Feed and exercise help please?

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Pidge

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Pidge is pretty fit at the moment and gets ridden most days with a variety of schooling, hacking, jumping etc. However he is extremely keen at the moment as last night after schooling for over 45mins he was on a mission and powered away at the trot and I only just held him, so made him do lots of circles and really use his back end but it was hard work! You can see his ribs just when you look at him and he’s fed the following at the moment, full scoop of Alfa A Oil, 600g TopSpec Feed Balancer, 1/3 scoop of TopSpec cool and condition cubes each day and he’s a 17hh ISH. He’s in a Rambo excel 200g with a neck cover and fully clipped but lovely and toasty so not cold. Haylage in the field in the day and ad lib haylage at night in his stable.
So do I up his food to help him put some weight on or not or will this just give him more energy? I’ve never really had a problem with him before in the winter, but I do know that he is so much fitter this year than he has been before. Help please?
 
it's the stuff the yard makes and is included in the livery price. Between Pidge and Sunny they have 1/2 big slab in the field in the day, and Pidge is probably eating about 1/2 big slab overnight - he is a big lad and tends to come in around 575kg - 600kg though.
 
Protein will not make a horse excitable it simply provides building blocks for muscle and top line. Unfortunately it has a bad repuation with old school vets who blame problems they don't know the answer to on it.

I would highly recommend one of the Winergy products for Pidge to keep the weight and muscle on him and provide him with slow releasing energy, the Condition one I beleive is low in sugar, cereal free, but very high in calories and extremely effecitve, and I think they're complete (the one my girl is on certainly is complete so I guess it applies to the others) it might be a good idea to ring them and get some opinions... I've found it great for mine who was very sharp before!x
 
Thanks for that MM, thing is he's been on TopSpec for 3 1/2 years and I've never had this problem before as it never normally makes him this keen! Do you think it could just be the fact he is a lot fitter and if so how do I make him less fit?
 
Have you thought about ditching the mix and feeding something like Redmills Horsecare cubes?

Non heating, but will give more than enough energy for what you need - fed twice a day. And ensure that he is perhaps a little more covered.
 
to be honest I've never thought of feeding anything else as I like the fact that with the TS feed balancer you don't have to worry about his minerals and vitamins and he always looks in good nick coat wise etc.
hmm me thinks I'm going to have to do some research on this one........
 
Am having a similar thing with my mare Skye, she was clipped and came in overnight last tuesday and is now feeling very well, I have had her 8 years and she isnt normally like this the only thing i can link it to is the fact we actually have a bit of grass left and that coupled with the fact she is hairless and in eating hayledge all night. Nothing is different with her this year than last she is fed the same ( in fact slightly less this year) same hayledge, fully clipped ( she was last year) same rug ( MW Combo Turnout MW combo stable rug)
Have worried a bit this summer at pushing 18 she might start to feel a bit stiff as the winter came and it got damp however she feels looser and fresher than ever.
 
I found with a small percentage of horses that alfa A can induce them to be rather more excitable than usual. Maybe try substituting half the alfa for hi-fi?
 
If he is very fit, clipped and you can *just* see his ribs, then he probably is the correct condition now. I wouldn't up his feed just yet - keep weight-taping him and if you notice he is starting to lose weight then up the amount of Alfa A Oil you feed or perhaps add some unmolassed beet.
 
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