Hi!
I am new within the Horse area. I was given a young gelding who is now 4 years old, he is only ridden for pleasure about 3 times per week. As you would know we are severly in drought and the paddock he is adjisted in is low on pasture and he is sharing with some cattle at the moment. I am concerned that he is getting enough and the right feed. I am feeding Lucen Chaff, Copra, and Lucen Pellets once a day, This is what he was on when I got him. I am also keeping a round bale of hay in the paddock in place of the non existent pasture. Is this enough ?? Should I be feeding him twice a day or is once enough with the constant hay available??
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as there are so many ideas out there and I have been told so many different opinions and confused as to what would be best for my boy!!

Where are you from? Australia

How did you locate this forum? Google Search

Hi Taneeca,

Just wanted to share some thoughts with you. If you are new to owning a horse, please talk to and ask a lot of questions with a trusted "experienced" horse person if you know any. If you don't, get online and read up as much as you can, or get some books. The best way to gain experience is just to be with your new boy as much as you can!
However, you mentioned he was in with some cattle, and being fed a round bale: if you can pasture him off away from mingling with the cattle, that would be preferable. Cattle can and do transmit diseases to horses ie: pinkeye, diarreha ect. It is okay if he can see them, but not be mixed in with them. Sometimes they can start to think THEY are cows! As to the round bale, be careful! Some hay fed to cows is old and/or moldy, which is fine for them but not for your horse. Examine the bale closely: does it have a lot of dust? Black or white patches? Does it smell good or musty? Green or brown? Do not allow your horse to eat hay that is really dusty, has black or white patches or smells bad! He can get very sick or die from that. Also be sure he has plenty of clean fresh water at all times from his OWN clean bucket or barrel. And most of all, HAVE FUN with your new friend!
Best to you,
Lillee

Where are you from? Ontario

How did you locate this forum? Surfing

Hi Taneeca,

Congratulations! You are going to really enjoy him.

The advice you received from Lillee is excellent and very true. Hay that is considered safe for cattle, can make horses very ill and can even be deadly.

What you are feeding is sound. Just make certain that the grass hay you are offering is clean, fresh and free of mold, manure, and weeds. The lucerne will balance out the protein in the hay, making his diet contain a high quality protein. And, the copra is a good source of additional fat.

I would add a good multiple vitamin/mineral supplement to the diet to fill in any gaps. And, keep the meal of lucerne pellets and copra to no more than 1.8 kg, since his stomach is small, compared to the rest of his digestive tract. So, it is a good idea to weigh his meal. If you are giving him more than this amount, you will need to feed more than once per day.

Thanks for writing!

All the best,

Dr. Getty

I have a suggestion since you are new to horses. if you have a chance to put your horse on pasture, the kind with grass growing LOL, remember do not just turn him out, he can founder if you don't gradually introduce him to fresh grass over a period of about a week.Maybe you are already aware of this but you would be surprised as too how many people don't know this is dangerous to horses.
Have fun with your new guy!

Thank you to everyone for your help. I was thinking of moving him into another paddock but I am very sure that the hay being fed to the cattle is safe for horses as the guy who owns the cattle is a vet and knows that Hardy is with them and they are breeders only with him for another 4 weeks and then he will have the paddock all to himself. What about a lick block what would you recommend ???? Have not had any experience with these before??

Where are you from? Australia

How did you locate this forum? Google Search

Hi Again Taneeca,

Yes, a lick block is essential. At the very least a salt lick, but again beware that licks made for cows are different than for horses. You can get them in various sizes at your local feed store. Since you only have one horse, I would recomment the small salt lick. You will have to purchase a holder for it, but they are inexpensive. Place it just below the level of his face and preferably under an eve or in his run-in so the rain doesn't wash it away. You can also purchase a mineral block the same way. These have trace minerals in them with the salt, but some horses won't lick them. Try him with it and see if he licks it. And they do not replace a good vitamin mineral supplement, despite what you may hear! Personally, I give both plain salt and the mineral and let them choose! They seem to go more for the mineral in winter and just the salt in summer.

If where you have him, the owner of the cows is a vet, then you should be able to get some good advice from him and trust his feed supply, but it doesn't hurt to check it yourself and learn about it anyway. You may not keep him there forever, and you will need to know how to take care of him on your own.

Keep in mind as well, he needs to have yearly vaccinations, a regular worming schedule, and regular hoof trimming and foot care from a reputable farrier.

Congratulations again on your new friend,
Lillee

Where are you from? Ontario

How did you locate this forum? Surfing