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 Veteran
Posts: 187
 
| If your barrel horse is turned out on pasture full time do you still feed grain? My horse is a barrel/ranch horse, so she doesn't go to many races, just the occassional jackpot or open show. She looks better than she has in a couple years. Just curious if you feed grain while on pasture or not? |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
  
Location: Phoenix | Nope! Mine is fat and sassy without grain. |
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Veteran
Posts: 294
| Mine is on pasture and we run every weekend. I just stopped the grain to see how its going to go. He does get a ration balancer and T.H.E Muscle Mass but that is it. If I find he needs more energy I will need to add grain but I think he is going to be fine. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I only have broodmares. They are out on pasture all night right now, and I pull them up around 6:00 AM for breakfast(1/2 scoop of grain) and to stay inside under fans until around 6:00 PM, when they get another 1/2 scoop of grain, then kicked backed out to pasture. Mine are incredibly spoiled and they don't even realize it. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Mine are stalled for about 4-6 hours during the heat of the day but otherwise are on a big grassy lot.
they don't need grain but they get such a minuscule amount due to "barn envy." Mine expect to be fed morning and night and I kind of agree with them. they were getting heaping amounts of grain and then i switched to free choice hay. They have never looked better with getting just 2 cups of grain total in a day. If it wouldn't totally break their hearts not getting grain they wouldn't get it.
I feel like suddenly not feeding her grain or having a reason to bring her in or handle her other than working her might bring on catching problems. just food for thought! considering a horse that doesn't catch is IMO one of the worst problems a horse can have! |
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  Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | If her weight is good without it, no. |
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Veteran
Posts: 187
| Thanks everyone, I guess I needed peace of mind! I do call them up every night and give them a couple cups of feed a piece so that they come when called and are easy to catch. I've never had enough pasture to turn them out 24/7 so I've always had to feed grain. |
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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | My horses are out on pasture 24/7. They rarely get grain in the summer unless I need to feed a supplement or they are getting called into the barn. Even then it is such a small amount. Now in the winter, I adjust that but they still don't get much, just free access to hay. Do keep a mineral block in the barn. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| God intended them to be grazers. Might as well go with flow. The grain I feed in the summer is just a vehicle for supplements, and to be able to catch them. |
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| They don't need grain but they definitely do need either a ration balancer or loose minerals. They can not get all the vitamins and minerals they need from pasture alone. Pasture will keep them fat but they still need minerals. |
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