Preventing equine ulcers

Horse Owner · 04-04-2013 11:07am #1

Hi,

I am looking for advice on ulcer prevention for horses. I have a TB gelding which showed ulcer symptoms previously and I got a supplement from the vet, but I want to make sure this doesn't happen again with any horses. I have 3 horses which I can feed no more than 3 times daily due to time constraints.. they do have limited access to grazing which isn't great at the moment.. (delayed summer!) I can feed loads of hay/ haylage to one horse and he will pick through it without gorging, keeping his tummy acids at bay. Simply leaving loads of hay for other horses doesn't suit though, as they will eat all the hay within a couple of hours and then stand with nothing for the rest of the night. Any suggestions as to how I can keep their tummies busy for longer without over feeding? Thanks.

mystika121 · 04-04-2013 11:12am

Hi, you could try getting a specific haylage net which has much smaller holes than normal to slow down the amount of hay they can take at once. Double netting also works, putting one haynet inside another to make it harder to take out.

Horse Owner · 04-04-2013 11:59am

Ok thanks... problem is that I have the horses at someone else's yard and the owner there doesn't like haynets, because a horse apparently had a bad accident with one at that yard in the past.. so not an option unless I move yards.

Valentina · 04-04-2013 9:01pm

Could you put a grazing muzzle on him to try slow him down? I know some people don't like them but they can be very effective in restricting feeding. It's important to get one that fits properly and doesn't rub.

Or depending on how large your stable is could you put in some kind of hay rack? I googled slow feeders and a few ideas came up. Depending on how handy you are you could easily make them.

[Image from horseadvice.com]

slow%20grazer%20ali.JPG

[Image from grazingbox.com]

On some forums there's conflicting opinions on whether or not wire racks damage horses' teeth so some have suggested using netting like that used for football goals as it's really strong and wouldn't damage teeth. Cutting up a large haynet would probably work just as well.

Or something like this, no DIY required!

[Image from saddlery.biz]

convert · 04-04-2013 9:04pm

You say you have your horses in livery. Could the owner feed them once a day for you when you're not there?

Horse Owner · 04-04-2013 9:31pm

Thanks both.. Valentina I reckon that with the slow feeder box I would have to use a mesh of some sort, rather than wire- the last idea looks the best although I'm not big on hayracks which are up high.. looks like that one could be fitted a bit lower though so some potential there. Have you used anything like this? Not my yard so would have to suss out if I can fit one.

Convert- I have the horses in a kind-of livery situation, that is, in a friend's yard. Because she's helping me out already I hate asking her to feed them for me.. plus she's not there all day every day, although when she is she does keep an eye on them for me. It's the 12 hours overnight that I am worried about most because the horses can finish their hay in the evening unless I leave a ridiculous amount for them... empty tummies.

Check this out: you only need around €7,000 for it... hmm out of my price range... for the foreseeable future.

mystika121 · 04-04-2013 9:47pm

Have you thought about an automatic horse feeder? You could programme it to give a feed/chaff during the night.

One for sale on DD for €150.

Valentina · 04-04-2013 10:20pm

Horse Owner wrote: »

Thanks both.. Valentina I reckon that with the slow feeder box I would have to use a mesh of some sort, rather than wire- the last idea looks the best although I'm not big on hayracks which are up high.. looks like that one could be fitted a bit lower though so some potential there. Have you used anything like this? Not my yard so would have to suss out if I can fit one.

I don't like high up hay racks either. Most people in my yard seem to use them for storing rugs in. I always feed my mare on the ground. Thankfully she is a really slow eater so I haven't had any issues with that.

If I had to use a feeder I think I would go with the last one too. It's designed to sit in the corner on the floor and you can secure it to the walls. Here's a (bad quality) pic of one in use:

[Image from horseandhound.co.uk]

I've seen these in yards with a little door behind the rack so the horse can be hayed without actually going into the stable. You can also use it with or without a corner manger in top but I think it would be best to have one in place just to stop the horse sticking their head in the top and stuffing themselves.

[Image from olddairysaddlery.co.uk]

Horse Owner · 04-04-2013 11:31pm

Thanks guys.. I had seen the automatic feeders for hard feed; never thought to use them for chaff, but not sure if they would do hay? Perhaps very small amounts but better than nothing definitely.. that feeder looks good Valentina

Ave Sodalis · 05-04-2013 1:16pm

Horse Owner wrote: »

Ok thanks... problem is that I have the horses at someone else's yard and the owner there doesn't like haynets, because a horse apparently had a bad accident with one at that yard in the past.. so not an option unless I move yards.

That's a bit odd, IMO. I get that they don't like haynets and don't use them for their own horses but to deny other people using them? That would be like not allowing certain wormers because a horse once had a reaction to them or not allowing any horse to be clipped because one horse was afraid of clippers before

Horse Owner · 06-04-2013 8:52am

Yeh.. well I suppose I can understand that the yard owner wants to eliminate any potential risks to the horses in their yard..

Preventing equine ulcers

Comments