Calm and condition....or other non heating, fattening feeds for VERY fussy mare!!!

Vickijay

Vickijay

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Hi,

My mare is a bit fussy, a bit stressy and a little bit thin!!

She wont eat No4 or build upnuts, has gone off the buildup mix. She LOVES soaked oats but she has gone veryveryvery stressy since having them so have had to stop.

She is rubbish at eating, esp since the grass has come through, but shes not holding the weight as is working hard. She has nice teeth so its not that. She has also put on ALOT of weight since she came to me and she has only dropped of a bit now. She is just a bit stressy and I dont think eating is very high on her list of things to do!!!


Am thinking A&P calm and condition or possible alternatives???
 
I would suggest micronised linseed (charnwood mills) and also consider equilibrium winergy condition (I think thats what it is called), I have used the growth and loved it four our youngsters but the girl in the feed shop told me that people who had used the condition were delighted with the results and wouldn't change it. We couldn't afford to use it as it was our big lad that needed it and the bag would only last us 3 days at the rate their nutrionist advised, with another 12 to feed we couldn't justify the money and so stuck with linseed and forage feeds with a few straights.
 
Saracens. Give them a call :D. Lovely people.

Dizzy (six year old DWB, stress head) is on Re-Leave, and Equijewel. She's worked five/six days a week. Still nicely putting on weight at a nice gentle pace. She's a pain to feed as she's just not bothered about food in general, but she eats this :D
 
Tried C & C with my fussy mare and she couldn't cope with even half the quantity she should have been on. Was on sugarbeet and Top Spec comprehensive balancer but needed something else coming out of winter living out 24/7. Now looking stunning and really the only change (other than more grass/no haylage) is winter sun summer glow (or whatever it's called! Mostly linseed and fenugreek), and because it's a supplement, that, some sugarbeet and the TopSpec don't make feeds big enough to overface her. I'm quite pleased really, as it works out cheaper.
 
MrsMozart said:
Saracens. Give them a call :D. Lovely people.

Dizzy (six year old DWB, stress head) is on Re-Leave, and Equijewel. She's worked five/six days a week. Still nicely putting on weight at a nice gentle pace. She's a pain to feed as she's just not bothered about food in general, but she eats this :D
Click to expand...

Ok I have emailed them!!

Its promising if your mare isnt fussed about eating too. I give Lilly the bucket and she just wonders off. I wish I could be more like her and her more like me!!!!
 
I gave mine C + C all winter, and my gelding looked much better than last year, as did my pony and sister's horse, and they didn't need very much at all for this, no where near the recommended about. Also, because they didn't drink a lot, as the water was cold (out 24/7), but using hot water to soak it, I found they were getting some water inside them, without putting up with the coldness of the water in the trough. Not one of mine turned their nose up at it, or went crazy, and both of my two have a habit of doing that :D
 
Vickijay said:
Ok I have emailed them!!

Its promising if your mare isnt fussed about eating too. I give Lilly the bucket and she just wonders off. I wish I could be more like her and her more like me!!!!
Click to expand...

i know the feeling. i'm on a diet and so hungry i'd probably eat a bucket of calm and condition if it was left in front of me for too long... :D
 
This is Dizz from this time last year:
060509NearFull.jpg


At this point she was on Blue Chip Pro, Alpha A Oil, Outshine, and sugarbeet, but wouldn't eat as much as she needed to, and really wasn't that bothered :(

This is from this year:
photo2-1-1.jpg


She's been on the Saracens feed for about three weeks (second picture).
 
clipcloppop said:
i know the feeling. i'm on a diet and so hungry i'd probably eat a bucket of calm and condition if it was left in front of me for too long... :D
Click to expand...

That really did make me LOL!!!!!

Thanks, I needed that, its so stressfull having a horse that is as annoying as her with food and stress, shame shes so bloomin excellent to ride or she would be long gone to a new mum!!!!!!!
 
