# How much hay do you give your horses overnight?



## Supertrooper (11 November 2010)

And how many hours do you think it lasts them?


----------



## doris2008 (11 November 2010)

Mine has 2 enormous nets - enough to last all night and have a bit left in the morning. He isn't ever left without.


----------



## Degan (11 November 2010)

Mine are left from 4pm to 5am, 
one has 2 slices (large slices from small bale atm) soaked and 
the other has 2 and a half.
Both seem perfectly happy in the mornings (no straw eaten ect) and are both out in a large field with still too much grass, in the day.


----------



## Alexart (11 November 2010)

Enough to still have plenty left in the morning - ditto supertrooper - mine are never left without!


----------



## Nocturnal (11 November 2010)

I stuff as much haylage as I can into mine's haybar, and whatever's left in the morning goes out in the field. There's always a bit left over.


----------



## 3Beasties (11 November 2010)

As much as he will eat, another one who is never left without.


----------



## FleabittenT (11 November 2010)

My mare is a very good doer, and I have to be careful not to over-feed her.

She has a weighed, small-holed net of 11lb/5kg hay at night, and is out at grass for 12 hours a day. I feed based on a total daily intake of 1.75% of her bodyweight.

I suspect this does not last her more than a couple of hours, despite feeding in the smallest-holed net I can find. I am aware this is not ideal, however it enables me to manage her weight. I think allowing her to get fat would be worse. If I fed ad-lib she would become massively overweight very fast (as demonstrated by her previous owners). 

Obviously if the temperature gets really, really cold, I do feed more to keep her gut moving & help her stay warmer overnight


----------



## V1NN (11 November 2010)

2 big haynets and a wee pile on the floor, but theres always a nets worth between the 2 left over.


----------



## Supertrooper (11 November 2010)

Was just curious, don't worry ours arn't left without either although going to be a expensive winter now we've got the shire x as huge amounts of hay!!  good job we love them xx


----------



## Walrus (11 November 2010)

Mine gets about 5kg in a small holed haynet. Probably doesn't last him past midnight but he's a ridiculously good doer. He also gets approx 2kg to come in to as he comes in at about 3pm which he has always finished by the time I get in from work about 5.30. At first I felt hopelessly mean rationing him so much but needs must I'm afraid!


----------



## rosie fronfelen (11 November 2010)

As much as the rack holds and it lasts most of the night.


----------



## foraday (11 November 2010)

Mine are left from 12pm (final feed) to 7am

Again never left without haylage-usually loads left over


----------



## rosie fronfelen (11 November 2010)

Alexart said:



			Enough to still have plenty left in the morning - ditto supertrooper - mine are never left without!
		
Click to expand...

are these your own sketches, if so you have a tremendous talent!


----------



## Jane_Lou (11 November 2010)

Depends on the time of year and the amount of grass they have access to. All good doers so typically 8lbs in the summer and they had gone up to 10lb nets at night but they have now moved onto winter grazing so they currently have knee deep grass to munch on during the day so last night had 8lb nets again and they all had some left this morning. In the really cold weather they will go up to a maximum of 14lb. They are connies, one 14.2 and one 15h. We always soak the hay and weigh nets as a section of hay can weigh anything between 4 and 6lb!


----------



## ThoroughbredStar (11 November 2010)

Geeeeees peeps, you must be rich or hay is cheap  If I could afford ad lib I would feed it but as hay is soooooooo expensive I feed two slices in a haynet and one on floor for my chubby tb boy and 3 slices to my tb girl from the floor. The boy will eat two slices in 45 mins if I leave on floor! The fatty! The boy never leaves any in morning but my girl will sometimes have a slice left. During the day they only get two slices if in.


----------



## Joyous70 (11 November 2010)

If i fed ad lib hay my boys would be enormous, plus it would be way too expensive, theyre both very good doers and get 2 slices each off a small bale out in the field or in their stable if they come in.

