This is SO interesting! Since I board my horse I am not in control of feeding. He spends much of his time in his stall (foundered right after I got him), is only turned out in a dry lot, is it okay to always have hay in his stall? Of course, this could happen only if I could work it out with the barn manager, don't know how that would go over even if I offered to pay more. They feed morning, 1 flake for lunch, and then evening. Sure sounds like having hay available 24/7 makes sense.

Where are you from? PA

How did you locate this forum? google

Hi Judy and Molly,

Judy -- I'm glad I relieved your mind. Glad to help!

Molly....Yes, feeding forage 24/7 is something that is a must for horses -- that is the way their digestive systems are designed. If they go without hay and/or pasture for hours, they increase their risk of ulcers, colic (I just had a client lose a horse toward colic because of this), and laminitis. Colic is common because horses will tend to eat hay very quickly once they have been without it for hours. And, the risk of impaction is high. Their intestines are not utlized and become immobile during the non-feeding times, making them weakened and more vulnerable. Laminitis occurs in this scenario because of stress-induced cortisol levels that become very high.

So, yes -- you can certainly give your horse hay in his stall. He should always have hay there and the only way to know if he's getting enough is to have some left over in the morning. If your barn manager won't provide more hay, even if you pay extra, then I strongly suggest that you find a facility where the managers know something about horses' physiology.

I have literally seen hundreds of cases of colic, ulcers, stress-related bad habits, and laminitis in my years of working with horses that could have easily been prevented if horses were simply allowed to be, well, horses.

Thank you for bringing up the very important issue.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO