loopeepee
Well-Known Member
Ok, so what are the advantages and disadvantages of feeding bran?
When Frankie arrived he had been out in a field for a couple of months, and so YO thought it would be best to stick him on a bran mash for a couple of days. This made him very runny to start, but as she said, its better to have them runny to start rather than blocked up.
I have kept him on bran, just not a mash, ever since. It was a week and a half ago that he arrived. When he was living with his owner she fed him bran along with other food. However when at the home he was hunting at all last season, they fed him sugar beat, nuts, bit of mix and chaff.
Im pondering whether to keep him on this or gradually phase it out.
At the moment he is on, twice daily :
Large 1/2 scoop of bran,
1/2 scoop chaff
1/2 scoop nuts
Damp
Ad lib haylege throughout day and a ball with double handful of nuts during the day too.
At the moment he seems to be doing well on this, has enough energy etc.
However, throughout the whole of the winter there is no turnout. He will go on the walker for a hour in the morn. Then go out in the sandschool for an hour or so at about lunch time. Before being ridden for an hour on the days which he is not hunting.
Im just not sure whether to keep him on the bran for now, or like I said, phase it out and introduce sugar beet again.
Or do I use the SB and bran together?
Im sure feeding ponies is a darn sight easier than horses!
Oh also when he is hunting, he will be on more then a scoop of nuts day - this is fittening work at the moment.
I have toyed with the idea of a 'build up' feed, and talked about this with him owner. She has said she doesnt mind what he is fed on, as long as he does well on it. He is a very good doer in all, 16.1 and IDxTB.
When Frankie arrived he had been out in a field for a couple of months, and so YO thought it would be best to stick him on a bran mash for a couple of days. This made him very runny to start, but as she said, its better to have them runny to start rather than blocked up.
I have kept him on bran, just not a mash, ever since. It was a week and a half ago that he arrived. When he was living with his owner she fed him bran along with other food. However when at the home he was hunting at all last season, they fed him sugar beat, nuts, bit of mix and chaff.
Im pondering whether to keep him on this or gradually phase it out.
At the moment he is on, twice daily :
Large 1/2 scoop of bran,
1/2 scoop chaff
1/2 scoop nuts
Damp
Ad lib haylege throughout day and a ball with double handful of nuts during the day too.
At the moment he seems to be doing well on this, has enough energy etc.
However, throughout the whole of the winter there is no turnout. He will go on the walker for a hour in the morn. Then go out in the sandschool for an hour or so at about lunch time. Before being ridden for an hour on the days which he is not hunting.
Im just not sure whether to keep him on the bran for now, or like I said, phase it out and introduce sugar beet again.
Or do I use the SB and bran together?
Im sure feeding ponies is a darn sight easier than horses!
Oh also when he is hunting, he will be on more then a scoop of nuts day - this is fittening work at the moment.
I have toyed with the idea of a 'build up' feed, and talked about this with him owner. She has said she doesnt mind what he is fed on, as long as he does well on it. He is a very good doer in all, 16.1 and IDxTB.