Feed advice for barefoot mare- what would you do?

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J1993

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Hi, I have had my mare for about 10 weeks now and she was previously living on haylage and grass with no hard feed or supplements. She is a 8 yr old 16.3 wb x id. She was previously shod all round.

She was started on haylage and slowly introduced over a week 3 cups a day of the lo cal. She is now barefoot and i swapped haylage for hay due to her being slightly fizzy. She gets a large shires net a night, and a smaller haynet a day, and she usually has a little left over.

I have recently noticed posts about baileys lo cal being bad for barefooters due to containing molasses .. I was recommended the feed by someone else and that it would provide all vitamins she needed without putting the weight on. To be honest I was thinking of taking her off feed altogether but want to keep her barefoot and was unsure of where to go.

So just after advice of what would you do???

Just to add, at the minute she would be classes as being in light work mainly hacking due to this crp British weather!!
 
What about fast fibre or speedi beet/kwick beet with a hoof balancer, if her hooves are quite good progressive earth on ebay do a good one called pro hoof this should ensure you cover the bases of what her hooves need.

If her hooves are bad(as my horses were) forage plus do very good ones but they are more expensive but contain higher amounts of "the good stuff".

I feed a mug of speedi beet split into two feeds with the chaff safe and sound as he's fussy.

A good forum to join in http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php you will get all the answers on there :)
 
Second joining phoenix horse, you'll get better advice on there. I feed mine fast fibre, linseed, and when it's required magnesium oxide
 
victoria1980x said:
What about fast fibre or speedi beet/kwick beet with a hoof balancer, if her hooves are quite good progressive earth on ebay do a good one called pro hoof this should ensure you cover the bases of what her hooves need.

If her hooves are bad(as my horses were) forage plus do very good ones but they are more expensive but contain higher amounts of "the good stuff".

I feed a mug of speedi beet split into two feeds with the chaff safe and sound as he's fussy.

A good forum to join in http://phoenixhorse.myfastforum.org/index.php you will get all the answers on there :)
Click to expand...


Just looked at the fast fibre and sounds right for her. Can't look into the pro hoof as the ebayer has closed her shop over Xmas, but thanks for the advice!
 
My horse is shod but I am interested in hoof health and my horse is sensitive to sugars, so I feed speedibeet for its water and fibre content and mix in with a natural balancer, I use Total Eclipse, Simple Systems but have heard amazing things about Thunderbrook too for barefooters!
Google them both, lots of information on the web - please note as the balancers are natural they are a powder form, (which is why I mix mine with speedibeet and an organic chop) some horses can be fussy when it's first fed but please bear with it, my horse has been on SS 8 months and sometimes turns his nose up but remember if feed is in a pellet form, to make the pellet chemicals/sugars have been used.
http://geegeeandme.blogspot.co.uk/
 
I would suggest emailing the companies and asking for a sample first most will do this. Will save you wasting your money if she's fussy or doesn't like the more "runny" consistency of the fast fibre or speedi beet type feeds.
 
Both of my newly barefoot horses are on a handful of fast fibre (really just to carry the minerals), micronised linseed and progressive earth pro balancer....they are looking fairly good at the mo. They get hay fairly as lib and turn out on a muddy paddock every day, ( I will strip graze if the grass ever comes back). I like the fast fibre but I think that some horses can be a bit picky about it.....luckily for me both of mine Hoover it up!
 
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