Now about feed?

[MelissaAH]

I have a lot of books about the care and feeding but it's always nice seeing what everyone else is doing.

Right now the minis are on pelleted feed and grass hay. She is sending home with me half the bag and a full one. I believe the pellets are a alfalfa mix of some kind. And they get timothy. Is the feed amount the same as big horses.....1-2% of their body weight? They seem to be a little on the plump side. I feed mine timothy and my daughters horse gets alfalfa in only one feeding.

 

[Leeana]

Honestly i do not go on the 1-2% of their body weight scale...its just so not acurate as each horse is different and the quality of the grains you are feeding are different. To me having a set % of the body weight just does not seem like an accurate scale to go by. I go by eye..if a horse needs more then i bump it up..needs less i bump it down.

Are they on pasture too? That could be the cause of them being overweight. You just may need to play with what they are getting until they look "good" and not to plump nor to skinny. You want the topline filled out and a smooth body not to ribby or too fat. Also, depending on what age they are and what they are doing..they may not need grain. Only horses here that are grained are show horses, junior horses and broodmares. Everyone else is just out on pasture with minerals and hay.

 

[MelissaAH]

Honestly i do not go on the 1-2% of their body weight scale...its just so not acurate as each horse is different and the quality of the grains you are feeding are different. To me having a set % of the body weight just does not seem like an accurate scale to go by. I go by eye..if a horse needs more then i bump it up..needs less i bump it down.
Are they on pasture too? That could be the cause of them being overweight. You just may need to play with what they are getting until they look "good" and not to plump nor to skinny. You want the topline filled out and a smooth body not to ribby or too fat. Also, depending on what age they are and what they are doing..they may not need grain. Only horses here that are grained are show horses, junior horses and broodmares. Everyone else is just out on pasture with minerals and hay.

Is pelleted food considered grain? I know senior feed is, right? I think. We are on a dry lot. No pasture. But yea, that makes sense. they seem a bit on the heavy side but I want to feed as she did and work from there I guess on if I need more or less.

They are older too. 18 & 21. My 16 year old QTR needs one feeding of alfalfa or she goes ribby and skinny. But generally I don't like feeding alfalfa.

Thanks for the help

 

[Black River Farm]

Our mini's are on pasture right now, plus they get about a cup of Purina Equilizer 1x daily plus 1/2 cup of black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) to help keep their black coats black, also given 1x daily year-round.

In the winter they are out with a round bale and the three big geldings and get the same Equilizer & BOSS combo. It's just the change from pasture to round bales, and then a 1/2 flake each for the mini's at bedtime if they stay in overnight in the winter. We don't blanket because they grow such amazingly LONG furry coats -- they look like little wooly mammoths in the spring!

 

[disneyhorse]

I just saw their pictures on the Picture Forum... congratulations! They are so tiny and adorable for grand old ladies.

However, if I were you, I would keep them on EXACTLY what the previous owner had them on. They look a little "chubby" but nowhere near obese. And old horses can be harder to keep weight on, so please don't put them on a diet. If for some reason they have an "off" day or get a little under the weather, the weight will come off a lot faster than a younger horse and they won't bounce back as quickly.

I would keep them where they are at! If for some reason you are REALLY working them (think daily they are lathering in sweat from lunging or driving or something) then I would consider upping their food. But please, no diets!

Enjoy them!

Andrea

 

[Hosscrazy]

I assume you go to Fox Feed, correct? I wouldn't change their diet if I were you - obviously whatever the previous owner was feeding them is working just fine! Find out exactly what she was feeding them and I'm sure Fox Feed has the same or similar products - I can help you with it. For pellets, they carry Mountain Sunrise timothy pellets (1/4 inch) which I use for my kids. They also just got some beautiful timothy hay - I was just there the other day. Very nice hay! I just recently have added soaked cubes into their diet - it's a alfalfa timothy blend cube. Pellets and cubes are very well soaked. Hope this helps!

Liz R.

 

[MelissaAH]

Thanks everyone....

Liz...Perfect. The bag she has (and will give me) is by Mountain Sunrise but I don't believe it's timothy...I think it's alfalfa (maybe a mix pellet)? But she is giving it to me. I buy all my hay, feed at fox feed here in Acton. They always have very nice hay.

Thanks for all the advice I will keep them on what they are on,

 

[Hosscrazy]

Yes, Mountain Sunrise also carries a blended pellet - also a good product. Just got back from Fox Feed myself - don't forget they are closed on Monday so make sure you get anything you need this weeked. I am so happy for you!

Liz R.