does this diet sound okay?

[jessykai]

My new loan pony needs building up, she's abit ribby and needs condition etc and shes 19.

She was being fed mollichop and I've now got her on D&H fibergy, D&H build up (this will be swapped to 16+ once I've got her looking better), some mollichop while I swap her over, and have just got some grass nuts to give her as well. She gets biotin and I've also ordered linseed to give her aswell.

She gets turned out during the day and comes in at night with a haynet and theres normally some left in the morning.

Does this sound okay to help her get weight and condition on her?

 

[rhino]

Ad lib decent quality forage is the best thing for healthy weight gain - what state are her teeth in? Does she have access to hay in the field and could you consider haylage instead?

If you are happy with the products you are using it would be worth phoning D&H and speaking to the nutritionist to see what they suggest. You also don't mention the quantities you are feeding and how often. Not really sure what the grass nuts will be adding if she is having enough forage generally.

I have heard amazing things about Veteran Vitality (think it is Allen and Page) and a number of friends have their oldies doing well on it, I'm lucky that my veteran is a good doer so has never needed hard feed.

I would also suggest condition scoring and/or using a weightape to assess changes in weight as it can be difficult to tell on a day to day basis.

With any luck the grass will start growing early this year which will help you

 

[jessykai]

Ad lib decent quality forage is the best thing for healthy weight gain - what state are her teeth in? Does she have access to hay in the field and could you consider haylage instead?

If you are happy with the products you are using it would be worth phoning D&H and speaking to the nutritionist to see what they suggest. You also don't mention the quantities you are feeding and how often. Not really sure what the grass nuts will be adding if she is having enough forage generally.

I have heard amazing things about Veteran Vitality (think it is Allen and Page) and a number of friends have their oldies doing well on it, I'm lucky that my veteran is a good doer so has never needed hard feed.

I would also suggest condition scoring and/or using a weightape to assess changes in weight as it can be difficult to tell on a day to day basis.

With any luck the grass will start growing early this year which will help you

Unfortunately I can't put hay out in the field as there are other out there and they dont get hay.

At the moment she's been fed 3 times aday with a scoop of everything each time, and about 2 carrots in each time.

Her teeth seem fine but I will be getting the dentist out to check soon. I have thought about haylage but havent been able to find a supplier that does small bales yet (still looking though)

 

[rhino]

I would ring up D&H's helpline and get them to advise how much build up you should be feeding - the fibregy/grass nuts just add bulk, not really calories. The linseed should help, and you could consider a sugar beet product?

 

[jessykai]

I would ring up D&H's helpline and get them to advise how much build up you should be feeding - the fibregy/grass nuts just add bulk, not really calories. The linseed should help, and you could consider a sugar beet product?

thought about sugar beet but apparently she can't have it /doesn't tollerate it well. I'll pop into D&H tomorrow (I live right by their store lol) and ask

I know the grass nuts are predominately bulk but thats why I'm giving them lol. The reason she's lacking condition and weight is that she's been kept in a sludgy paddock with no grass what so ever for a while and I dont know for certain but I think she's been fed straw, either to bulk out her hay or in place of the hay.