Re: feeding schedules

[Gayle Ecker <gecker@uoguelph.ca>]

On Tue, 12 May 1998, C.M.Newell wrote:

> How important is being prompt
> when feeding i.e. scheduling the times? 
> 
> 
> 	Back when I was a barn manager, I used to think it was a big deal. Then I
> met a 3-day eventer who expalianed that she fed within a 2-hour window
> (with free-choice hay), as at an event, she had less control of the
> schedule, and didn't want to add more stress to the horses. If their
> feeding time was not carved in stone, they seemed less anxious.
> 	I tried this out, and found that it works for me. Been doing it for over
> 15 years now. Good thing, too, as my schedule would make it impossible tof
> my crew to eat at set times!
> 				--CMNewell, DVM

I started out feeding my horses (Arab show horses) to the "exact feeding
regime" too, thinking I was being so very good at management :>.  
The horses became demanding, pushy, fretful and some were
downright ignorant if I was half an hour late!  I started to vary the time
and kept to about a three hour window (occasionally longer when we were 
coming home from a show and the neighbour would just put the hay in for us).
After a while, that kind of behaviour disappeared and I honestly believed
that I had calmer horses as a result.  We never seemed to have any
digestive upsets as a result of the varied feeding schedule.  I have since
suggested this as an alternative to others and get good feedback.  So for
what it's worth, I fully agree with Dr. Newell!

Gayle