3 feed companies, 3 very different pieces of advice!

J

Jingleballs

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Well now I'm in even more of a cuffuddle!!

I've contacted 3 of the main feed companies to find out what I can give my HW cob to give him a little more sparkle while not putting on too much weight.

Dengie - recommend keeping him on the good doer and giving him a tiny handful of naked oats.

Dobson and Horrell - keep him on good doer but add their ultimate balancer to give more vitamins (he's already on a multi vit)

Spillers - cool mix and if that does not work instant energy mix - the very thing that someone else working for them told me not to feed.

I'm more confused than ever now!!
 
I think here Baby bear, you need to remember that calories are a measure of energy, therefore you cant give a high energy feed, without giving a high calorie feed. Instant Energy Mix is moderately high in energy, and is therefore mod high in cals, so thats prob why it was suggested not to feed it. You need to go for a feed that has a high % of starch in it, to give him that instant energy (however steer clear if he's ever had lami, tied up etc etc). I would therefore actually go for a high starch feed like Spillers Instant mix, but feed it well below the recommended ration, alongside a broad spec vit and min supplement, to ensure that he's getting everything he needs in that department, as sometimes that can cause laziness.
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Why were you told not to feed instant energy?

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When I advised the specialist that he was a HW cob with a cresty neck (although you can feel his ribs) she suggested that this could cause problems due to the high sugar content.

So how would oats compare with the instant energy feed?? The naked oats that dengie recommend don't show as having any starch?
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I've fed him the instant energy mix for 4 days now and he's been going nicely - not too sluggish but not hyper either even when we hacked out. I am though only giving him a tiny scoop.
 
I feed my mare on it, but she doesn't have weight issues, but is also worked fairly hard. I love her on it, more sparkle without being OTT.
 
finding the right combination is going to depend on the horse- different things work for different horses. The instant energy may be worth trying/keep going with. It may become a problem though if you are feeding him this extra energy and you are no riding him, so he isn't burning it off.
Another thing that may be worth trying is to vary his work to keep him interested and alert.
 
You could feed oats as Dengie suggested (they about 40-50% starch so yes they have starch in them!) however, if you go down the straights route, you may need to think about feeding a specific ''oat balancer'' to balance out the Ca to P ratio and the deficiency in quality proteins, vits and mins that oats have, so that would be extra fuss and expense. If your horse has been going well on the Instant, i would stay on it, but just be wary about signs of laminitis if she is overweight, with a cresty neck and you are feeding a high starch feed.
 
Thanks all.

I spoke to Dengie again and the oats have 50% starch in them so they are a no go.

The best option is probably the Spillers cool mix with 20% starch however this is only marginally less that the instant mix (28%) that I've started feeding him.

I'm just going to keep him on the small ration of instant mix and watch him like a hawk to see how things go!
 
Another vote for the instant energy mix; been feeding mine for about 5 days and have noticed a difference.
However I only feed half of what they suggest, he is not overweight, but has had laminitis two years ago. He gets ridden for two hours a day.
Like you say, keep an eye on his weight and you should be fine
 
To compeletely go against any of the advise you've been given
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I use Instant Linseed for energy. As far as I am aware (and I do stand to be corrected) it does not ... I can't think of the right word
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... basically I mean add weight! Sorry brain has gone to sleep
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quick question- as its instant enegy do you feed it pre-riding or post riding?!

I was always told to feed oats and the like a few hours before riding but it was a pain feeding them then hanging around for 2 hours...

(might sound like a numpty but wanted to ask
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You have to remember that like Kittykatcat says energy and calories are the same thing so what you are looking for is actually very difficut to achieve by feeding alone. Also you say you want "sparkle" I'm assuming by that you mean ou want some oomph or presence which you really get from quick releasing energy sources i.e. starch in cereals. Slow releasing energy sources like oil and fibre are good for horses that are a bit fizzy as the energy source is more slow-release. So I'm afraid if you want a feed that provides oomph then what you're asking for really is a feed with starch. And like you say with a HW cresty cob you have to have laminitis at the forefront of your mind too. It's a tricky conundrum. Spillers and Dengie are clearly trying to do the same thing - adding a tiny bit of quite a high starch feed to see if it wil give a bit of added oomph. D&H obviously think that if, at present, he isn't getting his vits and mins (obviously choosing to ignore the fact that you feed a supplement) then by ensuring that he is getting his full quota and isn't lacking in any vits and mins then he might perk up a bit. Personally I think the Spillers option sounds most sensible as the naked oats aren't balanced as mentioned by a previous poster and at least the Spillers feeds are, the D&H option probably wont make a difference as you're already ensuring his vit and min requirments are met. One thing I think about feeding is that when you're deciding what to feed your horse one of the main considerations is what is he being fed now and how is that affecting him. That's prob why Spillers have suggested trying Cool Mix first, if he's not getting any hard feed or is on something very fibre based then Cool Mix might be enough without having to ramp it all the way up to anything higher. Then you have a second option to try if the Cool Mix isn't enough but is proving "safe" in other respects. And of course I think in this sort of situation it's also important to combine the change in diet with other management factors such as making sure he isn't getting too much grass and is getting loads of varied exercise to keep him fit and interested.

Phew, sorry for the long rambley answer - I like feeding!!
 
My friend has her cob on Spillers Instant. She has been through just about every compound feed out there including the competition mixes and the Spillers is the only one which has actually acheived anything like sparkle.

He hasnt gone silly on it and hasnt gained weight (one of the big benefits) and he can now cope with a full day at shows without looking washed out by the Championships classes.
 
I have the very same problem...I am now feeding Dengie Gooder (not changed) but add 1 scoop of Dengie Performance vits and mins, and use half a 50ml Naf scoop on a daily basis of the naked oats. Not only is my girl looking fab, the neck she has had all summer depsite restricted grazing and well soaked and reduced hay...is now beginning to shift. Only up her oats a wee bit a couple of days b4 going somewhere. She's also absolutely fine, no increased spookiness
 
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