Advice on weight and feeding hay

ladywiththebaby

ladywiththebaby

Active Member
Mar 6, 2007
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I'm new to all this - have just taken on my first loan pony. Shes a 17 year old, mixed breed although some TB and possibly some New Forest in her. Shes quite fine. In her previous home she was hacked, hunted and did Pony Club. Over last winter she was fed 1 scoop of Hifi Lite and 1 scoop of Conditioning Mix, once a day. She was clipped - not sure which one, possibly trace?

Now she has come to me, I will just be hacking once or twice a week in winter. No schooling, no hunting, just a leisurely 1 - 1.5 hour hack. Owners suggested I may get away with just clipping her neck and belly.

But I was wondering if she would also need the conditioning mix now that her work will be greatly reduced? She also wintered out in just a medium weight rug but I have bought a heavy weight one to keep her toasty. She will be coming in at night (which is what she is used to). I asked her owners who weren't much help - suggested I asked at the feed shop?!

Secondly - how much hay do I feed if she is out in the day and in at night? I think there is a % of her weight calculation I can do. When I weigh taped her around her girth she was about 450. But maybe I should have done it round her middle rather than so far forward??

Help please?! Thank you! :redface:
 
3-4 slices morning and evening of hay should be enough if you are only going to be leasurely hacking, I wouldn't bother with the conditioning feed and see how she goes. You don't want to hot her up and make her uncontrollable with too much hard feed.

A bib clip would be fine for the ammount of work she will be doing.

She will probably only need a heavy weight rug during the very worst of winter ie when there is snow and frost due.

My veteran IDx came out of last winter fatter than she went into it on add lib hay and in a LW rug unclipped.
 
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I would consider missing out the conditioning mix. Maybe you could use a low cal balancer like baileys? She could have a scoop of hifi lite and a mug of baileys balancer. A sack is about £20 but as you only need about a mug full it lasts a good while. If she is in at night you could give her a haynet. Maybe soaked so it isn't too rich then she can have it ad lib overnight. Then if you feel she needs more ooomph you coud consider increasing things. If you ask the feed companies they seem to tell you to feed loads! A couple of light hacks twice a week is very light work so that is something to consider when you read the back of the horse food sacks.
I have a 19 year old TB that lives out with a shelter and she is well rugged up and goes through the winter on a scoop of hi fi and half a scoop of pony nuts once a day with a couple of slices of hay morning and evening. She gets hacked out 4 times a week. She only has a bib clip when she gets hairy and sweaty towards the end of the winter.
You will get loads of different advice. Someone told me once to choose one person whos ideas you respect and just listen to their advice. Otherwise you get mixed opinions and can work yourself into a worry especially if you are on a yard. Everyone seems to have an opinion and feels free to give you unasked for advice!!
 
I would probably hold off the clipping and see how you go too - then you have more flexibility with rugs rather than needing to invest in possibly more. Obv if she needs clipping then clip, but maybe worth not doing it if it is just leisurly work ;)

As the weigh tape, it sould be measured from based of withers to girth groove and round. On madam it is on a tilt.

The hay is per 24hours, equivalent to 1.5-2.5% depending on what you are feeding for - 2.5% to maintain, less to diet! So if she was 450kg, she needs about 11.25kg forage in 24hrs. So for every hour in she needs just under half a kg of hay :)
 
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