Does anyone just feed pony nuts and chaff?

Used to feed our old pony an little speedibeet and a handful of pony nuts just to occupy him while the oldie had his Veteran Vitality (otherwise he'd hoover it up, and the oldie would let him). Originally I'd put some mollichaff in too (to slow him down more) but as he got more mature about feed he stopped wolfing it down, so I cut it out.
 
NZJenny said:
We are so lucky here - can still get "real" chaff, it even comes in a hessian sack still, and really good quality whole grains. Big market for the processed feeds though.
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Really great chaff too
Lucerne Chaff
Meadow Chaff
Oat Chaff - Oat Straw
Oaten Chaff - contains the whole plant, Oats included
Even seen an Oat/Lucerne chaff

Cambridge has 3 Feed merchants where you can buy just about any Straight feed, the commercially prepared feeds are available at most places.

SAdly NZ is jumping on the pretty wrapper band wagon - so many people are now riding naughty over fed horses and ponies.

I love that mine eats grass - (sorry Jenny), very, very short grass too, to keep her dimensions in trim - she has to walk her butt (fat) off moving around the paddock all day getting enough to eat. She shares with the fatty ponies - no laminitis where I graze just happy, healthy horses and ponies.
 
dreambigpony said:
Just wanted to know if anyone feeds pony nuts alongside chaff? I've got a good doer and currently buy a broad vitamin and mineral feed but wondered whether pony nuts would contain the same nutrients she needs at a fraction of the price?
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yes I do as I wont feed mix to mine so mine have Fibergy and nuts
 
Shay said:
As long as you feed to manufacturer's recommended amount then you don't "need" anything else. You may choose to feed a specific supplement for a specific purpose - but it is always worth reading the label as you may well find you are repeating something already in your feed! Balencers (fed alongside normal feed) and broad spec vits & mins are almost always a complete waste of money IMO.
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I don't feed any vitamins except vitamin E to two horses with EPSM that need extra. One gets only chaff, one gets a kilo of own brand cubes, nowhere near enough to give him the vitamins they 'should'. In nearly forty years of feeding my own, my horses all shine and I've never had a vitamin related health issue. I think there's enough in grass and hay/haylage for most horses.


So glad to see common sense!!! I think the majority of horse owners (maybe newer ones who want to be seen to be doing everything right) overfeed, and believe everything said by feed companies as gospel. I've owned horses for 45 years, and have never fed a balancer or felt the need to do so. Mine are in full work and event, but are all fed on a 13% H&P nut with grazeon and some unmollassed sugar beet. I might add oats to some feeds, but no supplements at all. If I have a horse not looking quite right, then I get a urine sample tested for mineral deficiencies. I can't see any point in paying money for something that may not be needed. When you've got 5+ horses, you have to count the pennies!! Having said that, I've got 4 horses on 4 different supplements ATM.
 
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