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  Discussion on Trouble feeding with 2nd horse in barn.
Author Message
New Member:
baker

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 11:53 am:

Hello everyone,
I love this site and have learned so much from reading all the great advice. Now I'm in need of some help and hope Im posting in the right section. Here goes...I have owned 1 horse for 11 years. I boarded him some but have had him at my own place for 4 years. Everyday I felt terrible with him being alone so I finally found another horse for him to have as a buddy and one I could rescue. This is a Welsh pony, 9 years old, needs some work and patience but is coming along great. Well my QH took over right away and tells this pony where to go but they get alone really well EXCEPT at feeding time.
I have a 2 stall sheDrOw barn, each horse has their own stall. I have always left the paddock gates open to the property and arena which is about 100 x 150, day and night. With the new pony I am having to lock his paddock up so he can eat in the barn without my QH pushing him out of his stall and eating his food. My QH is a very easy keeper, as is this pony, but the QH eats quickly while the pony eats slowly. How do I go about feeding these two without having to lock the pony up so he can eat all his feed. I work all day so that means the pony is in the barn all day and the QH is free to go in and out of his stall at will, and by the time I get home the pony is hot and sweaty because the QH paws and plays with him through the fence. I have never let the QH in this second stall and have always kept it locked up for when I did get another horse he wouldn't think this was also his area but that didn't seem to help. Do I just leave both stalls open and let them work it out or do I feed the pony more pellets and less hay so he eats faster or leave him locked up? This is the first time Ive ever had 2 horses together and want them to be able to play together during the day but the feeding situation is a problem..or it seems to be to me. Any ideas..how do you guys manage more than one horse at feeding time? Thanks for your help..Donna
Member:
caroltd

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 12:20 pm:

Donna, I know that many others who have much more experience than I will have great ideas about this..but just speaking from my own I found that I just had to get up earlier in the morning to feed. I had two mares, one of course the alpha who ate fast and pushed the older slower eater out of the way. I finally had to feed the alpha in a closed stall..the other in an open one. I left them that way until my slow eater had finished her grain/supplements and left the stall. Then I would let my alpha out. As far as hay...I hung hay bags a good distance from each other (cause we know how the dominate horse will try to protect food). My slow eater was able to get her hay ration..although she would have to move in a crazy sort of dance with the alpha. Sorry I'm not much help...it was the only thing that worked for me.

Carol
Member:
klowe

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 2:13 pm:

Hi Donna- I had a somewhat similar problem, although my 2 horses are similar in size but not temperament. The dominant one would get all the food, of course. What I have done is put out hay in at least 3 or 4 piles (or more depending on time and weather, so that when my less dominant guy gets chased off one pile, he just goes to another. Plus I get more exercise, pushing the wheelbarrow full of hay from one part of the yard to the next!

When I give them buckets in the evenings I hang them on the fence around 30 ft. apart, which usually keeps them on their own sides. The only times I have to watch them eat those is if there is medicine or something that each one really needs to get his own. Also, for some reason the dominant horse really prefers to be on the left side with his bucket, so I have accommodated that preference.

Kathy
Member:
annes

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 3:15 pm:

My first two horses were mares and I could leave them eating in open stalls and one never bothered the other one while eating. I never realized how rare that was until I got my next horse and every horse since then. I currently have 3 horses and I feed them their grain 2x a day in closed stalls. While they are eating I do my barn work and throw out hay. When the slowest eater is finished, I turn them out together for the day. I can get all this accomplished in 20-30 minutes so it really doesn't take that long. By the way, my slowest eater is the dominant horse (my TB) but the others would bother him and cause bickering so the closed stalls while feeding is the only option. I think you will find it is the best way and safest for everyone too. Good luck!
Member:
shanson

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 5:37 pm:

Maybe feed him in evenings after you get home from work and can supervise?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 6:56 pm:

Hello Donna,
You do not ever let two horses fight over food in a stall. There is not enough room for manoeuvring and some one is going to get bit or kicked. Horses should be fed their grain separately and while exceptions to this exist, they are not common and never in small enclosed spaces. Usually hay is not fought over so vigorously but it can be placed out in the pasture with 10 to 20 yards between the two piles or better would be above ground hay mangers.
DrO
Member:
mysi

Posted on Thursday, Apr 3, 2008 - 7:16 pm:

Donna,
Dr. O is right (of course he is). You have to separate them to eat their grain for their own safety (and so they can get their food). My pony is a pig and years ago she ate outside with other horses and we had to tie her to the fence at her bucket until everyone else was done or she'd steal everyones food. Even the big guys were scared of her.
New Member:
baker

Posted on Friday, Apr 4, 2008 - 3:27 pm:

Thank you guys for all your great info. I see Im not alone in this dilemma so thats good to know. Each horse has their own stall but the paddock gates are left open..and like I said, I've been closing up the ponys paddock gate so the QH wont bother him while hes finishing his breakfast. I try and get someone to go open his gate around 9 or so after hes finished seeing Im at work. Or I drive home, but with the price of gas thats getting hard to do. So Im thinking about feeding the pony less in the morning. He now gets 6# hay and 1/2# pellets twice a day. Hes overweight and should weigh around 800#. If I feed him less in the morning, maybe 4-5# hay and his 1/2# pellets he will get to eat most of it before the QH is finished with his hay and heads over to move the pony out. Does that sound okay? Today my sister went to let him out and he'd turned his water over again in the paddock playing with the QH on the other side in the arena who stands there and paws and kicks the panels. Thanks again for all your help and ideas..and let me know if that sounds okay to feed a bit more at night while Im there and less in the morning..Donna
Member:
gailkin

Posted on Friday, Apr 4, 2008 - 3:43 pm:

Can you feed more often Donna. I feed 4 times a day so that the piggy horse doesn't have that much extra hay to eat from my other horse who will quit when full or pushed out. Otherwise I like the suggestions to have several piles of hay spread out so that they get exercise going from pile to pile. Once they get adjusted, you may find that the eating equalizes somewhat. My less dominant horse will now stand up for his food when he is hungry or getting his beet pulp. Good luck. Gail
Member:
cgby1

Posted on Friday, Apr 4, 2008 - 6:21 pm:

Donna,
Have you checked the pony's teeth? I find that slow eaters sometimes need their teeth done.

Cynthia
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