So for the horses that are living in at the moment I was wondering are they on ad lib hay? Or are they on restricted hay now or all year round? The reason I ask is sox is on ad lib hay all year round however a few of the horses on our yard sometimes don't have a lot of hay left at 9pm. They are really well cared for but just not on ad lib. I understand if there a good doer etc. But Me personally I won't feel happy knowing that my horse could be going 10 to 12 hours with no hay. What are all your thought on this?
ad lib hay on nights or restricted hay?
- Thread starter lauren123
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It is impossible to do adlib for one of our glutons, he would explode! In winter he has several nets or a gigantic 'trawler' net with 11/2 slices of haylage from a 1x2m bale overnight ( I cannot physically lift them!) Every mouthful is carefully washed by him before eating but if we feed him at 9pm I can guarentee it will be empty by midnight. He used to be on straw until he started washing and consuming that as well! All you can do with gluttons is serve up smaller nets as frequently as possible. His friend who needs the feed always has some left over at 8am the next morning and won't touch leftovers.
Ad lib may be theoretically ideal but is not always practical or healthy. We weigh all our horses nets based on need and they all retain a healthy weight.
Ad lib may be theoretically ideal but is not always practical or healthy. We weigh all our horses nets based on need and they all retain a healthy weight.
Womble gets adlib and has some bed to for good measure! Junes is restricted. As is her grass intake with her muzzle. She goes out during the day in a lush field muzzled from 8-3 and the has her evening net (just a slice) at around 7ish, or if im coming up early ill empty out another half a slice on the floor so she has a little extra. Not much but shes a littlw pony who desperately needs to loose weight. Shes deep littered so she doesnt graze her bed too.
Ad lib was fine for my TB but if I gave Belle ad lib she would balloon, she is on carefully weighed and soaked hay when she's in in tiny holed haynets doubled, she does find it quite frustrating but at least it slows her down and sometimes she still has a tiny bit left in the morning, I can't bed her on straw as she does just eat that too! I think it's one of those situations where in an ideal world it works but for some it's just not possible.
Both girls have double netted supplies - but they differ as Chloe is a perfect weight and has different needs. She gets hayledge suitable (bagged locally) for good doers and resting ponies. She's been on it since she came as hay makes her cough and even soaked does not suit. She is not at all greedy and always has plenty left in the morning. If I pop out after midnight she is not always eating and usually lies down for a rest.
Madam on the other hand could do eating for the Olympics!!! She has double nets soaked - hay, and also what I call her extras on the floor in case she runs out (she rarely does) and by extras, I mean scraps of hay she has rejected the night before or the odd handful of hayledge that Chloe has left. She never eats up conpletely, but then I don't give final nets until 9pm in summer - about 8pm in winter.
They are both on straw and I think if they were desperate they could nibble their beds!!!!
What used to worry me on yards was folk netting up at 5pm - and by the time I left at 9pm they had nowt left! They obviously did not all end up with colic through lack of fibre but am guessing it seemed a pretty long miserable night with an empty net!
Madam on the other hand could do eating for the Olympics!!! She has double nets soaked - hay, and also what I call her extras on the floor in case she runs out (she rarely does) and by extras, I mean scraps of hay she has rejected the night before or the odd handful of hayledge that Chloe has left. She never eats up conpletely, but then I don't give final nets until 9pm in summer - about 8pm in winter.
They are both on straw and I think if they were desperate they could nibble their beds!!!!
What used to worry me on yards was folk netting up at 5pm - and by the time I left at 9pm they had nowt left! They obviously did not all end up with colic through lack of fibre but am guessing it seemed a pretty long miserable night with an empty net!
Yeah that's what I mean trews. I understand for some you can't ad lib hay but surely going 10 hours with no hay can't be good for an animal that's meant to graze most of the time
Ours live in all year. They get a heap of hay in the morning that lasts most of the day, and a heap more in the evening that lasts most of the night. We don't weigh it, we just go by eye and feed off the floor. Evening feeds are around 6pm, sometimes later on a show day, and most of them still have scraps left by morning.
When mine were in I always ad lib'd, even with jess being a porker at the time I would rather she got no hard feed and more hay in small holed, doubled nets. It was a constant battle with the YM of the place they were on livery at as they did last feed and hay at 3.30 and by the time I arrived at 5/6 they would have nothing left and with jess being prone to colic I was not happy as she had to go until 7am, she was also on rubber mats so no bed to nibble at either.
I've now found a cocksfoot hay which is very low calorie wise and less palatable, it's great as jess will nosh into it if she is really hungry but if not she will barely pick at it so I can stick rounds out without worrying about it. With regular meadow hay she would scoff it down just for the sake of it.
I've now found a cocksfoot hay which is very low calorie wise and less palatable, it's great as jess will nosh into it if she is really hungry but if not she will barely pick at it so I can stick rounds out without worrying about it. With regular meadow hay she would scoff it down just for the sake of it.
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