Good doers eating their beds

[nelle]

When I bought Sonny and was told he is a good doer, I thought great cheap to keep and didn't really consider it would cause any problems. In his previous home he had 1 meal of hi-fi light and pony nuts.

The last couple of weeks I've been giving him 1 scoopful of hi-fi light in the mornings with a handful of baileys low-cal balancer and when he comes in at lunchtime he has 2 scoopfuls of hi-fi light with 2 handfulls of balancer and a couple of apples thrown in. He probably has 4-5 sections of hay a day.

He eats so quickly that the hay didn't last very long, but the time I got home from work his hay rack was empty, so I started giving him half his ration of hay in the afternoons and then him the rest in the evenings. This obviously wasn't lasting all night as he started to eat his bed.

So last week I started giving him his hay in a small holed net hoping that would slow him down - it was empty when I got home from work, so again I'm splitting it, but he's still eating his bed.

He has plenty of energy, is a good weight (slightly on the heavy side) and looks healthy.

This morning my YO said compared to the other horses his breakfast is tiny and doesn't think he's getting enough to eat. She's suggested I give him a
3rd feed in the evenings of chaff and either sugar beet or pony nuts. Now I'm not keen on this because I don't think he needs the extra calories, he isn't doing an awful lot of work at the moment and as I said he has plenty of energy, I also don't want him to balloon. But on the other hand I don't want to starve him either. Is the fact that he's eating his bed a sign that he's hungry and if so what can I give him that will fill his tummy without additional calories?

Hay at the farm is rationed to 2 bales per week per horse, I'm probaby giving Sonny a bit more than his weekly ration so I can't really increase the amount of hay he's getting.

ETA - my YO has warned that if he carries on eating his bed he could develop a cough and then I'd have to change to shavings.

[skye06]

You may find that shavings will start to work out cheaper if he's eating a lot of bedding anyway. I don't think hard feed will help much as he's still going to be standing for a while with nothing in front of him o will eat his bed again. Maybe some toys in the stable that release pony nuts to keep him busy or turnips on a rope.

[Jessey]

You could maybe give a little more HiFi in his breakfast if you think he needs it, if not don't bother.

He is obviously getting enough calories from his current rations so I would opt for a bulker, try mixing some good quality oat straw in with his hay, oat straw is just bulk and very few calories. He could end up with a cough from his bed, but generally that is because of all the ammonia fumes and other nasties in the bed not the acctual bedding (straw) itself (so long as its not dusty).
Wheat and Barley straw is not as good for horses to eat - spikey heads and extra tough stems can sometimes cause colic or choke type problems.

Feeding his hay in small holes hay nets is a great way to go, even 2 nets one inside the other would slow him down a bit more.

Could you also consider getting him a feed ball, then cut up carrots and put these in instead of more hard feed. Me being terribly cruel to my fatty I also made a few bits to big to come out of the hole :o that way he could hear something in there and would spend hours trying to get that last bit - it kept him busy :p

[nelle]

Hi, thanks for the replies

Straw and hay are included in my livery fees, whereas if I buy shavings I doubt that my livery would be reduced so I'd prefer not to change over unless I have to.

I like the idea of a feed ball and my local tack shop has one in the sale so they're keeping it to one side for me until I get collect it, I can also try the turnip on the rope idea too.

Will let you know if they work!

[Jessey]

On sale, that was lucky :D

You could also try spraying something ont he bed to discourage him eating it, you can get CribOff in a solution.

[mogadoga]

Id give more hay. Id rather that than the horse not have enough. If hes a good doer cut down his actual feed. Horses are supposed to eat most the day, its natural and keeps them working properly. If hes a good doer then steaming the hay will take most of the good out so he wont get the sugars etc.

[Alfies-slave]

Horses and ponies are designed to spend about 60% of their time feeding. They are trickle feeders, having "meals" or "feeds" is totaly un natural.

If a horse or pony spends a long time without access to food chances of it developing stomach ulcers, behavioural problems and vices are vastly increased. The horses mental and physical health will suffer. This causes far more problems for a horse than being a little over weight.

If you have a good do-er the trick is to keep the flow of feed, but turn the flow down to a trickle. You can do this by making the food harder for the horse to get. This makes it last longer and aleviates boredom.

You can do this by double netting the hay in 2 small holed nets, lining hay racks with fine 1/2" weld mesh.

You can mix good quality straw in with the hay.

For a native pony it realy doesn't need anything but good hay, good turnout and a balancer or mineral lick. Very few horses NEED anything extra.

Very few natives need rugs if they have enough feed and shelter. If you use a rug for your convenience, ie to keep the pony cleaner, go for one that is nothing more than a waterproof sheet. This will help keep the weight off.

[Trewsers]

I don't like straw bedding anyway, so I'd change to shavings - much easier. Mind you a lady on our yard swears her horse eats the shavings!!! How come its rationed to two bales per week? Sounds a bit mean to me! Mind you, you can always buy more to top it up I guess. I wouldn't give any more hard feed, tho I'm not that clued up on such things. I give our pair Happy Hoof on vets advice (Storm is a VERY good doer). Is your horse out everyday?

