Horse returning from 24 hr grazing!!
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Jaxal
11 May 2010 14:06
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Hi Guys!
I've recently just bought my 5 yr old Fresian X! His previous owners sort of neglected him for about two years, plonked him in a field and left him there! He's not had much work at all, light hacking once in a blue moon I suppose!
He's very unfit, however is not over weight. Although I prefer 24 hr grazing... I'm having to move him to a new yard (closer to me) that does not allow it... he will be out for summer grazing (early morning till 6ish.
At the moment he has no hard feed - only grass and the occasional bit of hay. I was wondering what would be the best thing to start him off with for when he moves? I will be riding him 3-4 times a week training him up because he is still green!
Any idea's would be great :)!
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joallan
11 May 2010 15:52
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Fantastic type, they are so willing and will respond to feeding without going MAD.
I had one who I put on long reins and took out on a farm road after only two or three sessions in the arena.
I think you will do well with 12 hours on grass and 12 indoors, as you can control the amount of weight he puts on, ie not too much.
Feedwise, I would start off giving him two x 0.75 kilo feeds of coolmix or 1-1.5 coffee cups of feed balancer per day plus 3 to 4 kilograms of stalky hay, no need to overdo the feeding but he will need plenty of vitamins and minerals, for this reason, I only use premium brand named feeds.
It would be a good idea to get his teeth done, also I would make sure he has his jabs, as even the most placid can get into trouble vis a vis tetanus, also always use boots to prevent knocks and cuts on the lower legs.
On days when you do not ride, you can do basic training and handling, grooming, picking feet, walking in hand, good manners in stable and out. Long reining round the yard will give him confidence and let you learn about him, the horse will learn to carry himself naturally and respond to aids from the ground.
Ideally you should school with an instructor every week, this will get you to set your goals and progress steadily.
Try to find a nice steady type to hack out with, take no risks with traffic, as horses always remember any scary events.
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Horse Hero Guru
11 May 2010 18:54
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Hi Jaxal
Congratulations on your new horse.
You are certainly aiming to do all the right things with your horse. If he has been in a filed he will have a lot more fitness than a horse that has been stables, however, if he has been there for a couple of years he can hardly have done much more than be backed and turned away. I suggest that you go through the whole training process again (although you should be able to take it far more rapidly than you would with a completely green horse). In that way you will be able to identify and correct weaknesses as you find them
Your question was on feeding though, and, as you know that depends on the weight of your horse and the work he is doing. You always feed in response to the work done, not the work you are planning to do. The one ting you do not want to do is to overfeed him – not only will he put on weight, but he may get more energy than you want initially, especially since he will be confined to a stable for at least 14 hours a day. This being so I disagree with Joallan’s diet, although I agree with everything else she suggests.
Initially I would just feed him ad lib hay with, if you feel cruel not giving a bucket feed, a handful of a chaff mix with a vitamin and mineral supplement plus a couple of carrots or other vegetables. It is impossible to say whether he needs extra feed without knowing the quality of your grass and hay, but assuming both are of average quality he should be more than capable of doing the desired amount of work (and a lot more) on grass and hay alone. On the days that he works you could possibly double up the chaff if you want to. Until he is actually doing more than light work (one hour of walking and trotting or half an hour of trotting and cantering every day) this may well be enough.
Monitor your horse all the time and use a weighband and condition score him fortnightly. If he starts to put on weight then reduce his feed and if he loses then up the feed, but make sure that your diet is fibre based – don’t feed sugars (molassed mixes) and cereals – those are for picky eaters or those in hard work.
Ideally your horse should eat between 2% and 2.5% of his bodyweight each day. It is difficult to monitor how much he eats while in the field so you will have to adjust the amount of hay depending on how he looks and behaves.
I am sorry if I am offering contradictory advice, but overfeeding a young horse is unfair to them as it means that they can learn bad behaviours through having too much surplus energy, especially since he is also losing his 24 hour a day freedom.
Good luck – I am sure that you and your horse are going to have a lovely life together
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Jaxal
11 May 2010 22:04
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This post has been deleted!
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Jaxal
11 May 2010 22:04
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Thank you for your comments! It's really appreciated! I forgot what it's like getting a new horse! Very exciting! I must admit, when I first viewed hm and went for a test drive, all I could think was 'what a waste...' he has so much potential, and yet just because the previous owner and he had a bad experience in traffic (nothing too dramatic, but she is a nervous rider)... they've just left him in a field! So although he is nervey at the moment around anything that has a motor (however not dogs/people/children etc), he has such a 'can do' attitude and just wants to please... so fingers crossed!
I will deffo follow your advice horse hero guru and keep things simple whilst keeping my eye on him over the next few months. Although he is relatively placid, as soon as I get on his back he's very forward going - I don't want to dose him up on unnecessary sugars which are likely to send him loopy.
Thanks again!!
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