Am I Feeding Too Little?

[lucemoose]

I know there has been a rash of feeding posts, but please if anyone has time/inclination plz do suggest what you think...
OK a 16.2 +hh TB/WB, runs up v light all the time. He looks v TB, can see ribs , quite hippy too. worked PROPERLY at least 5 out of 7 days.
he is out on average 8 hours a day but of course very little grazing, mainly mud!
At night he gets a big tubtrug of hay, as much as will fit and he will eat (4-5 sections of small bale hay, so approx 12lb-15?) He used to not even eat 2 sections a night..dumbass!
2 feeds a day, am and pm each have 1 stubbs scoop alfa oil, and i soak 2 stubbs scoops of whole oats and then split that between the two feeds.
Also has nupafeed calmer..
Bearing in mind that the oats are heavier as they are wet, I think i could poss feed a little more in each feed?
I dont want a fat horse-noway!just one that has a little more meat on it so i dont feel like an evil owner..
Sorry is so long but like to be thorough and appreciate opinions and honest knowledge.
Thank You

 

[ThomasTank]

have you tried giving him some linseed? that would help him gain weight and make him lovely and glossy. if he is happy in himself.
As you have made this post you must be doubting that you are feeding enough so perhaps up it a bit and if he puts on weight then cut down,.

 

[_Jazz_]

...mulling over ideas...
?age
?rugs
worms
teeth
stress

As you feed Alfa Oil, maybe have a chat with their nutritionist?

Good Luck

 

[vickers22]

try topspec conditioning flakes-good for weight and also give a lovely coat. Or alternatively some build up cubes...or a balancer.To me that feed sounds like not that much because mine is sooo hard tp keep weight on. Though now he is improving with the topspec cond flakes and a balancer(along with speedi beet, alfa A,cubes and veg oil!!)but i reckon if you add a few cupfuls of topspec a day it might do the trick!

 

[lucemoose]

linseed? do you use it at all b/c i haver never ever used it ! Mother dearest would not appreciate it on the hob hehe..
Any linseed products to suggest?
Thanks!

 

[lucemoose]

Umm well-
Rugs he is snug as a bug in a rug LOL.. never feels cold even after cold snap. He wears a MW masta under a HW Weatherbeeta full neck in the stable, and the same outdoors but the top rug is changed to a HW t/o
Teeth, due to be done but he has no probs that i can see.
He is 8.
Just been wormed, and been regularly wormed for past year for sure.
Stress?
that could be the straw that broke the camel's back!
Thanks!

 

[lucemoose]

So what kind of quantities do you feed yours? I did have him on Baileys no.4 , at the recommended levels for 6 months- it kept him from looking skeletal but I wasnt keen on his sanity levels!
Am wary of mixes and now cubes.. Oh dear..Was on veg oil whilst on alfa a, then stopped when I got in the Alfa Oil
Thanks!

 

[ThomasTank]

you dont need to boil it.just put some in a small tub and pour boiling water on it and leave to steam over night and job done. same quanyiyies as for sugarbeet.oh out the lid on and feed a washing powder scoop daily and make enough to last 3 dats roughly. all this boiling business is a little OTT IMO!!

 

[vickers22]

dont know if that question was for me but anyways!well the TS cond flakes have kept him sane,and he is easily exited. i feed him a scoop a day as he was fairly ribby, is just starting to improve.(3/4 weeks)

 

[WelshRareBit]

Pink powder by naf is good for horses losing or who have lost weight, and stressy horses... it worked a treat for my boy

 

[PapaFrita]

You could deffo be feeding more oats; I know that soaked they look like loads and loads!! PF gets 4 scoops (4kg dry weight) soaked oats per day.
As for the rest, good that you're feeding lots of hay. Linseed is very good and you can also add oil (soya/sunflower)

 

[cosmicblue]

you can get linseed meal, litrelly just a powder you can stick in the feed! Would be inclined to feed a course mix/vitamin supplement he's probably not getting everything he needs from just oats and alfa.

 

[bellaM]

Am I right in saying that he doesn't have a proper hard feed, just oats? If this is so then oats contain nothing fattening just pure energy, so you can increase them as much as you like, it won't put an ounce of fat on!! Try him on a proper hard feed like calm and condition or build-up, it will be more balanced. If I am right in saying that all he has is oil and oats then it isn't balanced, he may not have the right vitamins to help him absorb any fat.
Remember you should be able to feel ribs not see them it does sound as if your is a bit underweight, also put some hay out during the day as grass has little nutrients in it this time of year. Don't worry about fancy balancers until you've put him on a balanced diet, Good Luck!

 

[bellaM]

Sorry just re-looked at post, saw you had him on Baileys no.4 for a while, try D+H build-up in 3 feeds a day, also get him blood tested to make sure the're are no liver problems. Add some boiled barley to it has no energy once boiled plus some oil.

 

[sevenoceans]

U can get ready cooked linseed easily (8 quid a bag)... i think it's by Equus. I use 2 blue 50ml scoops and it lasts 6 weeks for my 17 hands TB, or alternativly a linseed oil but it might be alot more expensive (i haven't used it so don't know how much to give)

Yes it's hard slog trying to fatten a TB, mine was on D and H build up, Baileys no 4, baileys build up cubes, many more things i have tried to fatten mine up no avail... he was hacking 3/4 times week occassional hunts a month, was a exracer, he won't eat large qualities even hay aswell, BUT for the last 2 months i have started to reduce (slowly) the quanties of his feed of A&P Calm and Condition/ alfa oil/linsed ready cooked which he has been on for the past year and have increased his hay (excellent sort) and is looking much better. each horse is different.

Echo Rosiep :- check out with blood test, and split feeds into 3/4 times a day.

 

[TGM]

[ QUOTE ]
If this is so then oats contain nothing fattening just pure energy, so you can increase them as much as you like, it won't put an ounce of fat on!!

[/ QUOTE ] That is not true - oats contain plenty of calories and if the horse receives more calories from food than it uses up then it will start to gain weight. Oats are often claimed to be the best cereal to feed to horses because they are higher in fibre and lower in starch than other grains. Some owners do report that their horses get fizzy on oats, and if that is the case then it is possible for the horse to use up more calories in excitable behaviour, so losing some of the weight gain effect. Having said that, a lot of horses do not fizz up on oats and do very well weight-wise on them - just ask PapaFrita about her experience!

As regards a balanced diet, if oats are fed with good quality forage, alfafa and a vit/min supplement, then they can provide a balanced diet. That said the commercial compound feeds are very convenient and easy to feed, and ones like Calm & Condition can be very useful for horses that cannot tolerate a high level of cereal (although C&C does contain SOME cereal ingredients).

 

[lucemoose]

Ooh just logged back on and saw lots of replies thank you all!
Just finished a tub of pink powder which worked wonders..
Will investigate linseed..
I did have him on soaked barley hoops for a while (instead of sugar beet because all that did was make my feed buckets too heavy!) but again too much brain fizz! Aaaaand he was on simple systems for a while!
Am upping the oats (thank you PF, your lady looks grand!)
Will give him a few more months then try C and C perhaps, or build up..
Thank You All

 

[fizz-tally]

build up has sent jay mental so hes came right back off it again

 

[lucemoose]

was that the mix or cubes?