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help?
Dec 13, 2010 21:10:00 GMT 1
Post by Johanna&Yorkie:) on Dec 13, 2010 21:10:00 GMT 1
What should i do?? My TB is eating all his hay, no matter how much we are putting out, it's not as though we aren't giving him enough food! And whilst the roads have been clear of ice and frost we have been turning him out. yesterday we put a slice of straw out to block a draft coming from the door, we went this morning and he had ate it all!!
Last year though before we had him he was out all year round,, could this be why he is eating all his hay??
Is there any way i could stop him from eating his hay so quickly, at the moment he has a hay-rack, and sometimes a haylage net with hay in it as-well. Any ideas?? And should he be eating this much through the night. He is in his stable from about 4.00pm to 4.30pm untill 6.00 am when we go and muck him out,, feed him etc,,and weather permitting our yard manager puts him out around nine,as we cannot put him out untill his companions are put out, otherwise he gets very very stressed.
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chloe
Grand Prix Poster
Kai's Mum
Posts: 2,609
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help?
Dec 13, 2010 21:26:14 GMT 1
Post by chloe on Dec 13, 2010 21:26:14 GMT 1
I'd just be inclined to give him more hay, even if it means double netting it to slow him down a bit. Once he learns he won't run out he'll probably slow down and eat less
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help?
Dec 13, 2010 21:58:49 GMT 1
Post by julz on Dec 13, 2010 21:58:49 GMT 1
How old is he?
He could just be genuinely hungry, and the hay and feeds arent enough.... horses eat hay for warmth too, not just hunger, so perhaps he's feeling the cold too?
What's in his feeds? could you add more fibre (speedi beet/chaff etc)
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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help?
Dec 13, 2010 23:07:52 GMT 1
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2010 23:07:52 GMT 1
Have you weighed the hay you give him? He should be getting 2% (or even 2.5% if he's a typical skinny TB) of his bodyweight per day in hay and grass.
Assuming he's 500kgs that's 12.5kgs (2.5%) of hay and grass. If he's out from 9-4 then he's stabled for 2/3 of the day so he should be having about 8 kgs of hay. You might be surprised at how much that is - about half a small bale.
TBH though, if he's not getting fat then just give him more, they're supposed to eat constantly and when you provide enough so that he doesn't keep running out then he'll probably slow himself down.
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