maybe tell a white lie and say the vet who was out recently for your horses says he's fat and needs xyz.