What do you feed you're minis?

[Just1littlehorse]

I'm looking around trying to find something to feed my mini. She's not underweight, I'd just like something that will give her all the minerals and such... she's 2.5 years old and huge lol, she's about 48"

So do you feed just hay or???
Thanks

 

[Willow Flats]

I feed a low sugar hay and use a balance rationer called Purina Enrich Plus and it has worked well for me. It does not add a lot of calories for easy keepers and they love the taste.

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

For our younger ponies who don't need grain, we feed a locally grown grass hay and then give them a locally manufactured vitamin/mineral supplement that includes selenium. (Our region's soil is very low in selenium, so it's important to supplement. Other areas are very high with it and should NOT feed it.)

Here, a 48" pony would be getting a flake of hay twice a day.........and more when it's really cold out. And this time of year, we do regular hands-on body checks.

 

[Taz]

In Canada one of the easiest low cal/starch vitamin/mineral supplements you can get is purina equalizer. They love it so you don't need to top dress it on grain. She'd get about 1/2 a cup twice a day maybe a little less.

 

[Abby P]

My 37" guy gets first-cut grass hay all the time in a very small hole hay net, plain salt, and Triple Crown 30 which is similar to the other ration balancers mentioned - designed to go along with grass hays and gives minerals without a lot of calories. He needs about 3/4 cup per day, it's by weight so you'd obviously need a bit more for a 12h pony.

So far he seems to manage his intake OK but I have another net available to double-net if I need to slow him down more. I rough board and can't get out every day, otherwise I'd weigh his hay.

If you buy your hay in large batches then you could test it and balance the minerals but this isn't feasible in a lot of boarding situations.

 

[Walt's Fault]

It depends on your pony and region. My 30" get about 4 lbs of T&A twice a day, he won't eat the thick stalks so about 1/2 is wasted. He gets a feed ball once a day with 1 cup of alfalfa pellets to play with and snack. Twice a day I let him graze for about an hour on jumbo winter rye that I planted a month ago.

 

[EmmaRuby]

Wondering if anyone can help I’m worried I’m giving the wrong feed as taking advice from horse owners. I’ve put up a few posts but no reply’s yet.
my mini is 6 gets 30mins exercise a day 1 1/2 in the field each day.
I currently feed 1scoop of pony nuts and carrots mixed with her sweet itch supplement in the morning as the rest of the yard get a feed. The rest is hay throughout the day around 3 small hay nets.
Am I over feeding? She’s not overweight but I’m a worrier

 

[Willow Flats]

If she is not overweight then you are not over feeding. You have to feel through their coat with your hands to assess if they are carrying extra weight.
My trainer has a 32" mini that gets 4lbs of hay a day plus some stable mix but he is driven regularly.
We feed more in the winter and adjust if the horse is losing or gaining depending on pasture time exercise etc.
The only way it works for me is to weigh my hay so I really know what they are getting. That way I can adjust.
I got an inexpensive scale from Walmart and have been using it for a few years. When I dust it off it looks like new.