MrsMozart said:
This is Dizz from this time last year:
060509NearFull.jpg


At this point she was on Blue Chip Pro, Alpha A Oil, Outshine, and sugarbeet, but wouldn't eat as much as she needed to, and really wasn't that bothered :(

This is from this year:
photo2-1-1.jpg


She's been on the Saracens feed for about three weeks (second picture).
Click to expand...

Wow thats a difference after 3 weeks.....whats she like about eating??? With the saracens feed and the other stuff??

I think that Lilly is actually horse anorexic!!! Or if she eats then she has to power walk everywhere (or just round the field) to burn off all the calories plus more to feel ok about the eating!!!

My friend tried to give her a carrot, she had no idea.....esp from a stranger! I am apparently ok for carrots but only some times!!! She couldnt possibly eat infront of someone unknown. Poor anorexic Lill :(
 
Sorry hun, I didn't explain myself properly!!

She seems to go really poor coming into Spring (fine all through winter!). Last Spring was my first with her, and the weight was refusing to go on, despite all that feed :o. She did get better from the end of Spring through 'till the start of this Spring, but she was starting to drop weight again and I feared her ending up like she did last year, so after much research and ringing around and talking, I put her onto the Saracens. Really pleased with it :). She's not dropped any weight, she's putting some on, and she is happy to eat it - though I can still only get her to eat twice a day if she has worked hard that day. Daft hoss lol.
 
Just thought, if she doesn't like the Re-Leave (and the Equijewel is fed in small quantities, so hopefully she won't notice that), Saracens do something called Shape Up. It's for good doers, so not high in calories, but all the horses we've offered it to couldn't get it down them fast enough! Loved it! It's good to see neds enjoy their feed :D

The Shape Up with the Equijewel might be an option..., but don't quote me on that lol. The Saracen people will talk more sense than I do :).
 
Thanks, I have emailed them so hopefully they will call me soon.

I have never seen Lill tuck into her feed with any gusto so that would be nice!!!! Fingers are firmly crossed.

Im going to boomerang tomorrow so might try and pinch some copra to see if she will eat that, doubtfull tho as it looks like GOO and Lillys heard theres a awfull lot of calories in GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
My mare is definitely anorexic... over the Winter I had her on the C&C which she was vaguely enthusiastic about but soon got bored of. So now have her on the allen and page power and performance with sugarbeet and mollichaff show shine which is working a treat, She's looking great and behaving well. I did feed micronised linseed as well which made her coat look really glossy but have stopped since the spring grass came through. She's a horse that could never be fat, her backside is huge and pure muscle, she has a decent neck and top line but her ribs are faintly visible. have given up worrying about her as she looks well and feels good. Just wish I had her metabolism!
 
I fed a retrained racehorse last winter and was amazed at the results - couldn't recommend it enough. I fed it slightly wetter than guidelines. Also consider having your mares teeth checked again - a 2nd opinion, not meaning to be disrespectful towards your dentist, just met a few horses who's dentists had missed a few sharp edges - you'll know, or have an idea from the kind of contact your mare offers, one sided etc. Also, again obviously, worming - ensure that you're changing your wormer - not the brand but the big long worded active ingredients - on a yearly basis. Maybe a point to note is that vets appear to be seeing increases of the fluke worm in horses, especially after the previous 12months wet weather - if in doubt ask your vet. If your teeth are good, your wormings up to date, you're rugging your horse - keeping warm will cause her to use all that extra energy that you are feeding into her, rugging her ensures that that energy is going towards building muscle, it's back to the feed, ensure that you really do feed little and often - ideally a feed of around 2kg is best to ensure that the horse absorbs what it needs, otherwise it just gets pushed through the system and the horse makes no use of it!
When discussing the merits of C&C recently, it was pointed out that the same could be achieved with boiled barley and linseed at a cheaper cost, this would depend on your horse and her cereal tolerance levels. I used Alfa A Oil with the C&C. Spillers Conditioning Cubes are the only bag of conditioning feed that have been scientifically proven to improve top line in 2 weeks - and is non-heating.
My lovely Ex racehorse would blow up on simple cool mixs, I now feed Just Grass - really rate it, non-molassed and the inmates love it, corn oil - helps the D.I tract absorb all nutrients, hi fibre cubes and Blue Chip pro dynamic, my horses all look great, have enough energy to compete - big 17h2 WB working Med/Adv, TB Nov eventing and a sold as stressy new purchase has chilled out alot since moving in, I won't go back to cereals for a while! Give the feed companies a call - dengie are very helpful, they don't just promote their products! And Good Luck.
 