[CurlyWurlyRach]

my horse eats her bed. i got her a snak a ball with half a scoop of pony nuts in every night, she LOVES it and its a great favorite with the children at the yard to watch her nosing and kicking it about.
Im switching to shavings as she does eat her bed and shavings work out cheaper if you consider the cost of colic surgery! (my friends horse got a rare type of colic and it cost over £5000 to try and save him - he died).

[helenc]

If hes a good doer then steaming the hay will take most of the good out so he wont get the sugars etc.

Steaming hay does not take out the goodness of it! All it does is gets rid of the dust spores etc.

If you want to get rid of the goodness then soak it for 1/2 a day!

I do agree about having more hay to eat though, I'd rather feed more hay & no hard feed!

[puzzles]

the yard may be only able to give you 2 bales aday/week or so, but you can buy more elsewhere - this, fed ad-lib, pluys toys 9i'll emntion these later) wil keep your horse busy and ehalthier, but you may find he will never stop eating his bedding entirely, or he may stop completely.
i suggest that you give him 2 haynets (or at least 1), either with small holes or two big-holed ones, one over the other - this gives him the choice between where he eats and also means less hay lasts longer, though it should be availiable all of the time.

free/cheap toy examples to keep hi occupied in the stable are;
apples bobbing in his water
stable toys to push around/chew (large synthetic dog toys can be good for this too)
hay fed little and often throughout the day
stable toys which supply feed
a baby bottle - if your stable has bars (ie on the manger) - with a peppermint solution contained, to be wedged bwtween the bars
a branch of willow/birch/chestnut to chew on and strip as he would in the wild/field
sliced fruit/veg hidden in his hay.
using baler twine, hanging fruit/veg at different heights tied to the ceilingfor him to eat.

all these are stimulating games for him, giving him choice, variety and fun too, without the calories!
good luck

[nelle]

Well I've left Sonny with his feed ball, he's obviously had one before as he immediately started rolling it around the floor, looking for the nuts! And when I left he was so busy with the ball that he hadn't started on his re-filled hay net!

I am going to start giving him more hay, if YO says anything I'll have to buy extra in as I definitely don't want him getting colic or stomach ulcers and I'll buy an extra net so I can make it even more difficult for him to get at.

I'll see how that goes, if it doesn't work I'll have to change to shavings.

Thanks everyone!

[puzzles]

by the way, if yuo do change to shavings, make absaloute sure he doesn't east any as this could cause verys serious colic and the potentila death which could be prevented

[nelle]

Whoops, cross posted Puzzles. Thanks for the suggestions, you've given me lots of ideas to try and I'll be giving them a go over the next few days.

[puzzles]

:-D
glad to hear it!

[Em 1]

The last couple of weeks I've been giving him 1 scoopful of hi-fi light in the mornings with a handful of baileys low-cal balancer and when he comes in at lunchtime he has 2 scoopfuls of hi-fi light with 2 handfulls of balancer and a couple of apples thrown in

How much turnout is he getting? When you say he is coming in at lunchtime, has he been out overnight or is he being turned out again after lunch? If not, could you increase his turnout? I have a very good doer:D and he is a nightmare for eating anything and everything if he isn't getting enough turnout. I daren't risk him on a shavings bed because I strongly suspect he will eat it! However, now he is out from about 9.30am-4.00pm he has calmed right down and will actually leave his haynet to come and talk to you!:)

This might not help in your case but thought it was worth a suggestion:)

[nelle]

Em 1

YO feeds breakfast at 5.30ish then I turn out at 6am, they then come in about 12.30-1.00ish and stay in until the next morning. I'm at work during the day so someone else brings him in for me, they're out until 3.00ish at weekends if the weathers ok as I'm around then.

This morning I've put an apple in his water and his balancer in his feeder ball. Same amount of food, but hopefully it'll take him a bit longer to eat it :) - and I'll be getting an extra net today.

[helenc]

I had to stop putting apples in my horse's water bucket cos he learnt that he would get the apple quicker if he just knocked the bucket over - hence very wet & minging stable floor!!! lol

[mogadoga]

Oops i meant steaming for 6-8 hours but missed that bit lol. Sorry:D

[hackedoff]

I hope you dont think I'm being rude but that is very little turnout and very little hay! Your horse is eating his bed because he is missing his foraging time out in the field and it isnt being replaced by hay, personally I would be negotiating a better deal with your YO.

[nelle]

Hackedoff - I don't think you're rude at all :)

6.5 hours a day, longer at weekends is quite good for this area, we are in a clay soil area and the land doesn't drain very well, so fields tend to become water logged very quickly. One livery up the road allows only a couple of hours turnout per day and another i know of is every other day.

I wish he could stay out until 4ish, but I'm at work until 5.30 and besides everyone else brings their horses in at lunchtime so he would be standing there on his own.

I'm giving him more hay, plus some stable toys so hopefully he'll be occupied enough to leave his bed alone!