Conditioning feeds

[kingzeus]

Hi all,

Just wondered what conditioning feeds people would recommend, needed for a mare just used for happy hacking and schooling, don't want anything that will turn her loopy loo

 

[TeamChaser]

Mine are both on Allen & Page Calm and Condition - has to be saoked before feeding but only for few mins. They have 1 scoop (soaked weight) of C&C and scoop Mollichaff Show Shine split between 2 feeds

Team chase and hunt my ISH and he's kept lovely condition over winter and is pretty sane TB bit nutty .... but think that's him rather than the food!! Both have ad lib haylage too and are fit but looking really well so would recommend this feed

 

[flying solo]

Calm and condition for my phattie too. Fed once a day with c&c and some chaff plus his supplements. He's out 24/7 only on grass and looks great!

 

[3Beasties]

My TB is a poor doer but is looking better then ever this Winter (piccys for proof here http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=516995 )

He gets 3 feeds a day, 2 of which consist of a scoop of chaff (shops own brand), a scoop of conditioning cubes (again, shops own brand) and a mug of outshine. The 3rd feed is a scoop of chaff mixed with a scoop of ready mash extra.

He's cost me less to feed this Winter then he has in a long time, shops own brand stuff is much cheaper and seems to work!

 

[thatsmygirl]

Baileys no 4 topline is great.
Iv never had any luck with calm/condition though.

 

[Emilieu]

Another on calm and condition. Just switched as my tb was turning his nose up at his old speedibeet and chaff combo, he loves it and I can see the difference already (just over a week since I put him on it) he's had a few compliments on his weight too! Added a top spec balancer at the same time however so can't guarantee the results are all down to the c and c. He's a happy hacker / bit of schooling too and has been his usual fairly chilled self since the feed change.

 

[Beatrice5]

Baileys No 4 and Alpha A oil and in 2 weeks the horrifically angular skinny one has a slight roundness to her bum. I am delighted. Plus she is not iff her head on it either

 

[ex racer rider]

Micronised linseed and a good fibre like sugar beet, chaff or fibre nuggets

 

[Holly Hocks]

Rowen and Barbary's Readymash Extra is super stuff!

 

[Kacey88]

Baileys No. 4 turned my little angel into a monster, some horses can't handle it at all. Beware!

 

[Oberon]

Hi all,

Just wondered what conditioning feeds people would recommend, needed for a mare just used for happy hacking and schooling, don't want anything that will turn her loopy loo

If she is in light to moderate work, why on earth would you feed her 'conditioning feeds'?

Horses get 50% of their calorie yield from fermenting fibre in the hind gut (evolved to eat grass/herbs/plants).

So fibre will put weight on.

'Conditioning feeds' are rapid access glucose for horses in heavy work (racehorses/eventers). They are high in grain - which is a common factor in ulcers and also high in sugar and starch - which weakens the laminae and is linked to decreased immunity

It makes me so sad when I see bags of 'conditioning feeds' being delivered and fed to horses in light work...who struggle with poor hoof quality and thin soles...but no one seems to see the link

 

[Kat]

If she is in light to moderate work, why on earth would you feed her 'conditioning feeds'?

Horses get 50% of their calorie yield from fermenting fibre in the hind gut (evolved to eat grass/herbs/plants).

So fibre will put weight on.

'Conditioning feeds' are rapid access glucose for horses in heavy work (racehorses/eventers). They are high in grain - which is a common factor in ulcers and also high in sugar and starch - which weakens the laminae and is linked to decreased immunity

It makes me so sad when I see bags of 'conditioning feeds' being delivered and fed to horses in light work...who struggle with poor hoof quality and thin soles...but no one seems to see the link

Rubbish!

My horse is in light work, and she gets as much haylage as she can stuff down her throat in a 24 hr period. It is weighed to ensure she gets enough and she has 18kgs a day, plus turnout on grass. We couldn't keep weight on her like this. In fact even on a feed that included conditioning cubes she was looking poor. Not all horses are good doers, some need feed to maintain a healthy weight.

Conditioning feeds do not have to be high sugar or high starch.

I have switched my horse onto Pure Condition. It is a low sugar, low starch, high fibre, high oil conditioning feed.

OP make sure your horse has enough forage, but don't feel bad if you need to feed as well. I suggest having a look at the pure feeds website, as their feeds are all complete it is really easy to be sure that your horse is getting everything it needs and it is very straight forward.

 

[TGM]

'Conditioning feeds' are rapid access glucose for horses in heavy work (racehorses/eventers). They are high in grain - which is a common factor in ulcers and also high in sugar and starch - which weakens the laminae and is linked to decreased immunity

That's not entirely true! Whilst SOME commercial conditioning feeds are high grain, some such as TopSpec's Cool Condition Cubes, Pure Condition, Winergy Condition, etc are relatively low in cereal starch.

Also the term 'conditioning feed' does not have to just be limited to commercial cubes and mixes - high fat/high calorie feedstuffs such as linseed, copra, rice-bran etc., can be 'conditioning'.

I agree that the OP's horse should be getting ad lib forage, but there are still some horses (often with small appetites) that benefit from some extra high calorie or 'conditioning' feeds to help maintain their weight, even when in light work. The key in such cases is to ensure that the 'conditioning feeds' are low cereal/starch. High calorie does not have to equal high starch or high sugar.

 

[Firewell]

My mums horse does well on Spillers conditioning cubes. He stays very calm on them, they are good .
I used Baileys no4 on my late mare. Turned her into a nut job.

 

[LaurenBay]

I tried Baileys no4 Topline cubes and it sent my Horse loopy!

However my YO feeds it to 2 of hers and they are fine. Depends on the Horse I think!