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tell your new barn manager what weight of food your horse gets. Do not leave this to chance. I was once nearly killed by a mare that went ballistic on my out on the trail and I found out afterwards that the farm was feeding this highly strung, very volatile thoroughbred mare 3 pounds of oats pure energy without me knowing!

The only way to be sure your horse is getting the same amount of food is to measure it by weight. If your barn owner looks at you cross-eyed when you mention the weight, take the same kitchen scales and weigh the content of the scoop at the new barn. Then you can make the calculation and give the barn owner the equivalent in scoops.

Also look at the major crude analysis numbers on the new and old feeds. If your horse is used to 12% protein and 10% fat, a diet of 10% protein and 12% fat will not cause him to colic if introduced over time, but it might have an impact on his weight, so keep an eye on that and be prepared to up the amount of food if necessary.

Then of course, we have the case of the midnight raider!

My Welsh Pony definitely comes into this category. Because the Welsh are pretty sturdy animals, he is in more danger from founder than colic due to this but colic is still a possibility.

Mirage is a very resourceful little man. He can open a stall door; he can open a man door; he can disconnect bungee cords; in fact he can circumvent most deterrents in his quest for food or entertainment. So how do I deal with the risk of him getting out, letting others out and getting into the feed store?

The one thing that Mirage has not yet conquered is a chain with a scissor snap; a very heavy duty chain with a strong scissor snap. The best way to prevent him getting into the feed is to make sure he doesn't get out of his stall in the first place. I have a chain with 1.25 inch links and a 1.5 inch scissor snap screwed to his stall door. Mirage's stall happens to be made of thick planks of wood with gaps above and below them and they are screwed into a post that is about 10 inches in diameter. Consequently I can pass the chain around through the gaps and fasten the snap to the 1.25 inch screw eye which is in the post. However, if you don't have these ready made gaps, drill a hole though the door and the wall, at least 8 inches from the edge and large enough to pass the chain and snap through. If the boards at these points are not very thick, reinforce it by screwing a thick plank to the wall and door and drill through both thicknesses at the same time.

So

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