Feed advice for good doer

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TomH

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I have a good doer who I need to ensure doesn't gain any weight over the summer. He is on restricted grazing and is about the right weight at the moment. He is fed Baileys Lo-Cal Balancer but is lacking a bit of 'oomph' at the moment and could do with gaining some more muscle.

I am thinking about changing his feed to something like Baileys Topline Cubes to assist with his muscle development and to give him a bit more energy, but worried about him gaining weight?

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks
Tom
 
I'm not sure anything you feed will build muscle only exercise will do that - same with energy - when he is fitter he'll be sharper I'd have thought.
Any way you can up his exercise? Add a morning lunge into his day so he's getting exercise twice a day?

Oats would certainly add zoom - but they worked wonders getting weight on my companion over winter so if the energy isn't used up it'll turn to fat!
 
Topline cubes on a good doer are a bad idea.

You essentially want quality protein/amino acids and plenty of correct work.

Consider swapping the lo-cal balancer for a performance balancer (this will be more geared towards providing essential aa for comp horses) - then up your horses work - include hills, polework etc.

If you still need more oomph then chuck in a few oats.
 
My mare is a good doer, routine similar to yours. She is muzzled on grass, soaked hay overnight, balancer and chop. Looking very well and I was just thinking to myself how well muscled she looks last night ;) :D

They don't need a load of grub to build muscle, the balancer is prob giving decent nutrients. What does it for my mare is work, lots of it, and correct training :) we're starting to work towards advanced medium now and I've noticed she is finding that easier when she's pretty fired up so she gets oats on her working days. For hacking or days off it's just her balancer.

I didn't want to change to a complete high energy feed because she doesn't need it all the time :)
 
Thanks milliepops, maybe I should stick with the balancer and up his work. Maybe I'm just being too impatient. How long should it take to see muscle change in a horse doing the correct work?
 
How long is a piece of string! ;) depends what you are starting with, what kind of work you are doing and how much you do :D

My mare was totally upside down with a horrible hollow neck when I got her. It probably took a year for her to get a decent topline and fill in the dip she had in front of the withers. But part of that was the time it took her to learn how to use herself in the correct way.
Take monthly photos so you can see your progress :)

It's a work in progress even now though, she's 16 this year and is still changing.
 
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Work, work, work - of the correct type. Lots of ridden walking interspersed with trotting and the occasional canter. 5 times a week, an hour a time for 3 of those sessions, and one longer 2-3 hour session and one other session (either an hour's hack or a lesson or some jumping or arena work, variety the key).

Build it up gradually. Ask him to work correctly for some of the time during those hacks - bits of leg yields, on the bit, shoulder-in, as well as walking out on a long, loose rein, and letting him trot-on with long, low head carriage too so he can stretch and use his back and top line from ears to tail.

My good doer lives on grass in summer. Grass and hay in winter when grass is scarce. A couple of Rocky mineral blocks for nutrients.

He hacks happily, canters, jumps, does 17 mile pleasure rides the day after 10 mile hacks.
 
Thanks Suechoccy, that gives us something to work towards.

I just feel the lo-cal balancer isn't really working for him, and he needs something extra. I can't really explain it.

Would adding something like Hi-Fi light help? Or even swapping the balancer for some alfalfa and a good general supplement? Or maybe it wouldn't hurt to try?
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
Hill work!! Every time!
Click to expand...

Yes hill work is excellent. We've just moved to an area with lots of steep hills and it's finally shifting the pounds off my Irish Draft.

Tom - I've got exactly the same problem as you. I switched from Top Spec Comprehensive to Top Spec Lite balancer the last couple of years and I've noticed a deterioration in hoof quality and stamina. I've been fiddling a bit with his diet and for the last two months I've had him on Forageplus Equine Performance balancer, a scoop of Hi-Fi Mollasses free chaff and a scoop of soaked equi-beet (purely to mix the balancer in as he doesn't like it as much as a pelleted balancer).

So far things are looking good and he has much more stamina but still has a way to go.
 
I feed straights so that I know exactly what my horse is getting - sick to the back teeth of feed companies changing ingredients without notifying their customers.

Personally I would stick him on the forage plus performance balancer and then give him half a scoop of oats a day. For additional protein (for muscle development) you could add Micronised linseed (about a mug a day will be plenty) and or some Soya Bean meal (I feed about 2 mugs a day) neither of which should contribute too much to any weight gain AS LONG as you work accordingly... Mix it together with a dolop of fast fibre or speedi-beet. You don't need to feed chaff.

Of course some lack of 'oompf' can be in the mind so you will need to work on your schooling and sharpening up your aids. Up the anti in terms of the amount and quality of work. Perhaps start schooling sessions with a whizz round on the lunge for 10 minutes before you hop on and ask for the same response under saddle. Vary your work, lots of hacking and hill work as already said, pole work and raised poles to get him using himself more.

My big lad can lack oompf and havin tried a variety of feeds, it has really come down to schooling...
 
Oliver12 said:
Tom - I've got exactly the same problem as you. I switched from Top Spec Comprehensive to Top Spec Lite balancer the last couple of years and I've noticed a deterioration in hoof quality and stamina. I've been fiddling a bit with his diet and for the last two months I've had him on Forageplus Equine Performance balancer, a scoop of Hi-Fi Mollasses free chaff and a scoop of soaked equi-beet (purely to mix the balancer in as he doesn't like it as much as a pelleted balancer).
Click to expand...

Glad it's not just me who thinks this too. I will have a look into the forage plus balancers. Thanks
 
My Welsh Section D was on the Baileys low-cal too & lacked oompf despite being ridden at least 5 times a week plus, hes very hard to keep the weight off & is in a fatty field. Now I feed him Winergy Medium energy - its a complete feed so you only need that & nothing else, has helped him concentrate more on his work, helped with general muscle tone, shiny coat & best of all - he has that spark now :D When his work decreases over winter I pop him onto the one below Winergy low.

Have a look on the winergy site - all the info is on there, its made by spillers & I swear by the stuff.
 
welshcobmad said:
My Welsh Section D was on the Baileys low-cal too & lacked oompf despite being ridden at least 5 times a week plus, hes very hard to keep the weight off & is in a fatty field. Now I feed him Winergy Medium energy - its a complete feed so you only need that & nothing else, has helped him concentrate more on his work, helped with general muscle tone, shiny coat & best of all - he has that spark now :D When his work decreases over winter I pop him onto the one below Winergy low.

Have a look on the winergy site - all the info is on there, its made by spillers & I swear by the stuff.
Click to expand...

That's really helpful, thank you.
 
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