Any nutritionists out there - feeding advice wanted

[treacle_beastie]

I wonder if anyone can help me assess if I am feeding my horse correctly.

She is 6yrs old, 15 hh TB x Cob in good condition and weighs 540KG. I can just about feel her ribs. She was fairly fit before 7 weeks box rest and she has been back in light work for 3 weeks. She is lunged once a week and schooled 3 times for about 30-40 minutes in walk and trot and has just started hacking out for say 40 mins once a week and the odd canter in the schooling session.

She is out on fairly good grass for 8-10 hours a day and is fed 1 large bale section of haylage (it fills about half a large haynet) but she will shortly be back on hay and I will feed her 3 big sections. I like her to have forage left in the morning but there has been none left since she has been back in work. I feel she has gained a few pounds but not overly worried as her workload is steadily increasing. I just think I am perhaps feeding her unneccessarily.

I am looking for feed advice for 3 situations:

1) when she is back on hay (good quality) and assuming her work load involves much more faster work and jumping up to 45 minute sessions and hour and half slow hacks.

2) for her current demands

3) out 24/7 and no hay

I currently feed 1 scoop of happy hoof and 1 scoop speedibeet, respiratory supplement, vits and mins supp, garlic and calmer. This is split between 2 meals.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[dwi]

I wouldn't think she needs much more than half a scoop of happy hoof a day to carry the supplements. I don't think I'd be feeding the speedibeet.

For comparison, Daisy is a 15hh cob ridden six days a week inc 2-3 hour hacks in trot and canter, pleasure rides, dressage, occassional hunting in winter. She weighs in at about 500kg and in my eyes still has a little fat to lose.

She is out 24/7 on a starvation paddock and gets 2kg 12hour soaked hay at night. For dinner she has half a scoop of good doer, the lowest calorie chaff that you can buy to carry her vit supplement.

If you think about the fact that the grass is just starting to come through again then almost all horses will put on weight in the next few months if left to their own devices. you won't do her any harm feeding more happy hoof than necessary but it might be more than you actually need to feed when you'd be getting just as much fibre into her with some good hay.

 

[treacle_beastie]

Thanks - you have suggested exactly what i've been thinking though would you feed this amount all year and just maybe up the amount of hay in the winter? or up it to one scoop in winter?

I only introduced speedibeet in october as the grazing she was on was non-existent and she began to drop weight quite quickly and I didnt want her getting too skinny for winter. Not sure why i am still feeding it though!

I was only feeding half a scoop happy hoof in the summer which seemed fine.

 

[dwi]

My personal preference would be to keep upping the hay until she has a little left in the morning and then look at changes to her feed.

I actually feed more chaff in summer because D is a very good doer and the vet recommended filling her up on chaff so that she would eat less grass. (I don't think he understands how a cob mind works myself

)

 

[wonkey_donkey]

Regardless of workload if you feed your horse 2% of her bodyweight per day then just adjust the hard feed / fibre ratio up and down within that 2% to depend on how much work she is doing then you won't go far wrong.
For example if you feed her 10kg of hay and 0.5kg of Happy Hoof now but want to increase her energy intake then change it to 9.5kg of hay and 1.0kg of say Alfa A.
Adding oil will also increase her energy without having to up the weight of her feed or sending her nuts!
Some people only feed 1.5kg of the body weight each day to encourage weight loss but from my days of studying nutrition and from personal experience this is really not enough to maintain a healthy horse (either internally or mentally) and should be avoided.
If feeding haylage instead of hay increase the weight by about 10% to allow for the moisture content of haylage.
When feeding off good grass unfortunately this is another matter as it is very difficult to control or be aware how much your lady will be eating each day!