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Slave 2 Magic
Gold Member
 England
1023 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 12:58:29 PM
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Just pondering with summer turnout not far away. Do you ride straight from the field? I always was taught to stand for an hour before riding but have read recently that it onlt applies to hard feed. Grass goes more or less straight through the system as it is fibre. Any thoughts?
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West Yorkshire
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Roseanne
Moderator
United Kingdom
6708 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 1:03:48 PM
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| My horses are out 24.7 and yes, they're ridden out straight away. We were taught to wait an hour after a hard feed... |
Roseanne |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 1:11:11 PM
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Brought in from the field, tacked up & off to go |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 1:19:03 PM
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Yes i've always ridden straight from the field, unless they've come in bloated (like little Easter Egg tummies), then I wait a bit 30 mins or so just because I think it must be uncomfortable for them with big bellies?
I was told at a lecture that fibre (grass, hay, alfafa, chaff etc) is digested in the hindgut so safe to eat straight before exercise - it is cereal and grain that is digested in the small intestine so you should wait at least and hour to an hour and a half (guess depending on size of feed & work to be done) before riding!
Most of the horses I know only really get fibre anyway and a balancer - not sure about balancers but we treat as cereal and wait at least an hour.
Sx |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 2:05:19 PM
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| Yes, by the time I've got them ready to be ridden, at least 30 minutes, we're off out and walking for a while. |
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Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 2:21:33 PM
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| Yes, straight off grass - groom, tack up, go. I always walk the first mile so they get warmed up. |
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Zan
Platinum Member
Scotland
3213 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 3:56:07 PM
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| I do too---in, tacked up and off out, but it can depend on the horse. My first horse, Rosa, got really gassed up eating grass, and appreciated an hour in her stable to deflate before we went out, especially as she got older. |
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Evie
Platinum Member
England
3513 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 4:48:27 PM
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| Yes, I heard this about hard feed but not grass. My horse is grass kept and I usually bring her in and ride within 20 minutes of bringing her in from the field. |
Bristol |
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Joto
Gold Member
855 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 5:10:53 PM
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Yes, I've ridden from grass for some 30 years and more! obviously you dont catch the horse up ,mount and gallop off. just warm up 15 or 20 mins ie walk and trot then do what you want after that. no problems at all, ever, in all those years.
Its riding straight after a bucket feed which is not good, the stomach tends to be full and if worked hard the lungs cant expand properly because of it causing problems, also some of the hard feed might enter the small intestine before it should also causing problems. |
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 6:02:03 PM
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I agree with all the above! My boy plus the rest of his herd moved from their winter fields (15 acres with ad-lib hay) to 45 acres of summer pasture on Sunday; it has been ungrazed except by three old cows since the beginning of December and, in these circumstances I always give a couple of days off to "pig out"! However I will ride straight from grass tomorrow - as others have said, walking for about a mile first and to allow a couple of dungs to be passed before I do much else.
Caryn |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
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M Robson
Silver Member
Wales
398 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 7:42:58 PM
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Hi
I have always ridden straight from grass too, but like you if feed during the morning i would always wait at least an hour or so before working them.
x |
www.marley-arabians.co.uk |
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Pauline
Platinum Member
England
3185 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2009 : 8:18:10 PM
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I think it depends what you feed.
My endurance horses will work off a hard fed (A small one) maybe 30 mins after eating.
On longer rides I will feed them all the way round and at vet gates too they will have a choice of feed, from mixes to straight oats or hay.
Pauline  |
Pauline Higgs
Equine & Human Holistic Therapist
www.thegentlestouch.co.cc
www.endurancegbmidsouth.co.uk
Berkshire / Hampshire Border |
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