Feeding - how long do you wait after you ride?

[Roan Mare]

So guys, (those of you who ride before feeding) how long do you wait after you ride before giving a bucket feed?

I currently wait for at least 1 hour after riding, always have done as that's the length of time other people I know wait.

I was wondering if waiting this long is necessary for my pony's health and wellbeing or if I could get away with feeding a shorter length of time after riding.

I'd really like to go back to riding in the mornings and waiting 1 hour between riding and feeding would make this difficult, if not impossible for me.

Obviously my pony's health is more important than my convenience and I won't do it if it puts her at any risk.

[Alyria Leila]

I usually just wait untill my horse is calm, cool and not puffing or anything like that.

but them i'm only really doing ten minute sessions, so she usually stands and cools while i muck her bed a things!

if we have been out hacking and she is sweaty again just for aslong as it takes for her to cool and get herself together!!

[CityLights]

I tend to just wait until they are cooled down and breathing normally, as long as they arent having a huge bucket full of hard feed then it shouldnt be something to worry about too much

[My Crazy Clan]

I wait at least 1 hour plus.

[lilholley]

I only wait 20 minutes.. But to be fair, Bella only has a mug and a half of lo-cal. I basically leave it as long as I can, I go move the electric fencing etc so its usually more like 30 minutes but 20 is my minimum

[Roan Mare]

Cheers for your replies,

Dor only has a small feed too so I may try riding first and feeding her after I've mucked out, filled haynets etc and see how that works out.

[black crow]

Theoretically you must wait atleast 30 minutes at a minimum no matter what they have eaten. Any more than a standard intake of grass in a set period of time [5-10 minutes] they need time to digest it. Also, if their insulin levels are higher after eating, they need time to lessen before major exercise, as it can make them tire quicker - similar effect if you go swimming after eating. In some sensetive horses, it can cause colic.

I always leave an hour, but the times i used to ride it never got in the way of feeding etc

[lilholley]

we are talking about feeding after riding yeah? because that was what I was referring to in my post.. I would always leave at least an hour after feeding to ride

[Tnavas]

The racehorses where I worked came in from walk, usually still blowing a little and sweating, they were hosed down, scraped and covered and put back in their boxes with their feed. Probebly no more than 20mins after coming back in.

Personally I prefer to walk last mile home so the horse is not blowing and has cooled off. Brush off sweat marks, spong if unduly heavy. Rug and turnout. While they roll and have a drink I make up the feed. I never turnout after work immediately with feed otherwise I find the horse doesn't go off and have a drink because he is anticipating his feed.

To me the important factors are Horse is Cool, is not Blowing and has had a drink - once he's had the drink I'll feed.

[Roan Mare]

we are talking about feeding after riding yeah? because that was what I was referring to in my post.. I would always leave at least an hour after feeding to ride

Yeah, feeding after riding.

I would leave it an hour or longer to ride after feeding so I know I definately don't have time to do things that way round in the mornings.

I rode this morning and then let her stand while I got my jobs done (it worked out 30 mins) and then fed before turning her out.

[Spockky boy]

Depends... Anything for 20mins to an hour! Usually I untack, skip out, hay/water and rug- which all takes about 20-30mins then feed. Spock almost always cooled down by then.

But he only had half a scoop of pony nuts and a spinkle of chaff! (which is practically the same as him going back out to the field or eating hay!)

[silverbullet]

Once they have cooled off and stopped blowing. I'm not too rigid on it - never have been.

[Loony]

The riding school horses have their feed already in their stables when they come in.. they get walked around for a lap of the arena, and thats their cooling off period..

I wouldn't do this with my own horse just because I'd be paranoid of colic, I'd probably wait 15/20 minutes.

[bimba]

If I ride in the evenings it's usually because I've only had time to chuck him out in the morning so he gets the time it takes me to muck out, do haynets and water, rug up and mix feeds to cool off so I'm guessing normally 20 - 30 mins. If I just hacked him out then I don't mind feeding him a bit sooner as he's not warm or anything.

[Zeitgeist Mom]

Cheers for your replies,

Dor only has a small feed too so I may try riding first and feeding her after I've mucked out, filled haynets etc and see how that works out.

I'm sure that will work out just fine, as she is only getting a small feed. Just give her a check that she has cooled off and is calm before you feed.

[Lorraine]

Tibbs only has a small feed (ie a handful of chaff with a little coolstance) so by time I've untacked him, put saddle, hat, etc in tack room, put kettle on to boil for his coolstance, walked to the feed store to get his coolstance, added water to his feed, filled haynet and water bucket, walked to the feed store to mix his chaff in with his coolstance, put his rug on, then it's probably about 15-20 minutes from finishing work before he gets his feed by which time he's cooled off.

[chescar]

About 30 mins if just on a hack or rode but not sweated up (he only has a handful of chaff and a hanful of coarse mix )

if he has had a big work out, sweaty and so on - up to an hour or until he is breathing normally, had some hay and a small drink.

[Freya]

Having to leave horses exactly an hour after exercise before feeding is an utter myth and comes from using horses in the military, where the soldiers would be tended before the horses and this was instilled in everyone.
A small feed about 10 minutes after exercise is absorbed much better than a huge feed an hour after. So if you feed any supplements or medicines, after working is the time to give them!
I am NOT, however, saying it is OK to give a horse a full bucket of feed while he is still blowing and sweating. But giving a small feed whilst his heartrate is still above normal should mean you can reduce feed through the day. Same with people- any weightloss coach, personal trainer or physio would say the same.
You must remember though, it is down to you knowing your horse. Don't just do what everyone else on the yard does. You won't get the best from him.