# how long after riding should you let your horse eat?



## Lonannuniel (Jun 13, 2008)

I've always wondered how long you should wait. I would have guessed someone would have asked this already, but i was unable to find anything ( so if there is already a thread on this let me know). 

anyway, my horse lives in a stall at night, so after i ride i put him in his stall, where his dinner ( alfalfa cubes & complete feed ) are waiting for him. We ride for about an hour. After which he is usually sweaty. however, he is quite a fit boy, and after a few min. of walking around he has stopped puffing. I feel if he is hot, he is warm, but not overly. I am usually torn as to weather to let him in his stall. He normally has to pee ( he won't do so in the arena ) so i feel bad making him stand. Anyway, how long should i wait to let him eat? are there ways of checking to see if he is cooled off enough?


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I walk him around or do Parelli for a bit after a ride to cool them down, then I'll put them away wehn their chest isn't hot anymore.


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## nate1 (Jul 4, 2009)

Hey I'v read where it's ok if you let your horse drink water it's ok, but I do the opposite because thats what I grew up doing.. the food i'v never waited to feed my horse when she was hot i'v never had a problem, one question I do have is your horse rushing to get back to the barn when you ride him? one thing I'm sure you already know but I'll pass it on anyways becareful with the food waiting on your horse because he'll learn that food will be waiting on him when he gets back and he'll want to rush back just to eat because thats one thing a horse loves to do is eat hahahaha. feed him alittle while after he gets back


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## hflmusicislife (Dec 15, 2010)

I don't know if there's a specific amount of time you should wait, but typically after I hose them off (if it's hot out) I let them wait about 5 minutes then they can eat. Otherwise I wait until they have cooled down a bit, so about 10 minutes. I usually don't have to wait long after I ride to feed; untacking generally takes enough time.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

hflmusicislife said:


> I usually don't have to wait long after I ride to feed; untacking generally takes enough time.


Me, too. Untacking, a quick brush, and checking their feet is long enough. More than anything else, it emphasizes that they must be patient.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

As already said, wait until your horse is cooled off, and they aren't breathing heavily.

Personally, I like to leave Nelson's feed outside his stall, sitting in his personal bucket, and allow him to go into his stall to eat some of his hay first. I like him to have roughage in his stomache first before he puts his "grain" in his mouth - but that's just a personal preference because he has ulcers.

In the summer, I will untack, and hose Nelson off and then walk him around a bit, or let him graze on grass for a while before I feed him his dinner - but as stated, just wait until your horse isn't warm anymore.


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## Kay26 (Sep 28, 2010)

I was taught always wait half an hour after riding to feed any hard feed but only till the have cooled off for hay. I normally walk my boy for 5-10 mins after hard work on a long rein and slack girth. I was always taught that if you feed too quickly they can colic, but how true that is I don't know, I've just always believed it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## eccodecco (Dec 10, 2010)

Maybe I'm a little worried, I've always been told to wait an hour to feed but depending on the weather and food (water intake) you can probably wait less time. Cool and breathing normal, and calm Is what I wait for. (I normally give some hay before feed(with water in the food) too)


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

I wait atleast a half hour for hay and an hour for grain. I refuse to grain a horse right after a ride. I have no scientific facts to back it up but to me its just sounds right.


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