Chaff for a sensitive barefoot horse?

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thebig

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My big Irish lad has been barefoot for the last 12 months. I suspect he had LGL this spring as the slight separation of his white line caused havoc with abcessing over the next few months.
I am really keen to keep his shoes off and I'm convinced the answer is in his diet. He lives out 24/7 and he gets one tiny feed a day with a foot supplement and the equimins balancer. I put a small amount of brewers yeast in too, as it helps with his sweet itch.
I've been using hi-fi molasses free chaff for years, but I wondered if I should try something else which might have a better mineral profile? We are on typical NW soil so high in iron and low in Mg (hence the equimins). From Nov onwards I will add a small amount of copra and supplement with hay.
Ideas and thoughts welcome!
 
You could be describing my horse, except after several years of LGL he has tested positive for Cushings, well worth testing IMO, even if they aren't veterans. Most laminitis has been found to be due to metabolic issues, and if he is, Prascend will make it so much easier to manage.
You could do worse than speak to Sarah Braithwaite at Forageplus, but mine now has Grazeon chop, which is dried grass, pure and simple. He also gets soya hulls for trhe protein, since restricting grass doesn't only reduce vits and minerals. Grass pellets, a little bran and Forageplus's generic mineral balancer keeps him looking fabulous and working well.
 
I wouldn't use hi fi molasses free because of the moglo in it.

I would either use a plain straw or grass chaff and add vit and mins to that. A lot of the dried grass chaffs are ryegrass so I have been inclined to avoid them. D+H just grass is a mix and I currently use agrobs - as the beast eats that better than anything else! It does amuse me how the producers of grazeon have taken their testimonials straight off this forum....
 
Thanks all, as I'm a one horse owner I was looking for something easy to source. I'll see if I can tag onto a friend's order and try the agrobs.
 
They will send out some samples if you want to check first :)

I can get it near where I am in wiltshire but having moved the pony to my parents in somerset there aren't any suppliers- I shipped 9 sacks in my car, doesn't expire till August next year and will probably do him 6 months because it has made such a difference to his eating.
 
ester said:
I wouldn't use hi fi molasses free because of the moglo in it.

I would either use a plain straw or grass chaff and add vit and mins to that. A lot of the dried grass chaffs are ryegrass so I have been inclined to avoid them. D+H just grass is a mix and I currently use agrobs - as the beast eats that better than anything else! It does amuse me how the producers of grazeon have taken their testimonials straight off this forum....
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What is 'moglo' ester? I have just swapped from grazeon to dengie hi-fi healthy hooves mollasses free due to the lower sugar and starch content- have i made a mistake?
 
moglo is a molasses + soya oil mix. It means the sugar level is reduced but the horse still likes the taste and means people can be a bit crafty with their advertising.

Having checked I think I am wrong on the hifi molasses free containing it though :) having checked the ingredients list, on a sensitive horse I might want something alfalfa free though.
 
Mine are barefoot and I just feed a low cal balancer and the Equimins hoof mender supplement. No chaff necessary, esp as winter coming and they will have hay
 
Thanks esther, mine is just for weight control and there is approx 10% less sugar in that than the grazeon but i will look out for that on ingredient lists from now on
 
booandellie said:
Thanks esther, mine is just for weight control and there is approx 10% less sugar in that than the grazeon but i will look out for that on ingredient lists from now on
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As I say I was wrong on that for that hifi but it is something to be aware of on some low cal options if you are trying to keep sugars down a bit more :). I used to use D+H just grass as it is just that but find the pony eats his supps much better with agrobs.
 
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