Addition to sugarbeet Q - wet feeds or not?

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Gorgeous George

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I was reading the post about soaking sugar beet with interest, and it seems that a lot of people damp their feeds down - is this something that I should be doing? My boy is 8 and has no trouble eating, but I don't want him to get choke or be poorly. He currently has a pretty dry feed of 1.5 scoops of hi-fi, 1.5 cups of lo-cal and 2 carrots and an apple. If so how much water should I add?

Thanks
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I don't "damp" my feeds down - I soak them! I always, always feed every feedstuff wet. Dampening feed, particularly SB, makes them even more sticky, so they really need to be more than damp.

For what you are feeding, I'd say use close-on 1 scoop of water.
 
I do the same Tia....I don't give feed any feed 'dry'.
Last week I had to bring the ponies in because of the godawful weather and as we have no hay yet, had to give the ponies a HUGE trug full of HiFi each to keep them going though the night....didn't wet Lux's before I put him in(stupid really) and the greedy git took a monstrously large mouthful and promptly 'choked'.......hence 2 buckets of water went onto his HiFi!

Lesson learnt
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Depends on the horse and the foodstuff. I would always soak cubes as I feel there is a big danger of choke with them. Our old pony used to be fed Spiller's Happy Hoof which is a chaff-like feed - I didn't wet that as she wouldn't eat it when it was damp.

At present, all my horses feeds are based on Alfa Beet which has to be soaked anyway.
 
i feed alpha a lite and h&P cubes with magic and i just add a splish of water and mix it round. i do it more so that she actually gets the magic caz shes one of thoes that throws all the feed on the floor before eating it
 
I have always been taught to dampen feeds down, so always do. For example at the weekends I make the feeds for all the riding school horses, every feed is then dampened before it is fed
 
I use soaked oats (they are drained) and speedibeet, so the base of the feed is very wet. At this time of year I am only adding supplements to that. The exception is one of the horses that has a handful of nuts (to give her something nice to find in her food, she doesn't get oats), hers are stirred in at the last minute.

Sometimes the feeds are made up in the morning and left to soak all day- more so in winter.

Having dealt with a case of choke that required the vet several years ago (not my horse but the owner wasn't about), I don't really want to go through that again.
 
Depends on the feed IMO. Everybody has their own ideas (as through the entire of the horsey world!). I wet most of my feeds with sugar beet or soaked oats but not soaking. I cant properly drench my feeds because 2 of my horses are very picky about how wet their feeds are, anything more than damp and they wont eat it!! Whereas I dont wet one of mine's feed at all, because she gets a big bucket of alfalfa - if its even vaguelly damp then she tends not to eat it! I think because alfalfa sticks together and gets a bit gross if wet.

Also depends on the circumstances - I obviously feed it wetter if Im adding electrolytes or the horse has had a hot day. Whereas Ive learnt to not wetten one of my picky horses breakfast's if he's going to an event. He gets anxious when he knows he's going somewhere and usually wont touch breakfast unless its not wet (dont ask!!).
 
I always add a scoop of water to my feeds - am on assisted DIY so make them up the night before, I mix well and then by the next day they are nice and soaked up. I do it for a few reasons: my boy is 26 and is a real gobbler and have always been taught that wet feed is better for avoiding choke in horses that gulp their feed. He also suffers from a cough so try to avoid feeding anything dry (he also now has soaked hay, much to his disgust!) and any way of helping keep fluids up is a bonus IMO.

I know horses don't think like humans but I always think a dry feed to horses must be like us trying to eat dry cream crackers!!!
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I always dampened feeds when making them up myself. Now I am on full livery and have noticed they don't damp his feed. So I have requested for it to be done again. I think it can be a useful way to get a horse to take on board more water. Also I expect it makes the food easier to eat. I'm definitely in favour of it.
 
Im feeding alpha beat (which has to be soaked anyway) and happy hoof.

I always have it very wet. Its easier for him to eat and help prevents choke ect and i find he eats it quiker when wet. He spends half his life it a dream world already and stops for a gaze into space after every 5 mouthfuls so if he eats it faster when wet the better.

I would add some water especially as hes got nuts in it

Though as others have said it depends on the horse aswell. My friends horse just has some happy hoof fry and shes never had a problem
 
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