Calm and Condition vs Conditioning cubes?

[Sophskies]

Hello,

I've a young KWPN who I'm trying to get condition on as he is very poor at the moment. He has been backed and ridden away and is now having some time in the field to mature. I am currently feeding him 1 stubbs scoop of calm and condition, 1 stubbs scoop of alfa a oil and 400g of stamm 30. He lives out 24 hours at the moment and wont touch hay when he comes in. I was just wondering if anyone can recommend anything better than calm and condition? He isn't too keen on it and after 2 months of feeding I haven't noticed a massive amount of difference. I've just placed an order for some straight micronised linseed but would love some help on the hard feed, what's best, calm and condition or conditioning cubes in peoples experience? Thank you!

 

[wish upon a star]

I used the calm and condition but like you hadn't had much of a result after a couple of months on it so switched to Topspec conditioning cubes which did the trick, although she was put onto haylage at the same time so could be a combination but would definitely recommend topspecs cubes. Some of the cubes have to be fed in large quantities but with these it was 2 cups per meal which is much better for the horse as they get more from it.
Think it was cool cubes or something to that effect. Didn't send her loopy at all, well no loopier than normal!

 

[Illusion100]

http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/whatproduct/condition/no4.htm

Might be an option?

 

[OliveOyl]

Calm & Condition, has a big % of sugarbeet in it which wasn't what I wanted for mine, I wanted her to have a higher % of her energy levels coming from a slow release energy sourse, I swapped her on to D&H Build up cubes which she gets on with really well and has been on ever since. Provides her with enough energy, without sending loopy and helps her to maintain her weight, as she's a naturally very busy horse, in mind and body.

 

[Palindrome]

Not quite what you asked but what about adding horsehage/dryish haylage?

 

[epeters91]

my youngster lost a lot of weight due to teeth coming through and a bit of a growth spurt. I put her on Baileys No. 4 Conditioning Cubes and she's gained the weight back and looking really well on it I've just reduced her feed size so that she stays a nice size but I would definitely recommended she also lives out 24/7 because of the weight she lost she was on two feeds a day which included conditioning cubes, Alfalfa A, speedy beet and supplements seaweed and garlic with access to hayledge in the field while we were waiting for the summer grass. She put the weight back on steadily over a couple of months and is now down to hay if she comes in for a brush or to get away from the flies and one feed a day

 

[Sameru]

That sounds like an awful lot of food for a convalescing horse. The absorption of nutrients may be the issue and you may benefit from adding a balancer such as pink powder.

If he is still growing, this will be where the food is going, this will just be a matter of time. Do you have any pictures?

 

[Sophskies]

That sounds like an awful lot of food for a convalescing horse. The absorption of nutrients may be the issue and you may benefit from adding a balancer such as pink powder.

If he is still growing, this will be where the food is going, this will just be a matter of time. Do you have any pictures?

He is not convalescing, he's just having some time to mature in his frame, there's nothing wrong with him. Stamm 30 is a balancer specifically designed for young and growing horses. I know a lot of feed energy will be going on growing, this is also fine with me as want him to be a nice tall boy, just want to make sure I'm giving him everything I can to help. I don't have any pictures although could take some tonight.

 

[Sophskies]

Thanks all for your input, epeters91 how much bailys no 4 roughly would you feed per day? Are we talking 2 large stubbs scoops or something a little less? I know it varies depending on horse size / condition / work etc but just roughly would be good. Palindrom a bit of horsehage might be a good idea when he comes in to try to get him to eat but daren't put it in the field as he is bottom of the pecking order and wouldn't get any of it - I'd just be paying to fatten up everyone else's horses wishuponastar the topspec cubes sound interesting - so you essentially feed them like a balancer rather than a hard feed? Thanks Oliveoyl, that sounds an interesting feed too. I guess I had better have a look and compare ingredients between them all!


Thanks every one!

 

[epeters91]

To start with it would've been 2 feeds a day with a full scoop in each size like the one below

This was when she was quite ribby she's now on 1 scoop a day and I'm keeping an eye so I'll up it again if I need to as we're on another growth spurt haha! I also want her to grow nice and big so fingers crossed they both benefit and get a few extra inches for us

 

[wish upon a star]

I think the baileys no 4 and topspec were similar ingredients but you had to feed more baileys if I remember correctly and the top spec were a little cheaper. Not really sure what you mean feeding it as a balancer not a hard feed? It isn't fully balanced, you're meant to add a balancer on top but I didn't as I didn't feed a balancer anyway and got good results.

 

[Sophskies]

To start with it would've been 2 feeds a day with a full scoop in each size like the one below

This was when she was quite ribby she's now on 1 scoop a day and I'm keeping an eye so I'll up it again if I need to as we're on another growth spurt haha! I also want her to grow nice and big so fingers crossed they both benefit and get a few extra inches for us

Ok that's not so bad, I may give this a try. Fingers crossed they pull it out the bag for us Thank you! x

 

[rowan666]

i dont rate calm and condition atall, my anglo dropped weight on it and it sent my luso nuts! im a big fan of baileys No17 (top line and condition mix), Alpha A oil and ready mash (blue bag)

 

[Sophskies]

i dont rate calm and condition atall, my anglo dropped weight on it and it sent my luso nuts! im a big fan of baileys No17 (top line and condition mix), Alpha A oil and ready mash (blue bag)

Quite a few people have stated that calm and condition didn't work for their horse. I think I may have to agree! But have yet to find something that will work!

