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Member
Posts: 7
| Yall who don't have much grass, or don't turn out much what's yall's feeding routine? Rather them be a little chunky than drawn up.  |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
  
| Right now we are just feeding 2x's a day still. Ultium, Platinum Performance, and grass/alfalfa hay. As it gets colder we'll up the hay and feed the grass in a hay chix slow feed net and flake alfalfa morning and night.
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| My horses have forage in front of them 24/7. I leave TEFF grass full and they get alfalfa 2x a day with grain/supplements. Worst thing that can happen to a horse is not being able to eat. They produce stomach acid 24/7 up to several GALLONS I do believe. I'm sure there are millions of horses fed 2x day, just not mine. |
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | FLITASTIC - 2017-09-20 11:24 AM
My horses have forage in front of them 24/7. I leave TEFF grass full and they get alfalfa 2x a day with grain/supplements. Worst thing that can happen to a horse is not being able to eat. They produce stomach acid 24/7 up to several GALLONS I do believe. I'm sure there are millions of horses fed 2x day, just not mine.
This is true^^^^. The best natural ulcer prevention is for a horse to have a roughage source in front of them at all times. Stomach acid production is constant. The natural buffer for that acid is a small mat of roughage and saliva. A horse only makes saliva when they chew. With a constant source of roughage available to chew, a horse can make over 12 gallons of saliva per day. The reason for this is clear, buffer the acid. If they have no roughage to eat, they can't chew and that buffer is not produced. The result is often ulcers. Whatever diet you decide on, make it roughage based, limit grain or concentrates to under two pounds per feeding. In addition, be sure that the teeth have been checked in the last six months and attended to. If it hurts to chew due to a teeth issue, limited saliva will be produced because the horse simply chews less due to pain. This basic diet will cover the vast majority of your horses needs because proper digestion of the roughage part of the diet becomes a bigger contributor. The best use of your feed dollar is always better roughage. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | Mine get their alfalfa pellets and beet pulp in the AM and then a bunch of timothy hay morning and night. I try to make sure they're getting enough that they leave a little bit behind. If they're vacuuming up every stem I know they aren't getting enough. Two of them live on dry lots and the other two have a field to graze on. Either way I like to make sure they always have some hay in their stalls since WA weather is drizzly and they might not want to be outside to graze.
Edited by livexlovexrodeo 2017-09-20 12:07 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1280
Location: Texas | I try to balance putting out enough hay twice a day with the objective of encouraging as much movement as possible. This is tricky. I believe that increasing their movement while foraging is the ideal goal. This is further complicated by the fact that the mini is not allowed in the front pasture (where the grass is), but my horse does get grass (monitored and limited). It boils down to intense management...3-4 times a day they must be tended (put out more hay, open a gate, close a gate, move a horse, etc.) Sometimes I can get it done, sometimes not. I do work, but I can go home at lunch and take care of things. They are also supplemented a commercial feed (pellet) 2x/day. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | I cannot stress enough how important keeping forage in front of my horses at all times is. If I do not have access to good grass I am constantly filling up slow feeding hay nets. I REALLY like the haychix nets. Very high quality and dont tear your horses mouths up |
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 Not Afraid to Work
Posts: 4717
| My horses get alfalfa/grass mix 2x per day with grain. And then another flake or two of grass before I go to bed. They also have pasture although it is getting fairly scarce right now. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I'm revamping my routine... use to keep them stalled during the day with a big hay net full and 2lbs of grain fed 1x a day and then turned out in the pasture in the evenings.. its cooled down a little and I discovered the gnats and biting flies are super intense at dawn and at dusk... horses are miserable... so now I'm keeping them in the stalls overnight till about 10-11am next morning, I'm pulling them in for the night around 630-700 they should have hay in front of them the entire night until turnout. And I'll probably start feeding them their grain ration twice a day since our riding has increased. They seem to know there is relief inside those stalls with the fans going. |
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Member
Posts: 7
| YES. I know that keeping roughage for them to eat constantly is HUGE. That's what I'm trying to focus on. How do yall feel about leaving round bales in their turn out? Maybe with the Hay Chix slow eater round bale net on it? |
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Member
Posts: 7
| FLITASTIC - 2017-09-20 11:24 AM
My horses have forage in front of them 24/7. I leave TEFF grass full and they get alfalfa 2x a day with grain/supplements. Worst thing that can happen to a horse is not being able to eat. They produce stomach acid 24/7 up to several GALLONS I do believe. I'm sure there are millions of horses fed 2x day, just not mine.
Is your TEFF grass planted or given as hay? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 690
Location: Georgia | cait11 - 2017-09-22 11:15 AM
YES. I know that keeping roughage for them to eat constantly is HUGE. That's what I'm trying to focus on. How do yall feel about leaving round bales in their turn out? Maybe with the Hay Chix slow eater round bale net on it?
Thats what I would do. Especially if you have a way to keep the bale covered. But the net will greatly help keep them from scattering it our and standing all on it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1302
Location: California | Following this. Not to hi-jack but I struggle keeping weight on my horses in the winter... I need some help and love reading other people's programs. |
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