Can you guys give me a scientific cite -- something from a "learned treatise" preferrably, that gives this information. I'm in the midst of trying to help get some horses out of a pretty horrible situation and the owner has the sheriff and the prosecutor convinced that feeding four horses a total of 15 tiny flakes of hay a day (for all of them together) is sufficient. These horses have no shelter or blankets and we have had rain and snow and freezing temperatures for quite a while. Two horses have already died, but the sheriff doesn't think that was significant because they were of a "weaker" breed (Thoroughbreds).
Rhonda
> From: bwalker2@xxxxxxx > Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] Pounds of Hay > Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 11:45:09 -0800 > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > OK ... I must have mis-read. I thought that figure was the total > amount that a horse would / could eat, and then for work, you would > replace part of the hay with higher-calorie supplements in order to > get the needed calories. That is what I've been doing with my fellow. > > I started him out on just grass hay when I first bought him, and he > lost too much weight. He went from overweight to almost underweight > in the space of a month, and then went a bit underweight the next > month until I got his supplements boosted high enough. > > Either way - I know that Caisson won't eat anywhere near 4% body > weight, even if it is in front of his nose 24 / 7. He always has an > extra hay bag filled with hay - which he sometimes ignores for weeks > at a time. He will usually nibble about a pound or two out of it a > day - no more. If, as Elanor says, he may have an inadequately > developed hindgut, I guess that makes sense. > > On Feb 6, 2008, at 11:10 AM, heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > > >> I thought that "adequate" intake was about 2% of body weight. Since > >> he is 840 lbs, that is about 16.8 - 17 lbs, which is about what he > >> normally seems to eat, including supplements. So -- I thought he was > >> doing OK in that respect. However, it sounds as if other folks > >> horses eat a whole lot more than 2% body weight of hay. So -- is the > >> 2% figure wrong, or on the low end, or ?? > > > > That's maintenance. Work or lactation takes a lot more. Figure an > > intake of 3-4% of body weight for heavy work or for lactation, > > preferably on the high side of that for lactation, and wherever > > within that range meets the level of work being asked. > > > > Heidi > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. > Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp > Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp > > Ride Long and Ride Safe!! > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= >
