My horse gets fat on air!! But i dont want him to be bored/hungry?

Question

he was getting about 7-8 flakes a day just grass hay, and half a scoop pellets am and pm. i buy my hay once a year and this years batch is of MUCH better quality, very rich has different grasses and alot of alfalfa in it, so i cut him down to 5 flakes a day, same amt of grain so he wont get fat (i should say FATTER lol) hes on grass a few times a week but theres not much its eaten down. since he doesnt have the "chew time" he did before, i dont want to make him bored or hungry. is there a filler i can use to fill him up without making him fat? like beet pulp or oats or something? what can i do to help him from being bored since he wont be munchin on hay for as long as he was? haha i sound really anal... any help appreciated =

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Answer 1

Oats is much higher in calories than hay, so if you're wanting to give him more chew time for less calories, I would NOT use oats as a filler!  It would be similiar to telling me to cut back on fresh fruit and eat cupcakes to fill myself up!

So the first thing I would do is stop the grain entirely, or else just give him a handful twice a day and add his minerals to that.

Next, I would try to find some low sugar hay or even good clean straw, and offer him some of that twice a day with his regular hay.  Talk to your vet first, to make sure he doesn't have concerns with your horse eating straw.  But many horses will chew on their straw bedding, and while it has next to nothing in calories, it does give them something to eat besides the wood fence!

You can also find ways to make his hay eating slower.  Some people will take three string hay nets, and put the hay inside the three.  When tied tightly it takes alot of work and time to get the hay out.  Your horse will spend alot longer eating his regular amount that way.  If you do that, make certain the hay nets are hung high enough he cannot get a foot through and hurt himself.  They also manufacture feeders which have a wire grate overtop of the hay, it works on the same principal as the hay nets in that your horse must work much harder to get his food.  Many people use grazing muzzles to achieve the same thing when their horse is in pasture.  I imagine a grazing muzzle would really slow down their hay consumption, too, so it might be an option for you if nothing else seems to work.

Good luck.  You've had a few suggestions about toys, and they can help some horses, but you're right - nothing is a good substitute for eating when you're a horse!

Answer 2

dont use oats. they make your horse hot and jumpy.

if youre problem is your horse being fat, cut him down to 3 or 4 flakes a day. i have a reiner and we ride her 5 days a week for at least an hour. she gets 3 flakes a day and is the fattest horse in the barn.

your horse doesnt need that much food. if i were you i wouldnt even think about adding more, especially with the hay prices lately. try getting him one of those likit stall toy things. its like a lollipop for horses that dangles from the ceiling.

Answer 3

I would cut back on the grain. The hay is quality chew time, grain is fast carbs to fatdom. The lot is also good for entertainment value, He'll work at getting his chow and it'll keep him content. A stall chew toy can be helpful if he's in a lot. We hang balls, plastic milk jugs and ropes from the rafetrs for them to monkey with. Some really enjoy dog type squeaky toys in their feed box. They bang on them and like the noise. If you could find a small batch of lower quality hay to mix with your current batch, that'd be a great thing also. If he were mine, I'd give him his standard issue number of flakes of this hay and cut way back on his grain and not add any other feeds.

Answer 4

You really need to study up on feeding management of equines.  Buy yourself a good book or attend a purina seminar at a feed store nearby.

But you are overfeeding with hay, and all the other stuff you are adding.

Cut the horse down to 2 flakes of grass morning and night.  If you feel you need to supplement more, add a flake or 2 of wheat or oat straw.

Cut the grain and anything else out of his diet.

Answer 5

hay is the best thing it should not make him fat. get him a toy my horses love this big ball that had a handle so they could bit it and carry it around. you can get it online

Answer 6

Obesity leads to laminitis so this is a serious situation.  Hay with a high $ of alphalfa is more than this horse needs....the pellets can and should be eliminated.  A mineral supplement may be in order, but the hay should be tested to determine that.  You could also invest in a grazing muzzle if cutting back on the feed doesn't do it.

If the horse is bored, increase the workload...it will also help with the obesity.  Like I said, it is a serious situation that could lead to laminitis if you don't get it under control.

Answer 7

Oats have more energy in them than you might think, so I prob. wouldn't use them to occupy his time. I might try one of the low calorie feeds on the market that keep the mineral balance, but don't add a bunch of calories to the diet.  You could also try one of the toys that you put feed into, and the horse has to play with it and roll it around to release the feed a little at a time.  That should occupy his time, but not increase the feed amount.

Answer 8

Am I right that this horse is stabled for most of the time ?

If that's right and you can't get him out more then I'd forget about the pellets - he doesn't need them. Use a haylage net to feed him the hay - small holes mean he has to work harder to eat so a smaller amount will last longer.

More work and less food - if you don't want him to be bored take him out and do something - even if it's just brushing him.

Answer 9

the problem with horses is that they dont know when to stop.

the difference between a horse and a cow is that

A HORSE WILL EAT UNTILL IT DIES and that is 100% literal.

they do not know when they are 'full' and cows do.

I would use oats as a filler. (My horse loved sweet feed that we used for the cows, as snacks)

Answer 10

If you're feeding him that much hay, consider not giving him grain, or cutting back to just a handful. The hay is the best thing for him anyway. Our vet recommends feeding very little or even no grain, but make sure you supply him with a trace mineral block to supplement the hay. My appendix gelding looks pregnant eating just a handful of grain twice a day and 3-4 flakes of hay. Maybe get him some toys or a pet to keep him entertained (a pony or a goat or something?)

Answer 11

only give him a half a flake in the am and pm.  only 1 flake a day.