Advice on feeding straights please

[planete]

I am trying to plan a winter diet for my retired gelding. Until now he has been fed a diet of unmolassed beet and alfalfa with added micronised linseed, yea-sacc and salt. I much prefer feeding straights as he is prone to sweet-itch and I have now managed to keep him free of it for several years on this diet, plus added magnesium oxide and vitamin B in the Summer.

I feel he would benefit from extra protein and a better balanced diet and have been wondering about adding naked oats. In theory the phosphorous in the oats should be balanced by the calcium in the beet and alfalfa and I would give him a general supplement with copper and zinc. I have tried getting advice from a few feed companies nutritionists but the replies have not been helpful. Do any of you feed this kind of diet successfully?

 

[Goldenstar]

I feed all but one of mine on chopped straw oats speedibeet and micronised linseed I add a supplement one of the forage plus ones.
It's works well.

 

[planete]

Thank you for replying to my query. I feel more confident knowing it works for somebody else. Oats are very unfashionable where I am!

 

[twiggy2]

I feed micronised linseed, pro hoof, salt, non molassed sugar beet, a handful of hi fibre cubes and oats depending on weight and work load-my mare wont eat the feed without the hi fibre cubes or I would not feed them