Beginners feeding question

little_critter

little_critter

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I got my first horse on loan in Jan this year so am still learning a lot.
She's a Welsh x Fell so naturally 'chunky' but I think she's starting to become a little porky. I can't feel her ribs and she's getting a bit of an apple bum (although she tends to be that shape a bit anyway). She's never had laminitus but she seems the 'type' to get it so I'm trying to be careful.
Her winter rations were half a scoop Hi-Fi, 5 handfulls nuts and 2 handfulls oats in the morning, evening feed was half a scoop Hi-Fi, 10 handfulls nuts and 2 handfulls oats (basically makes a full scoop). She was on 4 hours grazing every day.

We moved yard in March so now her grazing is now 7:30am - 5pm 4 days a week, this will increase to 7 days a week this weekend. She wears a grazing muzzle because she loves her food and doesn't seem to come up for air!.
I will be cutting out her am feed when 7 day grazing starts. I've already started scaling back her feeds - now am feed has 2 handfull nuts, pm feed has 4 handfulls nuts (Hi-Fi and oats as before).
When she's in she has a small haynet (double netted to make it last).

So - question, whenever I see any anti-lami stuff it's all "low sugar, low starch". I feed oats because without them she's really flat when I ride. I assume oats are really high starch. Could I use something else to give her 'umph' without starch?

Any other hints and tips for weight control - I'm trying to up her exercise because I want to do a hunter trial in the autumn. She's currently ridden for approx 4-5 hours per week, about 50/50 schooling and hacking.

Sorry for the essay, thanks for reading. I look forward to your advice.
 
I would cut out hard feed all together. The fact that she is over weight suggests that she doesnt need it. I would replace the feed with a balancer or a Vit/Min supplement and mix with a handful of the HI FI only

You will probably find that once she loses a bit of weight and her exercise increases, she has more oomph for you too. :)
 
SmartieBean09 is absolutely right. If she's getting all her energy from grass then you don't need to feed hard feed. Either give something like equivite with a small handful of hifi or a diet balancer like blue chip lami lite.
As far as energy goes, if she is overweight it will be harder for her to work so the best thing you can possibly do for her is get the extra weight off and put her on a fitness programme. Lots of long slow hacks are a great way to build fitness and lose weight.
Also work on schooling to get her in front of your leg and then you will have more 'ooomph'. This was my big discovery last week as I have a typically laid back Welshie who is in medium work on hardly any food. She can be shall we say somewhat unenthusiastic (unless galloping with her friends) especially about schooling and my instructor got on her and did lots of leg yielding to get her more off the leg. When I got back on she was really forward and felt like a different horse. So I have concluded that between what I have learnt from my instructor and vet and horse, 'ooomph' is about motivating them, schooling them and getting them fit and strong rather than feeding quick release energy (yes I also used to feed oats last year until the beastie got laminitis :( )
 
I agree with SmartieBean, could you get a balancer and give that with a handful of HiFi? There are some good low calorie ones out there that will give her everything she needs and combined with the exercise she may lose weight and naturally have a bit more oomph.

Feed is a minefield especially when you are new to it all so maybe ring a few feed advice lines before you decide which product to go with.

Good luck :)
 
Not all types give 'omph' anyway, it depends on how they are treated (rolled, whole etc). Maybe her lack of sparkle is because she is overweight? Is it your riding style (not trying to be rude or funny here, some people make horses relax, others have an electric bum that winds up everything they sit on)?

Get rid of all hard feed, just forage & a low calorie feed balancer such as top spec lite. Personally I like the TS range as apart from their high calorie conditioning feeds, the others are cereal free. Maybe put it in a treat ball when she comes in so she can't just wolf it down in a couple of gulps? Well done on grazing muzzle, at least it means she spends much of the time wandering about. Another very important thing is regular exercise. Even when you hack, make sure she is walking out, not bumbling along, get her to burn those calories. If you get her really fit that apple bum will disappear & become hard toned muscle, & then I would expect her to give you a more energetic ride.
 
Ok - thanks all. I'll ease her down to just a handfull Hi-Fi and something to give her vits & mins.
It doesn't help that she's getting more grazing hours and the grazing is a LOT more lush than the old yard.
I'm thinking of asking that she be brought in at lunchtime when it's 7 day a week grazing (she'll still get approx 5 hours grazing every day) - or is this too strict if I cut down her hard feed too? (I also don't like the idea of her being cooped up in a stable when she could be out socialising)

Ref being off the leg - she's fairly well schooled and responsive to aids but you can feel the difference when she's not on oats, she moves off the leg but has no real energy.
Here's hoping that being fitter will bring the umph back.

I was going to do a longer 'fittening' hack last night but she's cut her lip so I didn't feel I could put a bit in her mouth. I free schooled her instead but I think I got more exercise than she did!
 
pip6 said:
Not all types give 'omph' anyway, it depends on how they are treated (rolled, whole etc). Maybe her lack of sparkle is because she is overweight? Is it your riding style (not trying to be rude or funny here, some people make horses relax, others have an electric bum that winds up everything they sit on)?
Click to expand...

You're right there - I have the opposite of an electric bum - horses tend to nod off with me!
 
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