When i first had my boy i was told if they didn't have any left by morning they weren't getting enough - Mmmmmmmmmmm after feeding nearly half a bale one night to find it all gone i soon gave up on that idea, especially as my lil old fella one night got out of his stable and when found the next day, had demolished 3 bales of hay, 1 bale of straw and was starting on the 2nd bale when the Yard Manager arrived 

ETA - the Lil old fella is 13.2hh


----------



## Becca-84 (11 November 2010)

As Joyous70 said, if I fed mine ad-lib, they would be huge (I have enough problems keeping her weight down as it is and they have no grazing whatsoever) and my mare in particular, would never leave anything, she would just eat and eat and eat. Mine get roughly 2% of their bodyweight in fibre each day, spread out in 4 feeds, one at 7.30am, one at 2.30pm, one at 8.30pm and one at 11.30pm. I feed it in the field, spread out in small piles so they have to move about and it gives some resemblance of natural grazing (plus stops Lucy chasing Vinnie away from all his so he gets nothing, which she does if they just have 2 piles). I have been doing this for 4 years now and not had any problems with stomach ulcers, despite the fact that they have usually finished eating within 1.5-2hours.


----------



## treacle_beastie (11 November 2010)

Mine has 8-10 kg depending on if its a weekday or weekend! Its equivalent to one slice of the large baled hay and fills a large haylage net so 3/4 slices small baled hay per night. never has any left in the morning but think it laste her most of the night. Used to feed adlib but now i have to buy my own!

 She is in from 5ish to 8am

She is muzzled at the moment which is a pain cos I could feed her less hay but I am scared she will colic if i let her eat the lush grass! Shes also getting really fat again since i let her do half days without the muzzle - still ate the same amount of hay!


----------



## Alexart (11 November 2010)

Thanks Rosiefronfelen!!  Yes they are my own doodles - they are my christmas cards and are on my website if you click on my name, and look on my info bit it will give you the web address - can't post it as it's seen as advertising!! - or just look in todays H&H - my mugs are in the gift ideas section!!!


----------



## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (11 November 2010)

Mine has a late feed at 10pm'ish, then I give him say two chips of hay in a small-holed haynet with a tiny bit of haylage in; and usually by the morning he's eaten it all up, the great gannet. 

Late feed consists of Dengie Hi Fi Lite plus some soaked Fast Fibre. He's out all day from 8.00 am to 4ish.


----------



## peanut (11 November 2010)

Mine usually grazes her straw once she's finished a stuffed haynet.  It's decent quality straw so that's fine by me.


----------



## Ali2 (11 November 2010)

12 kg.  Usually plenty left in the morning and he muches on it before he goes out :_


----------



## Sophiesmum (11 November 2010)

Mine have always had ad lib and I am sure I have wasted a little as I took what was in the bed and door way out and emptied their tub (which goes under the net to catch most of the bits which fall out) straight onto the muck heap, but have just moved to winter paddock which has some grass in at the minute.  Mine go out at 5.15am, come in about 3 and have a 4kg haynet with haylage (very dry, this bale), then about 7ish one has another 4kg net and the other have an 8kg net.  Both still have a little left when I do the 7pm net, and in the morning there is usually 3-4kg left between them, so I am hoping I've got it about right.


----------



## martlin (11 November 2010)

About a third to half a bale per horse, they always have some left in the morning.


----------



## coen (11 November 2010)

He probably gets around 6 per day, generally 1 morning, 2 afternoon when he comes in, 3 evening.

or split 2 early 4 night.


----------



## Chumsmum (11 November 2010)

My older pony, who is in at night, currently has three thick slices soaked in a small holed net - there is not a single scrap left in the morning, I dread to think what time he finishes it..  

However, he would explode if I fed him ad-lib, this pony just does not know when to stop..  This is from approx 7.30pm - 7am.   He also has a small breakfast and dinner. I would love to have my horses at home so I could split the hay up and put a late night net in.  My other ponies (if stabled) and other horses on yard always have some left in the morning.

I will start weighing it properly now the grass is going - aim for between 1.5 - 2% of their bodyweights depending on how they look / how cold etc.


----------



## JANANI (11 November 2010)

They get their final section at around 11pm and then they would get there morning feed at 7am. They get a total of five sections a day, given a section at a time throughout the day. I couldn't afford to give them anymore than that. At my old livery yard they would have got four sections each day.


----------



## Dizzydancer (11 November 2010)

mine gets 2 huge nets full of hay (5 slices atm) soon tobe haylage mixed then just haylage aiming for 11kg as that is 2.5% of his bodyweight and then just haylage in few weeks.  he usually has a corner of each net left...whether he leaves that or it just bugs him cause its too hard to get as it moves around!! but he never eats his bed and he has a slice in hay rack too just incase. he is in from 3.30/4pm until 9am at earliest!


----------



## KatB (11 November 2010)

Mine has ad lib. She never goes without. All my horses have always been ad lib, and non of them are guzzlers once they have got used to it, because they know they've always got food. Mine actually used to pig more when she was restricted.


