Dressage horses - what do you feed them to build up strength?

H

HammieHamlet

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 November 2007
Messages
876
Visit site
I know this should really be in a different forum, but it does relate to competition horses....

I'm looking to review my horses feed, so wondered what advice any of you have, specifically for your dressage horses.

So, currently he is on Winergy Equilibrium (Medium and Condition), but I'm wondering if there is a cheaper way to do things (as it is working out quite expensive). Horse gets schooled daily, maybe hacked out or jumped once a week and goes to competitions. He is working at Medium level + at home, so we are looking for something to help with the increased strength he requires for the more advanced moves / canter work.

What do you all feed yours?
 
HAve you thought of going back to basic feeds?

Crushed Barley or oats, sugarbeet, meadow chaff, crushed linseed and a vitamin mineral supplement (or an equine balancer)

This works out sooo much cheaper and you can adjust the quantity to suit your horse. It's what we fed all our horses on prior to the advent of all the processed feeds.
 
What about Spiller's Response Slow Release Cubes - similar calorie count and protein level to the Winergy Medium, and slightly lower in starch.
 
We have three at medium+, 17 8yr old german gelding. fed alfa a bailey top line and dodson pasture mix. and haylage

16.2 and a 16.3, age 8 and 17 german geldings. Both hay both mollichop and dodson pasture mix - this 8y old was placed advanced medium at the nationals
 
Evelyn said:
HAve you thought of going back to basic feeds?

Crushed Barley or oats, sugarbeet, meadow chaff, crushed linseed and a vitamin mineral supplement (or an equine balancer)

This works out sooo much cheaper and you can adjust the quantity to suit your horse. It's what we fed all our horses on prior to the advent of all the processed feeds.
Click to expand...

this is exactly what I was thinking.... I know it's more fiddly to mix up lots of different feeds (have to say that the Winergy feeds are so easy) but I also think that it's probably a lot cheaper to go back to basics....
 
smac said:
We have three at medium+, 17 8yr old german gelding. fed alfa a bailey top line and dodson pasture mix. and haylage

16.2 and a 16.3, age 8 and 17 german geldings. Both hay both mollichop and dodson pasture mix - this 8y old was placed advanced medium at the nationals
Click to expand...

thanks - that would be way cheaper!
 
Have you looked at the Pure Feeds Company? their feeds are fantastic, similar to winergy but better!! haha and not as expensive to feed either.

I looked at winergy but it would cost me 70-80 a month!!!! I pay just under 50 now and ALL my horses needs are met by the feed, its excellent!
 
not a dressage horse ;) but i needed similar feeding results - RI suggested i tried spillers slow release but it jsut didn't give quite enough energy - so she suggested allan and page power and performance and i find that gives enough energy for a days hunting or a ODE etc - plus the right balance of protein etc to have assisted in topline development (horse in siggy was an upside down yak at the beginning of the year ;) piccs from may and june shows :) )
 
Mine was also just on Winergy Medium, but again I was finding it quite expensive. She now gets Graze on chaff and Speedibeet as the basic feed, plus Winergy Medium and Allen and Page Power and Performance in small quantities.

I may end up dropping the winergy medium eventually, as she feels fab on the P+P and graze on. She gets a scoop of graze on and half a scoop of speedibeet 2x daily, plus 1.5 scoop of P+P and 1 scoop of Winergy medium split over the feeds. I've had no change in energy levels, it is working out a lot cheaper!!
 
KatB said:
Mine was also just on Winergy Medium, but again I was finding it quite expensive. She now gets Graze on chaff and Speedibeet as the basic feed, plus Winergy Medium and Allen and Page Power and Performance in small quantities.

I may end up dropping the winergy medium eventually, as she feels fab on the P+P and graze on. She gets a scoop of graze on and half a scoop of speedibeet 2x daily, plus 1.5 scoop of P+P and 1 scoop of Winergy medium split over the feeds. I've had no change in energy levels, it is working out a lot cheaper!!
Click to expand...

i will google the P&P - sounds promising. I'm not sure if I would feed the winergy with anything else, as I guess it contains chaff / fibre stuff as well as the concentrate? Could end up being quite diluted if that makes sense?

It's a shame as it is such an easy feed to have (takes 10 seconds to make up the feeds) but I'm sure that it is a lot more expensive...

Thanks for the advice :)
 
posie_honey said:
not a dressage horse ;) but i needed similar feeding results - RI suggested i tried spillers slow release but it jsut didn't give quite enough energy - so she suggested allan and page power and performance and i find that gives enough energy for a days hunting or a ODE etc - plus the right balance of protein etc to have assisted in topline development (horse in siggy was an upside down yak at the beginning of the year ;) piccs from may and june shows :) )
Click to expand...

thanks - another vote for the P&P! horse certainly doesnt look like a yak in your photos now:)
 
HollyP said:
Have you looked at the Pure Feeds Company? their feeds are fantastic, similar to winergy but better!! haha and not as expensive to feed either.

I looked at winergy but it would cost me 70-80 a month!!!! I pay just under 50 now and ALL my horses needs are met by the feed, its excellent!
Click to expand...

That sounds interesting, as I probably am spending £70-£80 a month on winergy....

Is it as easy to feed?
 
The only reason why I am still feeding the winergy is because it is a lot lower starch than P+P, but has a similar DE, so is slower release but still a balanced feed. Alos I brought a couple of bags last time so i am in the transitional period :p

P+P is £1 cheaper a bag than winergy and in 20kg bags, and graze on is £7 a bag for a big bag, so I reckon I'll be cutting my feed bills by a good few quid a month. I was feeding speedibeet alongside winergy anyway :)
 
If you want ease of feeding and you are only feeding one horse, then why not empty your cube of choice into a feed bin, then mix some chaff into the bin as well and - voila - you can just scoop it out and chuck into feed bucket every day!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top