Postal scales also work well, and store nicely in a 5 gallon bucket.
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Given how small my little scale is, maybe it IS designed for mail! I think it maxes out at 5 pounds. As I never need to weigh more than 2 pounds at a time, I haven’t tested its limits.
So very handy.
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You can get an inexpensive battery digital scale with a hook to hang your bucket from at most places that sell fishing tackle.
I have this one–weighs up to 50#.
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I find the hanging kind the easiest for feed. It’s easy to weigh in a bucket
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Hi everyone,
I apologize for my delayed response. I accidentally changed a setting and missed the email alerts for replies to this post, and I was also on vacation. Thank you all for the tips—I’m looking forward to reading them.
Bonnie and Honey are doing fantastic. We recently added a mini jack donkey named “Cloud” Walker. My daughter has successfully ridden both mares several times and even does trot poles with them. She also does groundwork and occasionally ponies them behind our side-by-side for extra exercise. The farrier is coming in a few days, and their feet are looking great. Honey has filled out well, and Bonnie, being a Thoroughbred, is still lean but progressing nicely.
Bonnie loves water and often nudges me when I’m filling their trough, signaling for a spray down. She stands blissfully while I spray her, even turning for me to get the other side. She’s the leader of the pack, a bit of a lovable bully, but that seems normal. My daughter loves her smooth gait, and Bonnie seems genuinely happy under saddle with her.
Thank you again for all the helpful advice!!
PS. These photos are from when our pasture fence recently got installed. It was right before dusk, so we let them run around for a few minutes while supervising. That’s why they have their halters on otherwise we always leave them off for safety.
IMG_2432|690x472
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Sounds like Bonnie has improved quite a bit since the June 22nd pics!
Can’t wait to see how good she’s looking now!
.
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That’s a really cute donkey! I have one, also, so that when I ride one horse the other has a friend. Burros have so much character. The mares are looking well and happy. Thanks for the update.
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@DaveYGunN it’s been a couple months since you’ve checked in, how are Bonnie, Honey and the Donkey doing?
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The girls are doing great. We recently got into round bales instead of the small like 40lb square bales. It gives them a lot more opportunity to fatten up with unlimited hay. They don’t seem to be complaining. The last time the Vet was here their health checked out as great. The ferrier was here a few weeks ago and said their feet look excellent as well.
Here are a few progress
photos.
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Excellent update, do keep em coming when you can. Many of us do horses vicariously now that we’re old and broke/n.
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This photo of was from a couple weeks ago. She’s filling out nicely. Bonnie is a gentle soul towards people……towards other horses…not so much. Oh well-we still love her!
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That pad is a great color for her
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Are those cavaletti poles behind her too, that she’s working on?
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She looks better than before but IMO she needs more weight. I mean, I have had a few horses that were always on the lean side of life so I get it, but they had more fat pads behind their shoulders and along the tail head. One always had a spine like a razor (build) but had more padding over the ribs.
She’s not an air fern. Any chance of getting a high quality senior feed into her? If she has ulcers, the Triple Crown Senior Active+ is extruded and that may be an excellent choice for her.
Her pasture mate probably doesn’t need it and you’ll have to give her more time to eat simply due to her caloric needs being so much higher.
Definitely looking better, but with room for improvement.
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I agree Thoroughbreds do
Require more food to gain
Weight.
I would suspect ulcers or even
Still having left over parasites.
Are the round bales good quality
Hay or just for boredom eating?
Daughter sure looks happy.
You are a GREAT Dad!!!
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There’s definitely still room for improvement.
These things do take time, but with winter coming, it might be time to up your game before you get too far behind because staying warm burns calories she needs elsewhere
If it were me, and I had stalls (I believe you do), I’d stall at night to get them out of the cold (which burns calories) and feed her a bit of an extra third meal to boost her.
Examples of extra feed would be one or all of the below :
A flake of alfalfa in top of good grass hay
A serving of warm water soaked alfalfa pellets or cubes with beet pulp (always serve soaked)
A scoop of cool cals or similar fat supplement
Just for comparison:
My second horse, a TB, at 19
And my first horse, also a tb, at aged 27
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Plus if they eat their meals in their own stalls in the morning and at night, you know for sure each one is getting their intended food ration.
Their little girl looks thrilled to bits. She must be having the time of her life with them. 
Thanks for the update!
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Yeppers. Just for fun and to have a challenge for this pair of cuties.
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I can certainly try the Triple Crown Senior Active+ … Thanks for the info. Still looking for the right combo to get her fat & sassy. She’s already got the sassy 
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