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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Jan 7, 2013 1:35:08 GMT 1
Just another point My Highland ponies wont eat wet hay so soaking is out they wont even eat it if rained on so ad lib is out they have to have what they can eat before it gets wet which in the present weather conditions isnt a lot. I have found recently that hay of any quality gives them diahorrea so again they can only have a very small amount or they lose too much weight. SO question would be what if anything should they be eating at the minute they have the fibre they need from a bucket which doesnt cause runny tummy they have fast fibre, speedibeet and ready grass plus a third of a slice of hay per day live out 24/7 on short grass very short grass but are maintaining weight and looking well only issue I have is poo picking the sloppy poo. No temperament issues no sore girth area so I dont believe they have ulcers. They are not working at all and are now a good weight although they did start out a little fat
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2013 11:34:46 GMT 1
Have you had the hay tested highlanderpony? I found out myself that you can't tell by look or smell what the quality is, I had two batches, one brown and stemmy and didn't smell of anything, and one soft leafy and sweet smelling and both came back as exactly the same sugar content. If hay is giving them the runs I'd want it tested as that's not normal. Readygrass can have a lot of sugar in it so if they hay is causing problems I'd be suspiscious of that too. Ring the manufacturer and ask and I'd consider swapping it to a straw based chop.
In the mean time I'd try them on a small amount of straw and give them some yea sacc to try to help their gut. They don't have to have ulcers to not be digesting their food properly.
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potto
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Post by potto on Jan 7, 2013 18:07:41 GMT 1
Just another point My Highland ponies wont eat wet hay so soaking is out they wont even eat it if rained on so ad lib is out they have to have what they can eat before it gets wet which in the present weather conditions isnt a lot. Please don't take offense.... but i have never known a horse to starve itself willingly if it dosen't have a choice it will eat what it has same as children, they are not born 'fussy', Perhaps in your ponies case and if they are not in work either they don't actually need the extra bucket feeds and vitamins at the moment. Just a regular weight monitor and maybe forage analysis .. ?
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Post by Kelly Marks on Jan 9, 2013 9:22:14 GMT 1
Thank you for these comments. My challenge now is to get evidence based answers and practical solutions. Wish me luck!
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Jan 10, 2013 21:36:23 GMT 1
No offense taken potto but I have tried them over and over and they will not touch the wet hay and I end up throwing it away I cant afford to waste food they live out 24/7 so can nibble the grass which is very very short but there so no wont starve but the poo levels drop to less than one in 24 hours which worries me more than a bit of runs and feeding them. I havent had the hay analysed but I will do I am planning on introducing oat straw when the farmer finds it I havent been able to source it until now. I have mixed barley straw with the hay but they are a bit fussy about that too
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Post by Kelly Marks on Jan 17, 2013 10:18:00 GMT 1
So it seems to me the main question that needs answering is - "how can you get make sure the over weight horse gets sufficient fibre?"
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potto
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Post by potto on Jan 17, 2013 11:11:10 GMT 1
No offense taken potto but I have tried them over and over and they will not touch the wet hay and I end up throwing it away I cant afford to waste food they live out 24/7 so can nibble the grass which is very very short but there so no wont starve but the poo levels drop to less than one in 24 hours which worries me more than a bit of runs and feeding them. I havent had the hay analysed but I will do I am planning on introducing oat straw when the farmer finds it I havent been able to source it until now. I have mixed barley straw with the hay but they are a bit fussy about that too That poop reduction is a bit of a worry for you cheeky monkeys!
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