Hay                                                                     reproduced in part with permission from HappyHaflingers.com and author Haley Madden

Most Haflingers don’t need anything more energy-rich than a grass hay; alfalfa is usually too rich for them. A good quality grass hay can fulfill most of the dietary requirements of the Haflinger.  While the general rule is to feed hay at a rate of 1-2% of the horse’s body weight, you will have to see what your horse does best on. Two flakes of hay per horse twice a day is often enough.  If you are not sure what two flakes of hay weighs; put the hay in a hay-net and use a spring scale to weigh it. There are some Haflingers such a pregnant or nursing mares, yearlings or working stallions who may need up to double this hay allotment.  

One challenge with the Haflinger is keeping them eating for an appropriate length of time.  For equine health, horses do best when they are able to eat most of the day.  This keeps their digestive tracts operating well and reduces the risk of some conditions like ulcers and colic.  However, it simply isn’t possible to feed haflingers free choice hay or grass due to their metabolisms and risk of obesity. 

The best way to deal with this issue is to invest in some sort of slow feeder, or hay feeder designed for horses to eat slowly.  Such feeders tend to have small holes the horses must negotiate, slowing their eating and ensuring that even small meals take longer to eat.  This way, even though you’re not feeding your horses as much they are taking a longer time to eat it, helping to ensure digestive health.  If you have a Haflinger who needs to stay on a restricted diet, a slow feeder may be a great investment for your horse’s mental and physical well-being.  The alternative; painful and debilitating laminitis and founder result when care is not taken in a Haflinger’s diet.

Home made slow feeder using fishing net and a bottomless tub.