Question #4

Dear Danielle,
My grandpa had started out with a pregnant mare boarding on his land.Once the filly was born the owner asked us about putting another horse in for her new husband.They put a mare in and then took her out because they didn't like her.Then they put two, and I'm assuming here, geldings in. Several times they have fought with each other when one of us is petting the other.
They get jealous.They have eaten down all his grass and when the owners decided they were getting to fat we weren't allowed to give them stuff and they don't seem to bring a lot of hay.They're actually eating an old shed made out of wood.Do you think that they're not taking care of the horses and do you think we should ask them to remove one of the boys?
--Miss Bennett

Hmm, this is a tricky one. I'm assuming that these two horses are the only ones in the pasture now that the mare is gone, if I'm wrong let me know. Horses, just like people, tend to have other horses that they just don't get along with. It seems like these two horses would be okay with each other until one is getting attention and they get jealous. This puts you in a somewhat dangerous position and you could let the owners know that. If they really don't like each other you could try seperating them for a few weeks and then they might think that's it is better to have a buddy than to be all alone. If they still fight and you have a barn or another pasture, you could put one in the barn during they day and one in the pasture, and then switch at night. If they really are violently fighting though and may hurt each other, one of them really should be removed.
 About the horses being too fat, see if you can determine the horse's body score. There is quite a few resourses on the internet that help you determine if the horses really are fat or just a little heavy. If the horses really are fat, (about 7-9 body score, depending on the horse) then I can see why they are limiting feed intake as part of a diet. Ask them how long they plan to have the horses on this diet. A diet should not last forever.
   If they don't seem to be fat, the owners should be bringing more hay. A horse eats on average about 20 lbs. of roughage per day and in my opinion should be given as much as they can eat. Horses usually won't overeat roughage, and unless they are very easy keepers they won't get fat. Another thing to think about, are they really eating the old shed, or are they just bored and want something to chew on? If they are eating it they may be very hungry and need more hay to eat.
   I'm not sure if these people are properly taking care of their horses. But since they are boarding on your grandfather's land, you have the final say in what and how many horses you want on it. Talk to the owners to see what they think. If they are abusing the horses, let them know that you won't tolerate that on your land. Then, of course I guess they could board somewhere else but the animals are theirs and they have the final say in how much they feed them. (If it is obnoxious though, don't be afraid to let the animal cruelty people know!) And if there is no grass left for the horses to eat in your pasture, you could let the owners know that you think you are overgrazing the land and need to let it rest for awhile, and that they should remove one of the horses.
 I hope this helps at least a little. If you have any more questions let me know!
Thanks,
Danielle