help guys

[horses4lf]

i need some help with my feeding to he horse quiz :o ( im allowed to read and ask enything by the way:D im not cheeting)

what are the two main food groups for your pony
list for things to conside when deciding what to feed your pony
on averge percenttage of yu ponies dite is spent eating
what is condition soring
if your older pony is losing weight what can you do to stop this happening
why would you feed you pony devils claw root
what is the max amont of hard feed your pony sould have in 1 meal in kg
why is forge and fibre essential to ponies winter feed

if you could help my feed quiz i would be very happy :)

[Goldie'sGirl]

Haha I was just going to make a post on this, so I'll bump yours up for you instead :D
~GG~

[bellazebra]

what are the two main food groups for your pony : Forage (eg hay, grass) and Concentrates (eg pony nuts, mixes, etc)
list for things to conside when deciding what to feed your pony : Age, height, type, workload, lifestyle, temperament, ability of the rider, current condition.
on averge percenttage of yu ponies dite is spent eating : Most of it! 18 hours a day, I seem to remember.
what is condition soring : A system used to judge how much condition a horse has. I think it goes from a 0 to a 9. 0 is emaciated - 9 is grossly obese.
if your older pony is losing weight what can you do to stop this happening : Have his teeth checked to make sure he can eat okay, and make sure he is wormed. Have a vet check him over to make sure the problem isn't internal. Otherwise, keep him warm, feed him little and often, and make sure it is all suitable for him to eat (eg nice and moist and mushy if the old teeth are a bit knackered!)
why would you feed you pony devils claw root
what is the max amont of hard feed your pony sould have in 1 meal in kg : Depends on the horse's height and weight and all the other things listed above. I think it is a maximum of 2.5% of the horse's weight at a time.
why is forge and fibre essential to ponies winter fee : Because they are naturally easy to digest, keep weight on, and help keep your pony fat and furry and warm all winter long.

[DailyNhtly]

What are the two main food groups for your pony?
Equines require a diet mainly consisting of forage, some will have concentrates added as well.

Things to conside when deciding what to feed your pony?
Age, general health, current diet, training regimen, end goals

Percentage your ponies spend eating?
Horses are foraging animals and will only sleep a few hours a night, leaving the rest of the time to forage. They should have access to forage 24-7 and will hardly 'overload' themselves on such feed. Many domestic horses that are allowed to eat multiple, small meals are in overall better conditions than their pasturemates that are only fed once or twice a day.

What is condition scoring?
I assume you mean "scoring"...
The Henneke Scoring system is used as an objective way to score an equine's body condition. It covers 6 major parts of the horse, using a visual and physical (hands on) appraisal. It is usually judged by a group of people where the average score is used. The scale goes from 1 to 9, with 1 considered a horse in poor health, emaciated with no body fat. The opposite extreme, a 9, rates a horse as extremely fat or obese. In US Courts, the Henneke Scale has been used to uphold seizure cases. The ideal score is a 5, but +/- a few points is acceptable.

If your older pony is losing weight, what can you do?
Older horses lose weight, it's natural. What you need to be concerned about is excessive weight loss, or loss that will put your horse or pony at risk in their current use. Teeth, digestive issues and other diseases (e.g.) Cushings can all have an effect on how well (or how poorly) horses metabolize their food. If you are unable to control your horse's weight with help from your vet and common supplements, you may want to consult a nutrionist as well as running additional tests to pinpoint a diagnosis so that you know how to proceed.

Why would you feed you pony devils claw root?
Devil's claw is thought by some to be a natural remedy or treatment for arthritis. I know of no scientifically valid experiments with such data.

What is the max amount of hard feed your pony should have in 1 meal?
By hard, I'll assume you mean concentrates...
I prefer that my horses are fed multiple, small meals, however, I would never feed more than a total of 50% concetrates, and that would only be for an animal that was under an extreme conditioning regimen. In terms of exactly one meal, it will of course depend upon the individual horse and the concentrate itself. Some provide hot calories, other cooler. Fiber and fat are an issues, etc etc. Unless I were given details on a specific horse and specific feed, I cannot answer this question.

Why is forage and fiber essential to ponies' winter feed?
Forage is essential to any equine's diet for all 12 months. An increase in fat and calories are essential prior to (and during) the winter months to allow the horse to build up fat deposits and grow a suitable winter coat to keep them warm throughout the colder temperatures.

[Bay Mare]

what are the two main food groups for your pony

My horse is on a forage diet with a couple of 'succulents' a day (aka apples). Some people feed hard feed/cereals but they are not a 'natural' part of the diet.

list for things to conside when deciding what to feed your pony

Age, condition, work load, general health and health concerns (eg laminitis, cushings), what you are feeding for.

on averge percenttage of yu ponies dite is spent eating

About 18 hours a day which is why they should have ad-lib access to hay if they're kept in

what is condition soring

What DailyNhtly said :)

if your older pony is losing weight what can you do to stop this happening

Increase hay rations, look at how you're rugging them, maybe keep them in at night. Maybe add some oil to their diet or linseed. It's normal for an older pony to lose weight/condition so you may not be able to keep them in the same condition as if they were a 12 year old. You also need to look at any health concerns, make sure that their teeth are checked regularly etc.


why would you feed you pony devils claw root

Again what DailyNhtly said :)


what is the max amont of hard feed your pony sould have in 1 meal in kg

None! Most horses/ponies don't NEED hard feed. My mare survives very well and in fact is much, much better on just forage.

If you're feeding hard feed it depends on the horse's weight and also the amount of work that he's doing. Essentially you feed a total feed of 2% of bodyweight (2.5% if you need to put weight on) and about 20-25% hard feed for a horse in light work.


why is forge and fibre essential to ponies winter feed

Forage is the number one feed for keeping/putting weight on. It is also important because it keeps the digestive system 'oiled' and healthy. Forage is the feed that horses and ponies were evolved to eat. They did not evolve to eat cereals and mixes.