 

[fornema]

Mine is a little younger than yours and has come off a combo of build-up and mare and young stock mix, onto Baileys No4 which is doing the job as she no longer needs so much weight gain but to hold the weight as she has been growing and filling out a fair bit!

Those feeds she was on before were brilliant for weight gainbut having a 2yr old now 3 standing at 16.3 who was poor when bought and growing at a rate of knots they did the job perfectly.

 

[Sophskies]

Thank you, was that build up mix or cubes?

 

[Auslander]

Have you spoken to Saracen. I'd be cautious about feeding a selection of different feeds as you are putting the nutritional balance out of whack. If you aren't set on a partocular brand, you could speak to a couple of feed companies, and ask them to recommend a correctly balanced diet that will promote safe weight gain.

 

[mrsh2010]

I took my lad off C&C as he wouldn't eat the quantity Allen & Page suggested.

He went onto Conditioning cubes, Alfa Beet, a handful of chaff and NAF 5* optimum balancer and he's come through from winter amazing this year.

 

[wench]

If you are keeping on an even keel, and horse not gaining any weight, then he is not getting enough calories.

How many times a day can you feed him? If you want to build up his condition you need to pack more calories into his feed, the easiest way of doing this is to use a balancer plus baileys outshine.

 

[rosepa]

my youngster lost a lot of weight due to teeth coming through and a bit of a growth spurt. I put her on Baileys No. 4 Conditioning Cubes and she's gained the weight back and looking really well on it I've just reduced her feed size so that she stays a nice size but I would definitely recommended she also lives out 24/7 because of the weight she lost she was on two feeds a day which included conditioning cubes, Alfalfa A, speedy beet and supplements seaweed and garlic with access to hayledge in the field while we were waiting for the summer grass. She put the weight back on steadily over a couple of months and is now down to hay if she comes in for a brush or to get away from the flies and one feed a day

That's exactly what my horse was on over winter as when I got him he was very skinny! It slowly built him up, but the spring grass coming through really made the difference; he wasn't so keen on haylage much preferred the grass! He's now on one feed of conditioning cubes, chaff and balancer a day.

 

[Wundahorse]

Calm and condition is great. Use it for all of our horses in winter.

 

[magicsmum]

We have used Baileys conditioning cube and Spillers conditioning fibre for our TB mare, who came back off loan looking rather lean. She is now looking great and starting to get quite muscly with exercise. Didnt make her at all fizzy which I was worried about.

 

[Sophskies]

If you are keeping on an even keel, and horse not gaining any weight, then he is not getting enough calories.

How many times a day can you feed him? If you want to build up his condition you need to pack more calories into his feed, the easiest way of doing this is to use a balancer plus baileys outshine.

I think half the problem is he isn't massively keen on the calm and condition, I struggle to get him to eat a large scoop of it. He is on stamm 30 balancer. I'm going to put him on linseed now too and probabl go for conditioning cubes as he has shown a preference for high fibre cubes over calm and condition.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

winergy condition, soaked oats(contrary to belief are high fibre and great for adding condition),linseed and equine elite NZ mega build

keeps condition on our poor doer TB a treat.

fenugreek powder is an appetite stimulant too.

 

[mytwofriends]

OP, I realise yours is a youngster, but when my oldie needed to gain condition after being diagnosed with Cushings, I put him on Top Spec Cool Conditioning Cubes plus TS Senior Balancer and chaff.

He lived out 24/7/365 then (not any more) and he gained weight and condition steadily. He now looks amazing. The quantity Top Spec recommended at the beginning wasn't prohibitive, even though he had a fair number of kgs to gain, and he had no trouble cleaning his feed bowls am and pm. Now, nearly 3 years on, he's still on the same feed, albeit a reduced amount due to summer grazing (and the fact his weight is just where it needs to be).

I'd always go for conditioning cubes.

 

[Kezzabell2]

I had better results with fast fibre and molasses free hi Fi. Than I did c n c with alfa a. that was when my horse was 3. He's now 5 and still has the same, during the winter

 

[Sophskies]

Thank you everyone, I've ordered some conditioning cubes and some micronised linseed so will see how we go with those and let you know!

 

[southerncomfort]

My old girl was very sick last Winter and lost an awful lot of weight very quickly. Calm & Condition didn't help unfortunately so we swapped to Top Spec conditioning cubes and and she immediately began gaining weight.

They don't have vits & mins included so I also fed her Equimins Advance which is super stuff!

 

[Sophskies]

My old girl was very sick last Winter and lost an awful lot of weight very quickly. Calm & Condition didn't help unfortunately so we swapped to Top Spec conditioning cubes and and she immediately began gaining weight.

They don't have vits & mins included so I also fed her Equimins Advance which is super stuff!

Thank you for this, I've ordered the Saracens conditioning cubes as they apparently contain equijewel so there is no need to feed a balancer along side. Hope your old girl is better now