argh what do i feed my horsey????

[kombikids]

help!
I have been doing some research into what do i feed my horse - hes a chunky 16.3hh plus boy (with the conformation of an elderly donkey!) - but have now confused myself even more!

When i bought him he was on bailey topline mix and alfa a but he got super fit and a little bit full of himself so i reduced his work and put him onto spiller hi fibre cubes and hi fi (scoop of each once a dayplus garlic and FFF)which is fine but our grazing is limited and poor. Hes now in at nights and has 5 big wedges of hay.

I was thiking about using a balancer either top spec or blue chip but have no idea what to feed with it.

He does 2x1 hr schooling, 1x3 hour hack and 2x 1hr hack a week.

Can anyone help?!

These are the most recent pics i have (not that great sorry - OH riding!)

and when i got him

 

[Angua2]

I feed the balancer alongside the current feed..... but if you are feeding FFF ( formula for feet?) then this is already a balancer in itself so you shouldn't need an aditional.
Can't see the pics at the mo due to the work PC

 

[AmyMay]

Have you tried him on haylage - and does he have any hay left in the mornings??

 

[kombikids]

no - i was thinking about haylage but dont you have to use a bale a week and i can only round up 3 of us who are interested.he has about half a wedge left in the morning when i feed at 8.

 

[AmyMay]

Ok - so he has hay left. That's good.

My observation would be that he has a grass belly, and very little muscle tone. All this makes up for a picture of a horse not really 'blooming'.

Interestingly he looks better untacked.....

Personally I'd try Redmills horsecare cubes - there is an 18hh heavyweight on my yard whose fed on these and looks absolutely tremendous on them. Together with Alpha.

Fittening work will also give him a better overall picture.

 

[tabithakat64]

If you are feeding forumla for feet that is already a feed balancer so you wouldn't need to feed either Topspec or Blue Chip. What you are feeding him seems fine to me as I like a fibre based diet topped up with a balancer (maybe you could introduce some speedibeet over the winter). He just looks like he needs to build up some muscle to me.
BTW he's lovely I may have to steal him

 

[LankyDoodle]

Just a QR before I read the rest of your post and the thread:

Don't feed F4F if you are giving a balancer and don't feed a balancer if giving F4F. Not necessary.

 

[kombikids]

why is it interesting that he looks better untacked?
hope you dont think he looks ill?!!! i think he could look better so thats why i want to change his feed.
that pic was 2 months ago if that makes a difference?

hes had a lazy 2 weeks- so may have dropped some muscle.

his confirmation does make him look odd- as i said hes built like a donkey! he has a goose rump upside down neck and is over at the knee! i have a good fittening plan in place and am having twice weekly lessons with a great instructor so hope to improve his picture soon. (we do lots of poles, gridwork and am focusing on getting him balanced straight and working from behind, we also have been told to do lots of uphill trot work)

 

[kombikids]

thanks tabithakat64 - hes an absolute gent so isnt going anywhere!

 

[AmyMay]

His neck won't be upside down if he's worked properly - that's not a confirmation issue. And something pretty terrible would have to be going on for him to drop a lot (or any really) muscle tone in a fortnight.

Some horses look better tacked up and others visa versa.

I actually think he's pretty nice actually - and would be really interested to see him when he's fit, glossy and full of muscle.

Good luck with him.

 

[MontyandZoom]

Hiya,

Your boy looks and sounds very similar to my 16.3 22yo tb. I have found the topspec balancer amazing. It has helped him to build muscle and keep condition over the winters. He also used to have really manky feet and it has sorted that out too!

He also has topspec cool condition cubes and I find that that combo is about the only thing that doesn't fizz him up!

 

[kombikids]

thanks - thats what i am going to do top spec cubes and balancer.do you feed sugar beet and hi fi?