Re: Carbs - only part of the picture

[Niccolai Murphy <niccolai_m@yahoo.com>]

Perhaps I must rephrase the question. Our horses are never without
hay. They have a choice of bermuda, timothy, oat and orchard grass, as
much as they want. There is never no hay there, there is always waste,
we top up when half is gone. The only time they are without is when we
ride and then I let them snack on the scenery if it doesn't intefere
in the progress along the trail. The only hay that is handed out with
restriction is alfafa which my wife provides in the morning, a couple
of hand fulls per horse, to keep them off her back while she does
morning duty in the paddock.

Hal is the ribby guy who eats a ton. He is not picky, he sees a horse
dentist twice a year, is wormed regularly and is on probiotics and a
ton of other supplements (not including his third of a 50# bag of
carrots every three or four days. He typically chews 30# a day but
eats more when he feels like it, we have measured as high as 40# in a
day in the past.

Given this how do you get them to eat more?

Nicco




---CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com wrote:
>
> In a message dated 98-06-25 01:17:17 EDT, you write:
> 
> << How do you increase hay when you are free feeding it? >>
> 
> Sorry if I created confusion here.  I feed what they will clean up
by the next
> feeding, and continue to increase it if they will continue to eat
more.  If
> they are a bit on the thin side, I will let them waste a bit, or
feed two or
> three different kinds to see what they prefer.  Interestingly
enough, my
> horses that have been endurance ridden for a few years will consume
more feed
> in the trailer and in camp before the ride than they will in the
same time
> span at home--almost as if they know they need it.
> 
> I DO free-feed my broodmares and youngsters on 1/2-ton bales--so
they learn to
> eat constantly rather than eat meals from the time they are babies.
> 
> Heidi
> 

==
Nicco Murphy - Poway, San Diego, CA


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