Pasture and Feed Help

[tw1lightrid3r88]

I have two horses- one QH mare and a TB gelding. We own just enough land for adequate pastures. This summer- we switched paddocks, and they've decimated one side of it. The other side is full of rich and thick grass, but they won't go there! I feed them grain and twice a day and they are still skinny from not enough feed How can I fix this?

[lindasp62]

How old are your horses? As you know, pasture rotation is very important for many reasons, one being that there is adequate grass to eat.  I do not know the size of your paddocks, but it is possible that it does not supply enough grass to feed the two horses, especially if they are out all day.  Also in summer, grass becomes parched, drought-affected, not to mention trampled. Grass becomes less and less as the summer marches on.  The side where you say there is lots of rich thick grass is probably the "rough" (where the horses poop) and they will not eat near that.  I have the same in my paddocks and pastures.  It sounds like you may need to feed hay in the paddocks at the time when grass is insufficient. Horses do best with lots of forage, rather than piling up on grain.  As a general guideline, the total weight of feed per day for adult horses should be between 1.5% and 3.0% of your horse's body weight (depending on activity level). I usually stick around 2% with most being hay, only giving 3 quarts grain twice per day to my most active, heaviest warmblood show horse. My more sedentary retired horse gets only one quart grain twice per day.  The rest of the % is hay.  If your horses have not seen the vet in a while, I would recommend having them looked over and also having their teeth checked/floated as this could also be a cause of weight loss because they cannot chew and process their feed properly. Advice on feeding should also be sought out from the vet.  As well, a good worming program will keep the horses in good condition. You want to be feeding the horses;not the worms! Keep in touch and good luck!