Could he actually need MORE food?!

bex1984

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As many of you will know, my stinky coblet has been on a diet for a year. He is finally getting near to being the correct weight, and over the past month muscles have started appearing
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For the past week or two, he seems to have been lacking in energy and my legs feel like they are going to drop off after 15 mins of riding him.

He is out 24/7 on poor grazing, there is enough out there to keep him ticking over but not enough for him to put on any weight. He sometimes has a little bit of hay when he comes in for a ride (depends how long I spend groomng him). He also has an apple a day.

I am going to start giving him vitamins again, and for the last couple of days he's had a handful of happy hoof and a slug of cod liver oil, but I don't think that's going to sort out his lack of energy, so I'm wondering if I should be feeding him something different?

A friend gave me a little handful of non-heating mix to try him on, which he had last night so we'll see how he goes today and he might have some more tonight - I have a show tomorrow and how he is at the moment I don't think I'll stand a chance of getting him to canter
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Any ideas for what I could feed? He just needs a little more sparkle, I don't want him going all spooky and manic...
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thank you, will it also give more energy? I've got the vits and mins - he has dodson & horrell equibites, he had them for a few days last week and it didn't seem to make a difference, but maybe it will in time?
 
I would start with the lo cal and if he needs a bit more then add a handful of Baileys Ecomomy cubes - they have linseed in them and give a lovely shiny coat.

Energy changes and food changes should happen slowly. You have to feed him consistently.
 
Thank you, will look into the baileys stuff and defo give him his vitamins consistently from now on (only had to give them for just a few days because I ran out, but off to get some more today).
 
I agree with the Baileys low cal, I'd add some dengie hifi light in as well as it is a great feedstuff and works wonders on mine that isn't on the greatest grass and is blooming
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It might just be that his coat is changing. Daisy always begins to get sluggish around this time of year but she rediscovers her speed once I clip
 
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It might just be that his coat is changing. Daisy always begins to get sluggish around this time of year but she rediscovers her speed once I clip

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You could well be right, he did lack energy this time last year and then spent the whole of last winter refusing to walk anywhere and jogging constantly and generally being hyper
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But I need him to have some energy now as we've still got a few shows to go in the next few weeks...
 
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