eating all day

[BullBucker]

I have a 9mo filly who is taking all day to eat her grain. she has been geting one coffe can of oats two times a day. I'm thinking of cuting it in half. I had been keeping her in a 16x24 pen. I now have a 30-35 foot round pen, and she had fun running and bucking today. I left her out there with my pony for tonight, then I'll let the pony out in the morning so I can work the filly. I had not been taking her out of the 16x24 pen cuz she wants to play on the lead, and it is all I can do to hold the big baby. she is not that big for a 9mo, but I'm only 95lbs.

JP

 

[Alan]

Slowly cut the amount of grain down by 2/3. In my opinion you're giving her way too much grain. So is was she is "wired for sound". Start cutting her down today, to about 3/4 of a can twice a day, in about 3 days to a 1/2 twice a day and give her about 5 days on that then to 1/3 can twice a day. My 15.2 hand 10 month pregnant mare only gets 1/2 a can twice a day (with supplements) and good quaility hay. You don't want to cut her grain back too fast or you can cause some problems with her health, but feeding her too much grain will cause some problems with her health also, especially in a young horse. She is hard to handle because she is probably to "hot" from all that grain. Get her cut back to 1/3 of a can twice a day and then start on the ground manners. When you ready this board is good for helping you work out problems with your horse. Lot's of good horse people here.

Alan

 

[BullBucker]

I did not even think obout it being too much cuz when I first got her-as a gift from breeder/friend-she was too skinny. she got picked on by the other horses, the guy said had he knowen she looked so bad he would not have given her to me, and I was just so happy to have her. she is a good looking baby now. I know that she just wanted to play, so I plan to keep the shetland Farrah with her about half of the time. also so Farrah is a very good pet, and when she spooks if any one is by her, all she dose is pull her head back, then calms back down. so I hope that she will teach Cherokee how to stay calm ect. I've been working with Cherokee from day one, she gives me her feet, and for a baby is on the calmer side. she is what one would call "in your back pocket", she likes to be with you. I would have asked for more from her, but like I said she was very skinny, and I did not want to push her.
now that she has more meat on her what would be so fun games for us to play. I can take a saddle pad and put it all over her, she is not a spookey horse, but when she dose spook she gos all out. and she has tested me a few times, I never get mad at her. if I get upset with any one it's me. I have never started a horse befor, so I'm taking it one day at a time.
I'll cut her grain just like you said. it's my bfs family that we I got her from. I like them, but when it comes to horses...I have a hard time taking what they say all the way.

JP

 

[Alan]

Sounds like you have a good plan JP! Cherokee should do just fine. If I can give you another bit of advice to put weight on her, and help her out it is to worm her. You can get wormer from any feed store and you will want to worm her for her weight. If you don't know her weight you can ask someone in the area that can look at her to guess her weight or buy a weight tape for her. Guess her weight a little light not heavy you don't want to hurt her with too much wormer.

Second you say she is pulling away and hard to handle. Can she tie to a tree or anything without hurting herself yet? Don't try it if she can't, since this is your firse horse to start lots of people here to give you good advise on how to train her.

Let me know and I'll help you with that, so she will be easier for you to handle on the lead.

Good luck,
Alan

 

[dianab]

These guys are right she is getting too much. We feed twice a day, (three times for the skinny ones) and give not more than they will clean up in 20 minutes.

After that, free choice hay or pasture should fill any need to chew all day.

 

[Miss Daisy]

Is it even necesary for her to be getting grain? Our colt does fine and is growing well without any grain or supplements. He gets as much hay and water as he wants and thats all we feel he needs.

 

[msscamp]

Is it even necesary for her to be getting grain? Our colt does fine and is growing well without any grain or supplements. He gets as much hay and water as he wants and thats all we feel he needs.

I agree with you 100%, but others will not - be warned! ;-)

 

[Alan]

Is it even necesary for her to be getting grain? Our colt does fine and is growing well without any grain or supplements. He gets as much hay and water as he wants and thats all we feel he needs.

I agree with you 100%, but others will not - be warned! ;-)

What ever do you mean MS, these are not cows we are taking about. You know horses we have to throw money at them.

Alan

 

[msscamp]

Is it even necesary for her to be getting grain? Our colt does fine and is growing well without any grain or supplements. He gets as much hay and water as he wants and thats all we feel he needs.

I agree with you 100%, but others will not - be warned! ;-)

What ever do you mean MS, these are not cows we are taking about. You know horses we have to throw money at them.

Alan

:clap: :clap: Good point, I forgot about that. :lol2: :lol2:

 

[dianab]

Many horses do well with no grain at all. Three of mine get only a handfull twice a day so they don't feel left out while the others eat. I do like bringing them in twice a day to see how they are feeling and look them over for any new cuts and such. (I don't do that with my cattle. :lol: )

I feed my colts grain, because it helps them reach their potential size more quickly. It will not make them any more mature and ready to work, but it makes them easier to sell when compared to other fed (but not fat) colts.

Young horses require more protein than adults, and you may need to feed grain to get that done. I envy the breeders out west who have hay and pasture that has enough feed value to raise a youngster without grain. You can have your hay tested to see where you stand.

A horse not fed as a colt will usually catch up to where he should be as he gets older. I bought a 30 month TB stud colt who only stood 14 hands. With good feed he reached his 16.1 potential by 4 years. He was quite a bargin when I bought him becasue no one thought he would get that tall.