Looks like my two boys will be coming home from the boarding stable the first of next month.
Right now, Bram (23 yr old quarter draft cross) is on sparse pasture and fed sweet feed (grain with molasses mixed in) twice a day. Quanah (7 yr old paint gelding) is on rich pasture and fed oats once a day. Both are too fat.
I have fairly nice pasture (coastal bermuda grass). I think they'll do just fine on grass, supplemented with hay as the weather gets colder, with maybe a little high fat/low starch pellets to mix their supplements in. Or I might just use a handful of fruit or veg for that. They're in really light work, will be turned out 24/7 (as they are at the stable), and are easy keepers (aka good do-ers ).
So how best to make the dietary switch? Must I buy a bag of sweet feed and a bag of oats and wean them off hard feed gradually? Or can I just switch them to a mostly forage-based diet right away when they get home?
Right now, Bram (23 yr old quarter draft cross) is on sparse pasture and fed sweet feed (grain with molasses mixed in) twice a day. Quanah (7 yr old paint gelding) is on rich pasture and fed oats once a day. Both are too fat.
I have fairly nice pasture (coastal bermuda grass). I think they'll do just fine on grass, supplemented with hay as the weather gets colder, with maybe a little high fat/low starch pellets to mix their supplements in. Or I might just use a handful of fruit or veg for that. They're in really light work, will be turned out 24/7 (as they are at the stable), and are easy keepers (aka good do-ers ).
So how best to make the dietary switch? Must I buy a bag of sweet feed and a bag of oats and wean them off hard feed gradually? Or can I just switch them to a mostly forage-based diet right away when they get home?