sykokat
Well-Known Member
So, what do u do ?? Give measured amounts of hay and hard feed OR ad lib hay, less concentrates and a feed balancer. Which one and why, plus what benefits have you had from your choice ??
Ad lib hay v concentrates
- Thread starter sykokat
- Start date
teddyt
Well-Known Member
Grass, ad lib hay and fibre/oil based hard feed as required by the individual horse according to age, condition, workload, etc.
Benefits- Healthy, happy horses! Only one episode of colic in over 20 years of owning horses and that was a reaction to a wormer! Very low starch diet so no associated behavioral or health issues either.
Benefits- Healthy, happy horses! Only one episode of colic in over 20 years of owning horses and that was a reaction to a wormer! Very low starch diet so no associated behavioral or health issues either.
D
Donkeymad
Guest
Ad lib hay over hard feed any day, much better for them. Only give hard feed if they are working enough to require it, or some concentrates if weight is dropping too low below what hay can maintain.
millitiger
Well-Known Member
mine get ad-lib haylage and for hard feed get a handful of alfa-a with topspec.
all look fabulous condition wise, enough energy (for up to Novice BE), cheaper than stuffing with hard feed and much more natural.
all look fabulous condition wise, enough energy (for up to Novice BE), cheaper than stuffing with hard feed and much more natural.
Kallibear
Well-Known Member
I don't understand why you'd want to feed less hay so you can feed more concentrates? Unless they're on such a high work load/such poor doers that they physically couldn't eat enough volume to give the required calories if given adlib hay, but that's really not usual.
Fibre first always. It's what they are designed to eat and there are so many problems associated with feeding concentrates as they're not evolved to eat it! It's also better for their teeth and way better for their mental health.
As others said, I go up through the fibre types to give weight gain and feeding grain feed is my last resort.
Giving an extra feed balancer/supplement is easy to do and negates the need to feed concentrates to ensure full vits and mineral uptake.
Fibre first always. It's what they are designed to eat and there are so many problems associated with feeding concentrates as they're not evolved to eat it! It's also better for their teeth and way better for their mental health.
As others said, I go up through the fibre types to give weight gain and feeding grain feed is my last resort.
Giving an extra feed balancer/supplement is easy to do and negates the need to feed concentrates to ensure full vits and mineral uptake.
MrMeldrew
Well-Known Member
Ad lib hay and grass first and foremost and a fibre based hard feed if and when required
sykokat
Well-Known Member
Thanx for that folks.
Kallibear; I didn't actually say that I wanted to cut down on hay to give more hard feed. Just curious as to what others do as I am considering going ad lib with the Bean. I have been informed that I would be able to cut down on the hard feed she gets and also to add a balancer.Hope this makes sense.
Kallibear; I didn't actually say that I wanted to cut down on hay to give more hard feed. Just curious as to what others do as I am considering going ad lib with the Bean. I have been informed that I would be able to cut down on the hard feed she gets and also to add a balancer.Hope this makes sense.
Kallibear
Well-Known Member
Sorry
read it like an option was giving less hay so you could feed concentrates.
Same still stands - adlib fibre, concentrates only if that's not enough to keep condition. For the vast majority of horses it is - for most good doers it's even too much!
Personally I'd stop all concentrates, give adlib good quality hay and get a balancer/supplement (loads on the market, all pretty much the same so it's down to personal choice and price). Try that for a couple of weeks and see how her weight holds.
Same still stands - adlib fibre, concentrates only if that's not enough to keep condition. For the vast majority of horses it is - for most good doers it's even too much!
Personally I'd stop all concentrates, give adlib good quality hay and get a balancer/supplement (loads on the market, all pretty much the same so it's down to personal choice and price). Try that for a couple of weeks and see how her weight holds.
MerryMAL
Well-Known Member
I always do and only believe in (no offence to you) - Adlib fibre, concentrates for energy and warmth in winter and in summer because we compete. A feed balancer is like vitamin tablets for people - you only need them if you have a bad diet so why not change your diet?
sykokat
Well-Known Member
No need to apologise. I was thinking about cutting her hard feed down as she does drop off if I am not careful and adding pink powder as this is a feed balancer??
Puppy
Well-Known Member
Ab lib hay/haylage and balancer, then minimal amount of hard feed to maintain condition
Kallibear
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Adlib fibre, concentrates for energy and warmth in winter and in summer because we compete. A feed balancer is like vitamin tablets for people - you only need them if you have a bad diet so why not change your diet?
[/ QUOTE ]
Internal warmth comes from fibre, not concentrates. The process of digesting fibre produces a huge amount of heat, which keeps them warm. Feeding concentrates gives them the energy to shiver to keep warm but in itself produces little/no heat.
You don't need to feed a balancer if they are getting the RDA of a good concentrate, but the volume of concentrate the companies suggest is a huge amount and many people don't feed anywhere near that! It's also an expensive way to do it, unless your horse actually needs those extra calories.
You could always get your forage analysied to tell you if it's short of something, but many pastures, and hays and hayledges, are deficient in one mineral or another, hence feeding a balancer. It's rare to be so deficient in something as to cause a problem, but maybe enough so they don't flourish.
Adlib fibre, concentrates for energy and warmth in winter and in summer because we compete. A feed balancer is like vitamin tablets for people - you only need them if you have a bad diet so why not change your diet?
[/ QUOTE ]
Internal warmth comes from fibre, not concentrates. The process of digesting fibre produces a huge amount of heat, which keeps them warm. Feeding concentrates gives them the energy to shiver to keep warm but in itself produces little/no heat.
You don't need to feed a balancer if they are getting the RDA of a good concentrate, but the volume of concentrate the companies suggest is a huge amount and many people don't feed anywhere near that! It's also an expensive way to do it, unless your horse actually needs those extra calories.
You could always get your forage analysied to tell you if it's short of something, but many pastures, and hays and hayledges, are deficient in one mineral or another, hence feeding a balancer. It's rare to be so deficient in something as to cause a problem, but maybe enough so they don't flourish.
TGM
Well-Known Member
I always start with adlib hay/haylage and only add additional hard feed if the animal really needs it. You can always just give a vit/min supplement or balancer in a handful of chaff if you are worried about micronutrients!
Hay/haylage works out a much cheaper form of calories than most bucket feeds! Better for the horse's system too!
Hay/haylage works out a much cheaper form of calories than most bucket feeds! Better for the horse's system too!
ISHmad
Well-Known Member
Ours have ad lib grass and hay plus Top Spec balancer to make sure they get all the vitamins and minerals that they need. Ad lib fibre is far more important to me than anything else as I believe it is essential to keep a horse in good health with their hindgut working properly, keeps them warm and so on.