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NEIGH ADVICE
Message Board

Welcome to the Neigh Advice Message Board.

Here is this week's featured problem:

Haylage, when to feed?

I have run the stables at pony club camp for the last five years. I have very few problems with the exception of arguments about how much haylage should be fed. My problem is that most of the animals are small ponies fresh from 24 hour grassy fields, they are put into stables for extended periods of time and certain parents insist they be fed haylage and given on average 2 wedges to last the whole day and night, saying that any more food will make the pony fat. The problem is I don't think they should be on haylage in the first place. I can't see how it can be used correctly in this situation if the parents are determined to limit the food intake to the extent that the animal has nothing to eat for long periods of time, is this not medically inavisable as well as resulting in hungry and aggressive animals. I'm not sure that I have explained the situation very well but I hope you get the jist.

Please post your suggestions below.
(Previous featured questions along with their answers can be found in the archive)