Restricting hay, a question?

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silverstar

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On reading a thread below it got me thinking. For those of you that restrict your hay do you weight it and what does a "restricted" amount weigh???

I do limit the hay my minis get but i dont feed grain/ concentrates at all. There hard feed is purely fibre based and is called "simple systems" over here in England. So although they dont get a large amount of hay they do get a large amount of forage. They seem to do well off it. They also get a balancer to ensure minerals and vits.

Alot of mini owners i have spoken to have said " restrict hay during show season" but i dont really understand how much to give??? I am too used to larger horses and anything under 3 slices of hay is restricted to me!!!

So what does you "restricted" hay weigh???
 
I do not weigh my hay. I go by the flakes and have done a pretty good job that way. I dont show really, if I do its fun shows. However anything I do show I dont restrict any different then the rest. My horses get a bit more hay in the winter and come spring they cut back. When on grass they get none.

Currently I go through a small square bale for 8 horses in 3-4 feedings. If you are talken 3 flakes per horse thats alot! Like I said my horses dont get much. When you break the bale down its about 4 flakes(if they are thin they get a bit more) for 8 horses a feeding.
 
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JMHO - and only my humble opinion - depending on the horse, forage first. But a hard lesson I learned - even my 37.75" mini only needs about 2 to 2.5 lbs. of hay a day. I do weigh, each batch of hay can weigh differently. Each flake of hay weighs differently in the same batch of hay bales. So I do weigh once a week, just to make sure I am not over feeding as I have done in the past. My horses look and at much better now.

Here's something someone passed onto me, and I finally did it and weighed it all. I was asked to take a 8 quart pail, yes 8 qts, not 20 or 24! and fill it with hay. Packed hard just a little. That is what that person uses to feed all her minis and ponies. I asked how much it should weigh, she didn't know. So I got a scale and weighed it. It weighed 1 lb. So my minis get that or a little less depending on how much THEY SHOULD WEIGH. Then my ponies get two, but two usually equals a flake.
 
I have mostly B-sized minis in the 300-350# range and feed based on 1.5% to 2% of their bodyweight in feed per day (all feed; which around here is primarily a ration balancer and grass hay). The really easy keepers I go with the lower end and those that need more get the upper end. [i was weighing feed last summer, but that went out the window with winter and our extremely cold temps.]

Anyway, 1.5% of bodyweight for my minis comes to 4.5 to 5.25# per day (2% is 6 to 7#). I usually go with 5-6# per head per day. I have 6 head of B minis, so they go through about half of a 70# bale of grass hay per day. As I only feed hay and the ration balancer; I really dont restrict hay too much, but limit it to what they need to keep at a decent weight; if I gave free choice, they'd be fat.
 
Yep, forage first. The forage is easier for their bodies to digest than concentrates. Don't get too caught up in the idea of having them have the perfect weight for showing. Sometimes it is better to have them on a healthy balanced diet and let them play or exercise more than to over analize their hay/pature/grain intake.

SOME horses are out right skinny, and referred to as being in show condition. IMO, being in show shape is having a horse that is naturally healthy,balanced, fit, groomed and well behaved/trained for its discipline. Just my opinion,

Carolyn
 
Yep, forage first. The forage is easier for their bodies to digest than concentrates. Don't get too caught up in the idea of having them have the perfect weight for showing. Sometimes it is better to have them on a healthy balanced diet and let them play or exercise more than to over analize their hay/pature/grain intake.

SOME horses are out right skinny, and referred to as being in show condition. IMO, being in show shape is having a horse that is naturally healthy,balanced, fit, groomed and well behaved/trained for its discipline. Just my opinion,

Carolyn
I weigh all my feed and hay. My minis are out during the day on limited grazing ( just enough to nibble at ) and in at night. they only get 1 1/2 Ib of hay at night but i make that upto 2% of their body weight with their feeds which is basically alfalfa based with a balancer, no concentrates. Is this enough hay do you think?
 
Yep, forage first. The forage is easier for their bodies to digest than concentrates. Don't get too caught up in the idea of having them have the perfect weight for showing. Sometimes it is better to have them on a healthy balanced diet and let them play or exercise more than to over analize their hay/pature/grain intake.

SOME horses are out right skinny, and referred to as being in show condition. IMO, being in show shape is having a horse that is naturally healthy,balanced, fit, groomed and well behaved/trained for its discipline. Just my opinion,

Carolyn
I weigh all my feed and hay. My minis are out during the day on limited grazing ( just enough to nibble at ) and in at night. they only get 1 1/2 Ib of hay at night but i make that upto 2% of their body weight with their feeds which is basically alfalfa based with a balancer, no concentrates. Is this enough hay do you think?

First, I agree with Carolyn's overall management practices.......We do the same.

Second, for show horses........yes. We do cut back a little (such as 1.5 lbs of hay for MINIS) on the hay and make up the ratio with a complete grain. Our B minis and mini Shetlands get more than the 1.5 lbs hay). The complete grain does have calories, while the balancer does not, from what I've been told, so if you're using just the balancer, that needs to be taken into account, I would think.
 

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