Feeding a snack, before working?

[MyMiniGal]

I found this out, quite by accident. But over the weekend, my husband and I would go and feed Halo her morning grain/feed, and then hang out for a bit, then I lunged her and groomed her, and walked her around the grounds, where she is boarded. I noticed how much more accepting, and loving she was, with food in her tummy. I usually, am working and can't get to see her until mid to later afternoon. By then she has gone several hours without food. (I am currently making her a slow feeder to help with that). But I was wondering, if it would be ok, that when I come between feedings like that, if giving her like 1/3 of the feed, from her evening feeding and a handful of hay, let her eat a mid day "snack", then working with her would be ok. I don't work her hard and sometimes, all I am doing is walking her around the grounds, but if I haven't let her eat something first, she seems hungry and doesn't want to focus.The problem is, I wouldn't always get there that early, and may just get there, right at the evening feeding. So she wouldn't get that "snack" every single day. Is that going to cause any digestive or other issues, you think? It isn't like she would be getting more food in a day, just split up, on those days, that I can do that. Right now, it has been way too hot, so I am just getting there, a tiny bit before the last feeding, and doing that, then loving on her, and getting back home to may AC. Can't wait for the heat to subside.

 

[Carolyn R]

If I were to give my horse a snack, I would be inclined to give some hay or soaked alfalfa cubes rather than grain. A slow feeder for the hay ration would be good in this circumstance. Allowing the horse to graze at its ration rather than gulp it up. Busy snackers are great, please be cautious of home made feeders and take every precaution to prevent injuries.

With that said, in regards to working with my full size horse, I feed in the AM,late afternoon and late evening. The late afternoon is a feeding of some watery soaked alfalfa cubes and hay, morning and evening I encorperate grain. I allow her plenty of time to finish up in the AM but anything after that is fair game. For Me, When it is time to work, it's time to work, period. if that means she already ate, is in the middle of eating or will get it when we finish, so be it. She is expected to respect me.

 

[madmax]

I come from a large horse background before minis, and we never worked a horse after feeding without a space of at least an hour or so afterwards; so I transferred that to my minis. Also we never fed immediately after working either, important to be respectful of their gut.

Working at a thoroughbred complex, we fed at 3am and began track work at 5am.

 

[romewhip]

I also come from large horses and don't like to feed before working. That said I do give a few treats when I go work my pony, as during the week I get to him before feeding time and it's been most of the day since he had a feed. On the weekend I am out to him a while after he's had his breakfast. I also wouldn't want to give grain right before work, and I expect him to work regardless of his feeding schedule. After we've worked and cooled off I sometimes take him to hand graze in the meadow or do some pony mowing around the stable.

 

[targetsmom]

I come from the old school of not riding for an hour before or after feeding. BUT, I have recently read - and I think this was related to ulcer issues - that the horses are better off with some food in their stomachs. This does NOT mean after a big meal or grain, but after a snack of hay for example.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Thank you...you have all verified what I was thinking. Digestive and behaviour. Thank you again.

 

[disneyhorse]

Having hay in their stomach before working prevents stomach acid from splashing around creating ulcers.

 

[disneyhorse]

Having hay in their stomach before working prevents stomach acid from splashing around creating ulcers.

 

[madmax]

I believe that those of us speaking about feeding before working are speaking of feeding a grain meal.

 

[Minimor]

I can say for sure that I will not work a hungry horse. I was once given a hungry horse to show in some riding classes--I will not go into details of the situation but it is enough to know the horse was hungry--the stallion had not had his morning hay and this was probably early afternoon--we went into one class and it was all I could do to control him--he was not happy and started trying to go after the other horses. This was a very mannerly horse and this was not his normal behavior. But, he was hungry and mad and I don't blame him, I don't work happily on an empty stomach either. I excused myself from the class and the judge nodded her approval--she knew how much trouble I was having. The person I was riding for was furious--told me I should have stayed in the class and faked it, the judge wouldn't have known. Oh please, the judge was no fool, she did know! We had a huge fight and I said unless the horse got something to eat I wasn't taking him into his other classes. I took him to the trailer and gave him some hay and then went into our next class. The horse was a perfect gentleman and won the class. The judge came up to me and asked what did I do to

improve the horse's attitude so much. You should have seen her expression when I said I FED HIM! The person I was riding for was even more mad at me then because I had beat her horse in that class. That day was a perfect example of why I have always said I will not work a hungry horse!!

 

[MyMiniGal]

Well, that is sort of what is happening. Since moving her, her feeding schedule has totally changed, also the amount in the morning, so she has been super hungry in the afternoon, so much so, she was acting out and trying to get to grass. And lately, before, she hadn't tried that. So when I mean I am working a slow feeder, I mean, I have ordered a Busy Snacker, a few days go, and since there isn't a place for us to hang it, I am going to lay it flat, in a tub, and clip the underside of it, or the ends...not sure yet, as I have to see the snacker first. Sounds like giving her a little bit of hay would be fine. The feed I give is mainly alfalfa...well, that is the second ingredient. Right now, it is just too hot to work her hard, the most I want to do is, take her for a walk, but when she is super hungry, she has a hard time focusing on that. I get her to do what I want, but it just isn't as pleasant, as when she isn't hungry.

Thank you, all who have taken the time to reply.

 

[Marty]

Providing hay is one thing but feeding grainand working a horse is another. There is no way I'd be working a horse 1/1/2 hours before or after a feeding of grain. A horse isn't going to focus if he's hungry so he should have grazing or some hay in him. Having some hay in the belly is good cushion like Disney says but grain, nope.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Ok, sounds like if I give her some hay, that will be fine. As when I get there, after work, she has gone many hours. since being fed. I am hoping, of slowing her down, so she won't gulp her hay so fast, so that will help her not be so hungry, by the time, I get there.