----------



## Sadiemay (11 November 2010)

Mine gets 6 KG in a small holed haynet (approx 2 thick sections of a small bale)

I would love to give her more but she is such a good doer and is prone to lami I just cant risk it.  Especially as the hay at my yard seems very green and sweet compared to what she was fed at our last yard.

She is brought in and fed at approx 4.30pm - 5pm ATM, by the time I get to the yard to visit her it can anything from 6pm to 8pm, she always has hay left but not alot.  I do feel guilty and sometimes top it up a little 

Sadiemay


----------



## spotty_pony (11 November 2010)

Mine have haybars and I leave these full when I leave the yard (usually between 5 and 6 pm) and then they get topped up by the person who lives onsite at the yard when they have a last check around at about 8 pm. They are both good doers and one them in particular would eat it all however much you gave him so it probably doesn't last him all night, but he is getting plenty and it won't hurt him to go without for a few hours.


----------



## blackcob (11 November 2010)

Ad lib, she always has some left in the morning. No hard feed unless hunting, just good quality hay or a fairly dry haylage.


----------



## kirstyl (11 November 2010)

doris2008 said:



			Mine has 2 enormous nets - enough to last all night and have a bit left in the morning. He isn't ever left without.
		
Click to expand...

Mine too!  I always make sure he has adlib hay.  Mine is an exracer and can crib if at all stressy so mak sure he has plenty of hay to kep him occupied.  I'm sure he has never had so much roughage in his life but he looks very well on it!


----------



## PennyJ (11 November 2010)

6kg in a net to last them over night.  14hh approx NF ponies.  Its usually all gone by morning, bar a few bits on the floor.  They are out during the day on good grass.  So, they are getting about 1.5% of their bodyweight in hay there.  I am sure they take in more than 2kg of grass during the time they're out too...  And a fairly token feed when they come in.  

Last year they were on ad lib dry haylage, and the bedtime haynets were huge and stuffed as full as I could.  About 11kg in each net.  Those did defeat them, there was a reasonable amount left.  Not this year though - where I kept them this time last year there was basically no grass in the field, so they needed this adlib feeding system. It certainly kept them lean, I now know for certain its the grass that makes them fat.  Also I can't get it this year, my lovely farmer was not able to make enough to feed his own cows, let alone sell any off to silly women who waste it on their horses (!).  And the ponies don't need it this year seeing as how they do have grass to eat now.


----------



## NicoleS_007 (11 November 2010)

Weird question but ... To the people that feed ad lib - are your horses turned out during the day?


----------



## feefeeb28 (11 November 2010)

20 lbs/ night...would love to add lib but YO has curbed it!


----------



## Ditchjumper2 (11 November 2010)

Alexart said:



			Enough to still have plenty left in the morning - ditto supertrooper - mine are never left without!
		
Click to expand...

Same here. Mine have as much as they can eat.......always give them enough so that there is some left over.


----------



## TallyHo123 (11 November 2010)

Enough so they still have some left in the morning


----------



## redmerl (11 November 2010)

My chap is quite hard to keep weight on and ad lib haylage is the best way to keep weight on him (and the cheapest!). 

He is out all day with big hay bale, they just get another when it runs out. The two massive nets of haylage at night. I have to pay more at my livery yard for this, but its worth it.


----------



## Snowysadude (11 November 2010)

I have put a whole bale in before and it was all gone in the morning.... and there is lots of grass in the field! So to try to save money he has 1/2 a small bale a night


----------



## martlin (11 November 2010)

NicoleS_007 said:



			Weird question but ... To the people that feed ad lib - are your horses turned out during the day?
		
Click to expand...

Yes, unless the weather is like today


----------



## Laafet (11 November 2010)

Mine gets no more than two slices of hay - around 3 kg, he will not eat any more than this and always has some left in the morning. He's a good doer, really easy to keep weight on but just does not seem to eat much hay, it will increase as the grass get poorer and I always make sure that he has more than enough. I must be lucky - I really could not afford to feed half a bale a day!


----------



## gingerthing (11 November 2010)

My boy gets two large haynets full of haylage at night at around 6pm when i leave, which usually a little is left over the next day. I tend not to weigh it tbh. 

Much better that my previous yard where the whole yard get given only 1/2 - 3/4 of a net each at 5pm to last the entire night! (he is a very slightly built TB!).


