Best pepping up supplement or feed?

[DressageCob]

Hello!

I have a big black cob who gets quite stuffy in the summer. It's too hot for him, even when it's just in the mid to high teens. He does his best but it does affect his performance. He is fully clipped all year round.

At present I feed him electrolytes after hard work, and he has Cavalor Kick Up on the days which he is working. He currently works 5 times a week. That is normally a mixture of dressage schooling and hacking. We aren't jumping at the moment for a variety of reasons, but not because of any problem with him.

I'm wondering about changing supplements, adding a performance feed or something. He's a really big moving boy, but just loses his spark. I'd like something to fizz him up. He's working/competing at elementary and just starting medium. He is responsive off the leg but could just do with being a bit fiery.

I previously fed top spec turbo but that had no effect. He is currently fed on a general mix (because that's what all the horses have as standard), with half a scoop of low cal balancer (bought for my fat pony but I thought it would do him good too).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[ester]

I used oats but if they topspec wasn't a go they aren't going to help. Even so F always always performed better in winter, hates the heat.

 

[Michen]

My very cheerful Connie went really flat for a bit last summer. I was about to have bloods done I was so worried. He looked really well in himself. Started feeding him some alphabeet and within days was back to his normal self.

He wasn’t on any hard feed as was a good weight, Shiney etc I just assumed it wasn’t really necessary.

 

[milliepops]

How much of current stuff are you feeding? Are his daily vits and mins accounted for and salt etc? Topspec turbo plus gives mine plenty of go when she's properly fit, how much of that were you giving him before?

 

[DressageCob]

How much of current stuff are you feeding? Are his daily vits and mins accounted for and salt etc? Topspec turbo plus gives mine plenty of go when she's properly fit, how much of that were you giving him before?

In his morning feed he gets 2 cups of the low cal balancer (it's the bailey's one, and 2 of their "mugs" is about half a standard scoop), 1 scoop of general mix, 1/2 scoop of speedibeet. He gets a measure of Heavy Sweat (electrolytes) after work or in morning feed on hot days.

He then has two more meals, which are just mix and sugar beet (that's the feeding regime for the rest of the yard).

With the top spec turbo I fed 1 scoop in the morning feed.

He is also on a pre/probiotic, which I forgot to mention.

He is turned out 4-6 hours per day, on good grass (not too rich) with sandstone-based soil. He also has haylage when stabled.

I've never had any blood work done or had the soil or forage analysed. Every summer I wonder about trying to pinpoint if there is a missing vitamin or nutrient, but because it's a summer problem I always put it down to heat in the end.

 

[milliepops]

Mine is flat at the moment because she's not fit enough for the level of work she should be doing.
If he would usually be jumping might that partially explain it? I need to get mine doing longer more intense sessions again before she'll get her sparkle back (been tripped up by a behavioral meltdown)

It might be worth pulling some bloods just to check?

Ultimately some are just better in heat than others though, I'm the same tbh, anything over high teens makes me feel flat and high 20s gives me a headache ?

 

[P.forpony]

It can be a bit of trial and error as different things suit different horses.
The balancer your feeding should cover most of his nutritional needs but it sounds like he’s getting quite a lot of calm calories with the mix and beet.
I’d probably be looking at lower volumes of higher energy feeds and perhaps swapping the low cal balancer for a performance one.

It’s taken me 2 years to get mine just right.

I’ve had good results with saracens enduro perform for when they’re feeling flat.
On a side note Michen, alphabeet turned my chilled connie into a snorty silly dragon pony!
But she’s fine with alfalfa and sugarbeet individually ?‍

 

[DressageCob]

Mine is flat at the moment because she's not fit enough for the level of work she should be doing.
If he would usually be jumping might that partially explain it? I need to get mine doing longer more intense sessions again before she'll get her sparkle back (been tripped up by a behavioral meltdown)

It might be worth pulling some bloods just to check?

Ultimately some are just better in heat than others though, I'm the same tbh, anything over high teens makes me feel flat and high 20s gives me a headache ?

I am fairly confident it isn't fitness, as it's been the same each year. Last summer he was super fit for eventing. He is presently fit enough to trot up the local hill, which is my usual fitness test. If they can make it to the top without blowing they are fit ? it's a bit imprecise, of course.
The jumping this year is probably a factor; it did get him quite excited, so that when I did some flatwork at the end of a jump session it was always lovely work.

He is due for a flu jab in a couple of weeks so I might book a blood analysis just for info.

It's not the end of the world; I don't like the heat much either! but I just thought if there is something else I can do to help him out I'd like to do it. I'm riding early on so I'm not in the worst of the sun, but I can't control my class times when I eventually get back out and about. He'd still do a nice test but it wouldn't be as flamboyant as the winter version! Maybe I should just accept that ?

Thank you P.forpony as well. As it happens, my baileys low cal was out of stock so I bought their performance balancer since it is still lower calorie than the mix (for my chubster) so this may be a good test!

 

[ester]

DC, an FBHS did once suggest I only do dressage in winter, while we were hunting . Nabbing a dressage time at stockland lovell when hounds were being fed over the hill used to work quite well in summer too.

 

[P.forpony]

Ester that made me giggle as I honestly work my dressage schedule around hunting days.
If we have a good full Saturday out she sparkles on a Sunday test!

 

[LEC]

Is he out at night? A lot of horses do not do well being out at night and don't get proper rest.

 

[DressageCob]

Is he out at night? A lot of horses do not do well being out at night and don't get proper rest.

No, he is in at night and then goes out after breakfast if I'm not riding, or after I've ridden otherwise. By 10am he is generally out and he stays out until the afternoon. He doesn't like being out too long; he will bring himself in if he gets bored!

 

[LEC]

No, he is in at night and then goes out after breakfast if I'm not riding, or after I've ridden otherwise. By 10am he is generally out and he stays out until the afternoon. He doesn't like being out too long; he will bring himself in if he gets bored!

So things i would look at:
What energy are you actually putting in? Horses don't store carbs/energy in the same way humans do so actually you should be feeding 3 days before for the energy you want if you don't want to feed it everyday. Personally looking at your feed I would double the amount of turbo.
Is he a sweater? Are you giving correct salt ratios? Should be Salt as well as electrolytes daily. See David Marlin on this.
Can you mix up the fitness? I would be looking at some interval work in canter, some sprint work maybe 3 mins canter with a 30 second sprint and build it up the amount of times you do it. Its a bit of fun and makes them sharper. if you do the same thing in fitness they keep the same fitness.

 

[Sprat]

Did you try feeding the top spec turbo an hour or so before riding? I starting feeding it as my mare is the same, she tends to struggle in the heat. I was feeding a cup in her breakfast but didn't really see much improvement. I had a chat with topspec and they advised feeding just before riding and it's made a real difference, she is a lot more sparky and hot when I do

 

[milliepops]

Did you try feeding the top spec turbo an hour or so before riding? I starting feeding it as my mare is the same, she tends to struggle in the heat. I was feeding a cup in her breakfast but didn't really see much improvement. I had a chat with topspec and they advised feeding just before riding and it's made a real difference, she is a lot more sparky and hot when I do

second this, I give it in her breakfast which gives her a little spring in her ste[ but when I've given it shortly before riding it's been rocket fuel (um... too much, she was absolutely wild!)