Lill
Well-Known Member
Other than hay/roughage what hard feed is best ?
Best feed for keeping weight and muscle tone?
- Thread starter Lill
- Start date
AmyMay
Situation normal
I think an awful lot depends on the horse.
Lill
Well-Known Member
Hmm.
OK last winter i had Blue (16hh irish mix match horse 7yo this yr) blanket clipped out during the day in heavyweight rug and in over night (underrugs as needed) worked him 4 or 5 times a week 30-45 each session - mainly schooling and competing. He was fed as much hay as he could eat/wanted along with feed in morning and one in the evening - 1 scoop speedibeet, 1 scoop alfalfa (oil if shop had it), 1 scoop mix and sometimes barley rings (again if shop had them).
He came out of winter lighter than i would have liked. Would like this year, to keep him at the weight he is now ideally!!
OK last winter i had Blue (16hh irish mix match horse 7yo this yr) blanket clipped out during the day in heavyweight rug and in over night (underrugs as needed) worked him 4 or 5 times a week 30-45 each session - mainly schooling and competing. He was fed as much hay as he could eat/wanted along with feed in morning and one in the evening - 1 scoop speedibeet, 1 scoop alfalfa (oil if shop had it), 1 scoop mix and sometimes barley rings (again if shop had them).
He came out of winter lighter than i would have liked. Would like this year, to keep him at the weight he is now ideally!!
AmyMay
Situation normal
Quite a lot of grub going in to two feeds.......
Have you thought about splitting it in to three?
Have you thought about splitting it in to three?
Lill
Well-Known Member
Yes thought about it but there's not really anyone around to give him a bucket at lunchtime
Scarlett
Well-Known Member
what mix did you feed him? random pasture mix isnt going to contain as many calories as a specific weight gain mix like Build Up. If you cant get Alfa A oil can you get Soya Oil and add that seperately?
Lill
Well-Known Member
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what mix did you feed him? random pasture mix isnt going to contain as many calories as a specific weight gain mix like Build Up. If you cant get Alfa A oil can you get Soya Oil and add that seperately?
[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure suspect bog standard mix though! Have throughout the summer been giving him splurge of Soya Oil in his feed (whenever i've got him). Forgot to mention that thanks for reminding me!
what mix did you feed him? random pasture mix isnt going to contain as many calories as a specific weight gain mix like Build Up. If you cant get Alfa A oil can you get Soya Oil and add that seperately?
[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure suspect bog standard mix though! Have throughout the summer been giving him splurge of Soya Oil in his feed (whenever i've got him). Forgot to mention that thanks for reminding me!
TGM
Well-Known Member
If you are limited to two feeds a day then you need to make sure the feeds you use are dense in calories. Can you make a regular order with your feed shop to make sure that you can always get Alfa A Oil, as it has significantly more calories than Alfa A Original. If for some reason you can't get it, then add a generous slurp of oil to the Alfa A. What sort of mix are you using? Can you swap it for a conditioning mix or cube instead, which again will contain more calories.
And obviously you need to make sure that the horse has ad lib hay or haylage - ie so it lasts him all night long. Additionally you could try putting a tub of a dried grass feed (like Readigrass) in his stable overnight for him to munch on.
And obviously you need to make sure that the horse has ad lib hay or haylage - ie so it lasts him all night long. Additionally you could try putting a tub of a dried grass feed (like Readigrass) in his stable overnight for him to munch on.
rubyred
Well-Known Member
If you contact the vaious feed companies they send you a suggested diet which can be helpful. I find saracen prep 14 and equijewel very good.
vickers22
Well-Known Member
baileys outshine is very good for condensed calories
And alfa beet along with some veg oil. Has worked really well for zak and he only gets one/two feeds a day because i have limited times to feed him.
Nudibranch
Well-Known Member
Yes you do need a concentrate rather than a mix, though Allen & Page Calm and Condition is good for putting on weight. Sugar beet is good too, and Alfa A oil or even sunflower oil. If you're using hay then swap it for haylage (gradually!).
Muscle tone would only come from work though.
Muscle tone would only come from work though.
emzkes
Active Member
Alfa Beet is fantastic! its the only thing ive found that wil put weight on my ex racer
kerilli
Well-Known Member
Baileys Outshine, Top Line Conditioner Mix, Alfa A, Baileys Number One (the cereal meal one.)
Baileys advice people are absolutely brilliant, i'd bend their ears if i were you!
Baileys advice people are absolutely brilliant, i'd bend their ears if i were you!
Lill
Well-Known Member
Woohoo B went to feed shop yesterday and got some Alfa A Oil! Shame they only had one bag though, so he bought some HiFi stuff too?
Need to find some conditioning mix then... though have a bin full of the stuff we usually use at the moment so not buying that just yet.
Can't use haylage as we've already got our supply of winter hay and its free
Need to find some conditioning mix then... though have a bin full of the stuff we usually use at the moment so not buying that just yet.
Can't use haylage as we've already got our supply of winter hay and its free
asbo
Well-Known Member
all the conditioning feeds send jay loopy
he is on barley rings, show shine , alpha a , BOSS , speedi beet & ad lib hay.
he is also a very fussy eater, with these feeds he gets plenty of oil which he will not take if you pour stuff in.
he is on barley rings, show shine , alpha a , BOSS , speedi beet & ad lib hay.
he is also a very fussy eater, with these feeds he gets plenty of oil which he will not take if you pour stuff in.
The Virgin Dubble
Well-Known Member
Have you tried Top Spec Conditioning Flakes?
We used them for Snowy's weight gain, and I cannot rate them highly enough.
We used them for Snowy's weight gain, and I cannot rate them highly enough.
cellie
Well-Known Member
I use dengie alfa with oil kwik beet and build up dodson and horrell .My skinny tb was only 330kg when I bought him but this keeps him at 495 kg and doesnt fizz him up.Dodson and horrell have a help line if you are interested.He put on a huge amount of muscle after changing to this feed with lots of exercise of course.
SpruceRI
Well-Known Member
I tried the soaked oats diet as suggested by someone on here last year. It's the only thing that's ever kept weight on my whippet-like Welsh Cob all winter.
Saracen Equi Jewel came a close second but at £30 a month it was a bit steep to feed that plus the rest of her feed and hay.
One sack of oats is only about £6 and lasted 3 months!
Rosie doesn't get hyper on dry oats so I was pretty certain she'd be OK on the soaked oats too.
Have just started feeding them again this year as her weight has dropped off a little.
Saracen Equi Jewel came a close second but at £30 a month it was a bit steep to feed that plus the rest of her feed and hay.
One sack of oats is only about £6 and lasted 3 months!
Rosie doesn't get hyper on dry oats so I was pretty certain she'd be OK on the soaked oats too.
Have just started feeding them again this year as her weight has dropped off a little.