Nutrition Help!

[Janxaee]

1325459074[/url]' post='1437103']Hi ,

everyone has so many different ideas on feeding ...my expierence is that only you and your horse know what is best ...It took me about 3 years to find the right combination of food , it definatly wasnt what others recomended , or would do ...but for us its working ... every season you might have to re think your food plan as I do .... I live where it gets very cold , and I have ASPC AMHR horses , and i believe they are more forgiving then the smaller ones we can feed quite a bit here without a weight problem. The ASPC horses look beautiful all year round , even in ther fuzz ...this is why I love them. One thingI will say is that I love feeding my grass hay out of hay nets , it gives them something to do all day long , and keeps them warm, I never toss out the idea of NOT letting them have grass hay during the day and night... they need this to keep their gut healthy and happy : )

I hope you find your perfect combo : )

cute horsey

Thanks I'm hoping I find it too! Getting many good suggestions here =)

 

[mydaddysjag]

Your not doing anything wrong, thats just what minis look like in PA this time of year

. Seriously, I can show you pictures of my guys right now, and pictures from summer, they look like completely different horses, the hair really is that deceiving. You dont want your guys losing weight in winter, especially being that the coldest part of the year in our area is just coming up. I start working and changing feed (if needed) for show season in february or march, depending on the weather and when my first show is. If you want to show, I would reccomend getting them off of free choice hay/pasture atleast 60 days beforehand, and feeding hay in slow feed hay nets.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Well, I KNOW I have at least three show horses out there somewhere- all I can actually see is a herd of miniature Yaks!!!

I never worry about anything except under weight until I bring animals up to start showing. The broodies can stay fat all year, so long as they are healthy I have no problem with it. Not sure I wish to lug DC round the ring with 100lbs of spare flesh on him, but he's a gelding, not a broodmare.

I would keep an eye on your little mare, seriously, it is absolutely amazing how Nature can put things right with just a little bit of a rest. You need to be 100% sure that none of her belly is "legal" fat- if I had a dollar for the number of people who had gone down and found their numbers had swelled by one over night, I would be rich.

I have even done it myself.

"But she can't get in foal" just does not count for much when your irate friend is on the other end of the phone with a foal under her arm!!!!