chestnut cob
Well-Known Member
As we're (hopefully!) coming into Spring, I am thinking it's time to change my horse's feed. A bit of background... he is a 15hh, think he's a Connemara X. I'd say he is an average doer. He can be a real worrier and can stress weight off easily. Last winter he had adlib hay and hard feed was just D&H Safe & Sound, which he didn't do well on at all. He wasn't in massively hard work, did maybe 3 days hunting throughout the entire winter plus hacking and schooling. Came out of winter looking very lean (lean like you'd expect something which had hunted hard all season to look). Now I do like mine to be a bit on the lean side, but that was too much. Even on good grass 24/7 April to Oct, he didn't get fat. He got to be just right, but that's all.
Fast forward to this winter and I changed my feed... he has been getting Dengie Healthy Tummy all winter with a mug of micronised linseed, and done really well on it. He is 8 this year, and he did grow last spring (went up a good inch in front) so there was probably an element of that to his leanness. This winter he has really filled out and muscled up, which is great. So this spring/ summer, as he's coming out of it looking quite well, I am thinking I shouldn't really need to feed much. He will be working a reasonable amount. First BE (only an 80) coming up in April, so he will be flat schooling 2-3x week, jumping 1-2x, 1x interval training plus hacking (in general he will get one good long hack plus a couple of shorter ones before a flat schooling session, or a short one after a jump/ intervals, or hack to the gallops and back). Assuming my funds stay healthy, I'd like him to be eventing once a month which means lessons (jump, flat and XC) in between, and aiming for 90s later in the season.
So... coming into spring, with the prospect of 24/7 turnout on good grass looming, what do I feed an average doer who loses weight when stressed, and who does get quite stressed quite easily? I cannot feed anything with sugar beet OR Speedibeet in as it results in borderline psychosis. I can't give him the recommended daily amount of Healthy Tummy because he climbs the walls, even in the amount of work as above. He is a v busy pony, he thrives on hard work, loves to work and learn, very excitable, loves to please but can be v difficult and silly on the wrong feed or with too much energy. I don't want to stop feeding altogether yet as our grass is only just starting to come through, and even now with adlib hay overnight, he does lose weight if I drop the feed down. I don't want to put on any weight now, given we're coming into spring and he's come out of this winter well, but he does need something as he needs the energy for work once his over-excitement subsides. I've had him on magox for the tension but it does nothing. Am debating trying brewer's yeast, and he does well on the linseed, so how about just oats to carry those?
I hope all of this rambling makes sense. You can all share my fresh pot of filter coffee and biccies if you got this far
Fast forward to this winter and I changed my feed... he has been getting Dengie Healthy Tummy all winter with a mug of micronised linseed, and done really well on it. He is 8 this year, and he did grow last spring (went up a good inch in front) so there was probably an element of that to his leanness. This winter he has really filled out and muscled up, which is great. So this spring/ summer, as he's coming out of it looking quite well, I am thinking I shouldn't really need to feed much. He will be working a reasonable amount. First BE (only an 80) coming up in April, so he will be flat schooling 2-3x week, jumping 1-2x, 1x interval training plus hacking (in general he will get one good long hack plus a couple of shorter ones before a flat schooling session, or a short one after a jump/ intervals, or hack to the gallops and back). Assuming my funds stay healthy, I'd like him to be eventing once a month which means lessons (jump, flat and XC) in between, and aiming for 90s later in the season.
So... coming into spring, with the prospect of 24/7 turnout on good grass looming, what do I feed an average doer who loses weight when stressed, and who does get quite stressed quite easily? I cannot feed anything with sugar beet OR Speedibeet in as it results in borderline psychosis. I can't give him the recommended daily amount of Healthy Tummy because he climbs the walls, even in the amount of work as above. He is a v busy pony, he thrives on hard work, loves to work and learn, very excitable, loves to please but can be v difficult and silly on the wrong feed or with too much energy. I don't want to stop feeding altogether yet as our grass is only just starting to come through, and even now with adlib hay overnight, he does lose weight if I drop the feed down. I don't want to put on any weight now, given we're coming into spring and he's come out of this winter well, but he does need something as he needs the energy for work once his over-excitement subsides. I've had him on magox for the tension but it does nothing. Am debating trying brewer's yeast, and he does well on the linseed, so how about just oats to carry those?
I hope all of this rambling makes sense. You can all share my fresh pot of filter coffee and biccies if you got this far
