FEEDING YOUR PONY THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS

Hannah Botha, MSc Equine Science, Epol Nutrition Advisor

The December holidays are finally here! For lots of us, that means a break from riding (sob!), but for others, it means more time in the saddle! Here we talk about how your pony’s diet might need to change to fit in with his holiday schedule.

Please remember that this article is to show you the principles, and if you want to make changes to your pony’s diet, you must speak to an equine nutritionist or your vet.

IMPORTANT!

All changes to your pony’s diet must be made gradually to avoid causing health problems!

If your pony will be working harder

If you are going to be riding a lot more over the holidays, your pony will likely need extra food during this time. All ponies should receive at least 1.5% of their whole body weight per day in forage (hay, grazing, hay cubes etc.) This could be increased to 2% of their body weight should they be working harder. Alternatively, you could ask your stable manager about adding in some higher calorie forage such as lucerne or a high-fibre grass cube to add the extra calories without increasing the amount fed.

If your pony is on concentrate feed, it is possible he may need a little bit more when you are working him harder, but it is always safer to make changes to the forage instead, so do this first and see if that proves to be enough!

Note: If your pony is doing more work for a short while, then increasing forage is always the best thing to try first. However, if your pony is doing less work, DO NOT cut his forage, but instead, reduce concentrate and treats. All ponies and horses require forage, so you can add to it, but don’t ever reduce the amount unless instructed to do so by your equine nutritionist or vet!

Time off: One day - one week

For this length of time off, there is no need to reduce or change your pony’s feed, especially if his rest period will include a bit of lunging or some extra paddock time with his friends. However, if your pony gains weight very easily or gets ‘fizzy’ without work, you could reduce his feed slightly if your equine nutritionist thinks this will help him.

Time off: Two – four weeks

This is still quite a short time off, so dropping the amount of concentrate feed he gets is likely to be the best and safest option. Speak to your equine nutritionist about how much to decrease his meals by while you are away. Reducing concentrate feed when your pony is not working is the best way to keep his digestive system and body healthy!

PLEASE NOTE: Reducing feed does not mean cutting out meals, and some ponies can become quite upset if they start to miss out on their regular meal times. So, if he is normally fed three times per day, continue to do this, just with less food per meal.

Always get advice

Whilst it’s great to understand as much as possible about the food your pony eats and why you should always ask your vet or equine nutritionist for advice before making changes to your pony’s diet. They know your pony best and can guide you on how to reduce or increase his food safely!