I have a question

Brandi* · Jan 12, 2008

How should I feed my two girls now that I have been turning them out together? I ended up separating them again last night for dinner and then this morning for breakfast

OH! Melody weighs somewhere between 220-250 lbs and Kya weighs 333lbs. I also give them daily wormer in their feed in the morning. I have always fed Melody in her stall but I am afraid Kya will come in and trap her and kick her brains out. Also, even if I move Melody out into the pattock so that they are both out in the open, how can I make sure that they both get enough? I have never fed two horses before and I just don't want Melody missing out on her ration. Should I continue to feed them separately?

Warpony · Jan 12, 2008

I give 2 to 4 feedings a day and what I do is close one horse inside the stall and leave one out in the paddock. I give them their food, then when the slowest eater is finally finished I turn them back out together. Otherwise my mare gets twice as much food, when in reality she only needs half as much. They get their hay together but I put it out into anywhere from 3 to 5 piles so that if one chases the other off there is always an open pile to get to.

Hunter · Jan 12, 2008

If you want make sure each is getting their ration. The best way is to feed seperatly. put them back together when the slowest is done. Expecially if you are watching the weight of only one.

We stall all our expecting mamas at night, that is when they get their pellets. The hay is put into 8 to 10 piles around outside for their breakfast so there is always hay for the lowgirl on the totem.

We hang buckets from rail in the pen for the geldings. They seem have worked out whos bucket belongs to who, But they all get the same amount so even if they switch they are still getting what they need. There are seven of them together it has worked so far.

chandab · Jan 12, 2008

I have 7 minis in 4 pens (1 mare in pen, 4 mares in another, 2 stallions each in their own pen); I feed 3x day in winter. AM&PM; 3 of the 4 mares go into their stalls (4th stall is still used for storage, as my storage building isn't complete yet) for their ration balancer and any special supplements, then they come out to shared hay. At noon, I feed soaked beet pulp to everyone and just dish it out into separate feeders, they swap feeders a couple times, but each get a fair share. I have no problem with them sharing hay, but prefer to feed their hard feed separately, so they each get what they need.

muffntuf · Jan 12, 2008

I raise shetland ponies but have 4 minis. I have 6 mares in a paddock, varying in ages from 3 to 12. I have one mare that is the lead mare, its my sorrel mare Scarlet. She rules the roost. Doesn't matter she rules. NO one has unseated her yet.

Well last year I just fed in a feeder, but she gained like 200 lbs and everyone else was barely holding their own.

No one gets fed their grain together - just because they each get different rations.

But hay, at night they get their individual ration, during they day they are out in the pasture. I put out 8 piles of hay. That way the mare can't run everyone off. And she seems to have lost some weight trying! LOL!

Brandi* · Jan 12, 2008

Ok it sounds like I will just keep them separate at feeding time. At least until they finish their pellets. They seem to do ok with the hay. Thanks for the advice

Jill · Jan 12, 2008

Some of my horses, I feed in closed stalls for their grain then let them eat hay together. If you want to feed one in the stall, I would make sure she's closed in there or I'd also worry about kicking. In most of my paddocks, I feed the horses along the fence in buckets for their grain and they are separated. There's a pecking order that H and I know so we know who's bucket is who's. It has always worked out well for us (but do have a few I feed in stalls, and in show season, then my show horses all do get grained in stalls).