Megabeast- its nice to know that mine isnt the only anorexic one!!!

Sayshell- the teeth were checked again recently, she is very soft in the contact and is amazing when I ride her so I dont think its her teeth. I try to keep her warm but when shes a bit stressy outside then if she walks, she gets hot and then the midges annoy her, hence more stressing and walking lol

She has been getting Grazon all winter, but think ill swap it back to alpha a as there is lots of grass in the field so maybe more benificial to change to something different.

I am worried that she may have ulcers, but the vet said although she was a candidate to have them, that as she has put on lots of weight and doesnt get stressy after eating that its probably not worth scoping her now. She is going to have June off quietly in the field as ill be waiting for my mare to hopefully foal so that will go one of 2 ways, she will either relax and put on some weight, or she will get stressy about lack of work. At least shes mega to ride!!!!!!!
 
Topspec Super Conditioning Flakes- doesn't hot them up and my v.v.fussy horse loved them (he wouldn't eat any form of mix or nuts).
really helped get the condition on too.
 
millitiger said:
Topspec Super Conditioning Flakes- doesn't hot them up and my v.v.fussy horse loved them (he wouldn't eat any form of mix or nuts).
really helped get the condition on too.
Click to expand...

Arnt they micronised oats tho???? Theres no doubt at all that they work as my other lazy horse ate them and bloomed on them but dont know if they would send her bonkers? Esp as shes a hot head anyway....
 
if she is stressy and has potential for ulcers then Coligon may be of some use to you, we used it on our tb x when he arrived all stressed out and it was very good for settling everything down.
 
I tried Saracen Re-Leve for my girls, one is an equine hoover and couldn't get enough of it but my very fussy TB would only eat a TINY amount of it without walking away from it. I tried adding EquiJewel to increase the calories in the small amount she was eating and this put her off completely!

I have had great results this winter with Winergy Equilibrium Condition but i don't feed the full recommended amount as she simply wouldn't eat this volume of feed. She absolutely loves this, is given a heaped scoop twice a day (3 times a day in the depths of winter) alongside good quality haylage and she put on weight sensibly and had a lovely calm temperament with it. Initially I added a cup of Baileys Outshine as she was quite underweight and this didn't put her off so either she couldn't taste it on the Equilibrium or it actually doesn't taste too bad!

I'm so pleased with the results that I've kept her on Winergy equilibrium but dropped to the Medium Energy now she doesn't need the Condition.

It's just a thought if yours doesn't take to the ReLeve. Good luck!
 
not read through it all i'm afriad so sorry if i'm saying the same things or suggesting totally innappropriate things :o
but i rate baileys no4 - however some horses DO get over excited on it - but i find majority don't ;)
also outshine = again does blow some horses brains but i've seen great results with it
or just soya oil added to feed
barley rings work well with some horses - i've never known them to be heating...
grass nuts are good too
can't beat ad lib good hay and grass though
 
I used Calm & Condition on one of our horses & it didn't suit him at all & actually did the opposite, it blew his mind. I believe that the barley in it caused it. I then changed to Ride & Relax & that suited him well. He enjoyed it & as there is no barley in it he came back down to earth.
 
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