Barefoot diet - energy and weight gain

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Hi all,

My tb has been barefoot for 3 months, currently fed fast fibre, 2 mugs of micronised linseed, pro hoof, salt and adlib hay. He really needs to put on some weight and he could also do with some ooommph. I have searched through lots of past threads and there are so many choices - oats, copra, ers, beet etc. So I am really looking for recommendations on whats worked for you guys.

Thanks
 
I would start with unmolassed beet pulp and go from there. You can feed a fair amount of it, and it has a similar energy level to a conditioning feed, but is low in NSCs and high in digestible fibre.
 
Ers pellets are great for energy and do help with condition too due to the high oil content.

If you do still need more 'oompf' you could add a few oats - they are pretty safe for barefooters :)
 
TwoStroke said:
I would start with unmolassed beet pulp and go from there. You can feed a fair amount of it, and it has a similar energy level to a conditioning feed, but is low in NSCs and high in digestible fibre.
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I second this.
I'd mix it with the FF to use it up and then just the beet. FF has beet in it anyway.
 
Last edited:
My TB gets soaked oats, added to unmollassed beet and m.linseed, along with his min supplement, ulcer supplement and now fenugreek.

The oats have definitely helped, he has extra energy but is never silly and they have not affected his feet. I've started adding fenugreek in the hope that will help add a bit extra weight/aid his top line development, but it's also meant to be good for tums! Too early to say whether it's working yet though as its only been two weeks!!
 
Thanks guys, I really appreciate all your suggestions. I think i will switch to the speedibeet and then oats - The vet has also prescribed equitop myoplast to help build his muscles.
 
Im actually debating how to go about this as well.

Changed my boy from veteran vitality, unmolassed alfalfa and linseed (stopped eating it) back to conditioning fibre, alfalfa pellets, linseed and beetpulp. Hes gaining condition but he cannot have cereals and I need to keep starch levels of feeds below 12% or he has a reaction so naked cereals are out :(

I was looking at topspec conditoning cubes but I cant find the starch content, Spillers are the lowest i can find unless anyone else can suggest anything for a bit of spark and condition, he had the spillers years ago and was competing on that, alfalfa pellets, alfalfa chaff and beetpulp but he was shod.

I cant seem to get ERS pellets round here :(
 
My first winter on a barefoot diet has been trial and error with my TB mare who is prone to lose condition over winter. Here's what we tried (with ad lib haylage):
- Speedibeet, linseed, MagOx, pro-hoof, unmolassed chaff and fibre pellets - lost too much weigh on this, she looked like a coat rack!
- Added oil and upped the linseed and speedibeet but now too large a bucket and she refused to eat it
- Replaced speedibeet with copra and fibre cubes for Baileys No4 (not barefoot friendly but I knew these worked from her shod days!) - a desperate bid to get weight back on, removed chaff so it wasn't too much bulk
- Once she'd started improving I swapped the No4 to TopSpec conditioning cubes as these were supposed to be more barefoot friendly. Weight still improving.
- Once I got her up to weight I swapped the cubes for tiger oats and dropped the oil
She's holding her condition nicely now on the following:
Breakfast of 1mug copra soaked, 200g linseed, ~300g oats
Dinner of 1.5mugs of copra soaked, 200g linseed, ~500g oats plus usual supplements
Plenty of her usual 'sane' energy and looking good for the time of year. Interestingly none of these changes appear to have any effect on her ability over rough, stony ground
 
Black Beastie said:
Wow thanks very much :D I also looked at staypower cubes as I can get those and they show only 11% starch???

Will go and have a look and see what delivery is! Thanks very much :D
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Pleasure! :) I am very lucky having such a brilliant feed merchant on my doorstep. They will happily order most feeds in as they have a great relationship with suppliers :)

The staypower cubes look good... I need energy low cereal, sugar and starch... But not the weight.... it all gets a bit frustrating!!
 
Black Beastie, I think your in roughly the same area as me. Millers keep ERS pellets in stock and the Drum will do special order. YellowPatch can also get them in and they delivery around lothians and the borders.

Iv been using ERS pellets for over 10 years and swear by them!
 
unicorndreams said:
My first winter on a barefoot diet has been trial and error with my TB mare who is prone to lose condition over winter. Here's what we tried (with ad lib haylage):
- Speedibeet, linseed, MagOx, pro-hoof, unmolassed chaff and fibre pellets - lost too much weigh on this, she looked like a coat rack!
- Added oil and upped the linseed and speedibeet but now too large a bucket and she refused to eat it
- Replaced speedibeet with copra and fibre cubes for Baileys No4 (not barefoot friendly but I knew these worked from her shod days!) - a desperate bid to get weight back on, removed chaff so it wasn't too much bulk
- Once she'd started improving I swapped the No4 to TopSpec conditioning cubes as these were supposed to be more barefoot friendly. Weight still improving.
- Once I got her up to weight I swapped the cubes for tiger oats and dropped the oil
She's holding her condition nicely now on the following:
Breakfast of 1mug copra soaked, 200g linseed, ~300g oats
Dinner of 1.5mugs of copra soaked, 200g linseed, ~500g oats plus usual supplements
Plenty of her usual 'sane' energy and looking good for the time of year. Interestingly none of these changes appear to have any effect on her ability over rough, stony ground
Click to expand...

This is very similar to what happened to my TB when I first took him barefoot coming into winter last year. He just lost too much condition even though the Vet said he looked fine. Instead of Baileys I used ERS cubes and may consider Oats for condition but I feed him as ulcer prone and don't want to aggravate his stomach and worried oats might.
 
CBFan said:
Pleasure! :) I am very lucky having such a brilliant feed merchant on my doorstep. They will happily order most feeds in as they have a great relationship with suppliers :)

The staypower cubes look good... I need energy low cereal, sugar and starch... But not the weight.... it all gets a bit frustrating!!
Click to expand...

Living in the stix has its advantages and disadvantages i suppose lol!! :D

Ill will give them a bell I think thank you :D

saz5083 said:
Black Beastie, I think your in roughly the same area as me. Millers keep ERS pellets in stock and the Drum will do special order. YellowPatch can also get them in and they delivery around lothians and the borders.

Iv been using ERS pellets for over 10 years and swear by them!
Click to expand...

Thank you very much saz :D More options the better very much obliged, good to hear they work as long as that, as with all things i suppose when you go on recommendations and sometimes the effects are only short term :D thank you :D
 
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