Cross posted here from members forum.

We are using big bale haylage and I unwrap the bale, pull it apart and move it undercover using a giant wheel barrow. It takes about an hour and I don't want to be doing this during the week as I rarely get home from work before 6:45 and it's 8 before all the animals are fed, let alone the humans getting any grub. We only have 2 big ones, the yearling and the Sh*tland at home at present and they're not always getting through one of the big bales of haylage in a week. Therefore I sometimes have a heap of haylage left when I'm needing to move another bale. I can chuck it in the hedge or the muckheap or just lose it in the mud but I hate waste with a vengence. What I was wondering was, would I be allowed to chuck it out on the forest for any passing critter to eat? I wouldn't leave it near a road but take it away from traffic. I know there are penalties for feeding the animals but would this be different?

 

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17. -(1) No person other than the owner, the authorised agent of the owner or an agister shall hand feed or attempt to hand feed any horse, cattle, pig or sheep depastured in the Forest.

(2) No person shall place in the Forest material that might be consumed by horses, cattle, pigs or sheep depastured in the Forest, except that the owner or authorised agent of the owner may place straw, hay or other feedstuffs in the Forest for the benefit of the owner's horses, cattle, pigs or sheep in such places as shall have been previously approved for that purpose by the Verderers.

I think this should answer your question!

basically, if the ponies become used to being given food, even if irregularly, then they are likely to stop foraging as much and their condition will deteriorate. Apparently. This is what I have been told. Nice idea though.