Feed adjustments...

[Billabongchick]

New horse has had bit of a change to her routine over past few months; she wintered out with hay and small hard feed before we had her. Now she's in at night (livery rules due to limited grazing) with decent haynet of haylage and we initially started her on a 1/3rd-1/2 scoop A + P Calm and Condition for first few weeks. We then swopped her gradually to local feed suppliers non-heating cool mix which she has been on for a few weeks (for ease as no soaking required so easier for YM in mornings and cheaper than C&C but good quality apparently). Now we have had a few issues with her hotting up a bit, nothing major but more spooky and tense. She is looking very well (almost a bit too much!) so I don't think limiting hard feed will hurt as she is in very light work being young.

Old owner/friend has suggested Alfa A or even no hard feed at all (difficult as she is on yard so needs to be included in morning/eve feeds even if a token handful). Have researched that Alfa A can also cause some TBs to be sparky but others recommend it?

She is a young ex racehorse who is generally very laid back so my question is do we try the Alfa A route as suggested by trusted friend who knows horse very well or go back to A+P Calm and Condition in case of any adverse reaction to Alfa A? Thanks to anyone with experience of similar situation who can give input!

 

[Littlelegs]

What about just a token gesture of hifi? My 23yr old is a good doer & needed little hard feed even when hunting. Now she does less, but still expects a bucket feed 2x daily. She gets half a stubbs scoop of hifi 2x a day, & pony gets a supplement scoop full so she isn't left out. I found even half a scoop of alfa a instead had a noticeable difference energy wise, unless she was doing the work to require it. Also, cool mix has the same effect on her unless in hard work.

 

[Billabongchick]

Interesting... thanks- am swaying towards C and C as she was great on that for first few weeks but not sure how long it takes for feed 'side effects' to show so could have been both feed types causing issue cumulatively. How long does it take them to 'come down' from the high so to speak?! Hifi is unmollassed and slow burning I take it? What's the difference between that and alfa a?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would say that your horse doesn't really need a bucket feed as such but realise that she needs something when the others are fed, so I would give her a handful of dried grass (Readigrass or Graze-on). I have only ever heard of one horse which couldn't tolerate grass, whereas I know loads which cannot tolerate alfalfa - we have one.