Horse Answers

Thanks for your advice. They do always finish their hay, and we poo pick every day so the fields are generally clear. They have plenty of energy and nice shiny coats. The main problem is that I actually want them to lose weight but am finding out it really is a slow process and don't want to starve them! We have rich grass where they are at the minute (can move to meadow grass when hay's baled) so 1.5acres seems a lot, although cost-wise more grass is more appealing than more hay! They're about a condition score 4 - my TBx mare needs to slim her belly and the other's a welshD gelding who's generally well covered, though he did slim down a bit over winter and we've kept that weight off.

It doesn't sound like enough grazing to me, especially as you say it's well eaten. When you go to give them more hay, have they eaten everything you gave them earlier? Good quality grass won't last much longer anyway, then there will be another flush in September, and after that it's winter all the way. Generally I would say 1.5 acres/horse as an absolute minimum. And do you poo pick, otherwise it's even less grass. I would use a weigh tape to make sure they are not losing weight. Do your horses seem to have plenty of energy when you ride them? I would maybe give them half a scoop each of Pasture Mix or equivalent per day, just to keep them going.