Stage 1 - Feeding

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Darcy27

New Member
Mar 6, 2009
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Hi,

Can anyone tell me if you are expected to work out feed calculations for feeding horses in stage 1 exam? I know they will ask about feeding horses in light work, but i'm concerned about having to calculate amounts in kg in my head. Maths is really not my strong point!
 
I got asked this! I explained the principle behind working out how much to feed and said that I wouldn't want to guess the amount but would work it out on paper to ensure I was correct. I passed, so guess this is the kind of answer they're after...
 
I was worried about that too, stage 2 the maths comes into it.

Just what the different feeds are, recognising them & knowing the purpose of them. thje odd question may be asked about what to feed a certain type of horse, say a childs pony.
 
I learnt a formula but didn't get asked about it on my stage 1 or my stage 2!
The formula I learnt is quite simple though:
12hh pony= 14lb total feed per day
13hh=18lb
14hh=22lb
15hh=26lb
16hh=30lb

Light work: about 70% roughage, 30% concentrate
Medium work: about 60% roughage, 40% concentrate
Hard work: about 50% roughage -50% concentrate
(You'd need to look up the definitions of light, medium and hard work).

So if you got asked about a 15hh horse in medium work you could say you would feed them 26lb of feed per day, 60% of this would be roughage and 30% concentrate/hard feed. You wouldn't need to work out 60% of 26lb on the spot, I don't think! Marey's answer of working out on paper to ensure you are correct is a good one!

It's really important to say that your decisions of how much and what to feed would depend on the horse as an individual (taking into consideration the rules of feeding; feeding according to type, weight etc as well as height) and that the above amounts are meant to be guidelines, not set in stone and you would alter them to get them the right amount based on the horse's reaction.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks so much, these replies have been really helpful. I always feel so much better when i come on here!:)
 
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