----------



## Keltic (11 November 2010)

Alexart said:



			Thanks Rosiefronfelen!!  Yes they are my own doodles - they are my christmas cards and are on my website if you click on my name, and look on my info bit it will give you the web address - can't post it as it's seen as advertising!! - or just look in todays H&H - my mugs are in the gift ideas section!!!

Click to expand...

Hmm reading that just cost me £30 quid!!! PMSL oh well just ordered my christmas cards and some mugs for presents!!


----------



## Seahorse (17 November 2010)

To all the people who feed ad-lib and have loads left over in the morning what do you do with it then? 
Surely you can't throw it away every time?

I worked at a yard where the hay was restricted and one cob mare got a 6 lb haynet overnight. She ate that in about an hour and was then left with nothing to eat all night. She was in good condition and not at all underweight either.


----------



## stencilface (17 November 2010)

About 3-4 slices of hay - depending on how big they are and how long he's going to be in for. We don't have military rigid feed times as its our own yard.  At weekends they get done later, during the week, we're down there at 6am.

Thats enough to last them 12 hours (on a short night)  He always has a bit left over, so must be enough.  That just gets left in and mixed in with the next evenings hay - I might have a clear out evry week or so - and I'll jjst dump it in the field with the hay they get fed there.

He is on straw though, so don't worry about him running out as he could always pick at that if need be, although I don't think he does


----------



## martlin (17 November 2010)

Seahorse said:



			To all the people who feed ad-lib and have loads left over in the morning what do you do with it then? 
Surely you can't throw it away every time?
		
Click to expand...

I either give it to the less fussy ones or feed livestock with it.


----------



## pottamus (17 November 2010)

My lad has a third of a bale of small hay split into two small holed nets. Weight wise he has more than enough but I know it does not last him all night as he is greedy and stands eating until it is gone. It is not ideal and I hate thinking that he may have to stand with nothing for some time but he puts weight on very easiliy and by limiting his hay it keeps his weight down.
I used to feed adlib...perhaps half a bale at night and he was overweight and ended up getting laminitis...this is a compromise unfortunately...less food all round and careful management. He does not have a bad routine all round as he is out in his paddock on strip grazed grass from 5.30am through to 7pm all year, every single day...which is more than most horses get.


----------



## Seahorse (17 November 2010)

My horse very rarely eats all his hay, basically if it's fallen on the floor then it's deemed not good enough to eat!
I normally stuff it back in his haynet and give it back to him, and he normally eats it then. if not I'll give it to one of the other less fussy horses on the yard.

The yard manager gets really annoyed if people give their horses loads of hay/haylage that the horse doesn't eat then they throw it away (it's included in our livery so a lot of people really take the mick) One horse gets 4 haynets a night and leaves most of it which they then throw onto the muck heap


----------



## aimeetb (17 November 2010)

My filly eats more than the adults at our yard! Most of them just have a haynet, she has a haynet stuffed (and then tipped on the floor as I dont like babies and haynets) then about half a haynet more put in if she looks like she is eating it hungrily, she always has some left in the morning but I cant stand the idea of a baby being hungry and she doesnt really get fed anything else only mineral balancer and a handful of homeopathic, cereal free mix. The only problem is she is really fussy and if she doesnt eat it in her stable she wont touch it in the field either it has to be thrown away! She gets turned out everyday even in bad weather and given 3 more big piles of hay and again I have to throw away whatever she leaves!

Its a nightmare but I never thought a baby would be cheap! Still looking just a bit ribby though! x


----------



## NeedNewHorse (17 November 2010)

I give ad lib haylage to my welshx warmblood. She always has some left over in the morning, though she also chooses to eat her oat straw as i can see wholes where she has been nuzzling (sp) around in the bed! 

Having looked after a horse at a yard who got a pathetic amount of hay and had been stood in his stable for god knows how long without food it certainly makes you think about everything when you shut the stable door at night and wonder off home to do whatever you like! That's also why turnout is very imortant to me.


----------



## vikkiandmonica (17 November 2010)

Wings gets adlib when he lives in at night (will be in the next week or 2 I would imagine). This is because he doesn't hold weight spectacularly well, but also because he's a windsucker and would hate for him to be standing around for hours without a constant trickle of haylage. Some of the horses at my yard that are on part livery (so haylage provided by YO) have to get a set amount so it doesn't cost the YO loads. (think 12hh pony getting the same as a 16hh horse when children fill haynets and have no idea of how much they should get fed). Because I buy my own haylage though, Wings gets as much as he can eat in the night/morning before he gets turned out.


----------

