Feed and fizz?

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Welshboy

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Hi, I'm relatively new to the forum - very much like the new format!

I posted a week ago regarding hard feed (baileys lo-cal) potentially causing behavioural changes... Responses are varied from people experiencing behavioural changes with concentrates such as Lo-Cal and Top-Spec through to those that believe as the feed quantities are so low there's unlikely to be an impact.

I have a been there, done it type gelding of 13yo. I've owned him for 10 months. He tends to be rather lazy, but nevertheless capable. Only time he gets a little excited is busy rides across the countryside (sponsored rides, cantering with friends etc). He's extremely solid on the roads.

He lives out 24/7 and has had plenty of hay over the winter. To help with Winter he's been having a daily feed of Lo-Cal with Speedibeet. I had not noticed any changes in his behaviour during Dec/Jan, as we were troubled with some intermittent lameness, bad weather and then bringing back into work with just walking hacks. However, as we've worked more over the last 5 weeks he's not been quite as 'chilled' as normal. Little bit of mini-bucking (even in trot on the road, if horse ahead is faster), quite eager to go, mini bucks in canter in the school, some 'pretend' spooking.

I put this behaviour down to the fact that he's not worked much and had no opportunity for a canter, combined with Spring being in the air! Took him for a pleasure ride on Sunday and he was very on his toes; bucking in trot, snorting and generally not filling me with confidence (I am a novice/mature rider - he's a first horse!!).

After Sunday, I decided that we'd work him daily for a while and remove his hard feed. Took him for our first lesson of the year at our local school on Thursday (where he mini-bucked with my RI last week) and he was back to his lazy self - no bucking, no spooking. Same on hack today. It seems that he's returned to his lazy chilled old self (the character I prefer!).

Now is this return of behaviour down to the fact that he's done a bit more work, or is it because I've removed his hard feed. The latter seems more likely - if so, is it down to a reaction to a particular food (lo cal), or is it because I've removed any excess energy. Doubt it's a spring fever thing, as I don't think we'd be over that yet!!

Guess I'll never really know, but interested in your views.....
 
I doubt very much that its feed related. You only feed a few hundred grammes of balancer and 1/5th of soaked speedibeet is food- the rest is water. Speedibeet is about 5% sugar and hardly any starch. So actual energy level of that diet is tiny and would be slow release energy anyway.
 
I suppose the only way to find out would be to re-introduce the same amount of feed whilst keeping up the increased workload, then you ought to get your answer. I would be more likely to point the finger of blame at the beet rather than the balancer, I think.
 
Thanks both. Well, he's still very much his old calm self. I was told by his previous owner not to feed him Baileys No. 2, Oats or cheap pasture mix......

Think you're right in that I would have to re-introduce to food to truly test it. But, for now I will just enjoy having my calmer boy back!!
 
My horse was on speedi beet amd low cal last winter and I didn't see any behaviour changes at all, he was motivated and willing but nothing dramatic :)
 
Two of our native ponies react incredibly to even very small amounts of molasses, pony nuts of any kind and sugar beet, but are fine on Topspec balancer and un-molassed chaff. Our little Welsh cob gets quite nasty if he has even tiny amounts of the "wrong" feed and the other, our Highland, gets red flaring nostrils and becomes very silly. We have tested this over many years - including when my daughter has tried something new to get more of a buzz out of them when competing - and we are quite clear that they are both very reactive to some feeds. Warmblood owners never believe this!
 
Durham said:
Two of our native ponies react incredibly to even very small amounts of molasses, pony nuts of any kind and sugar beet, but are fine on Topspec balancer and un-molassed chaff. Our little Welsh cob gets quite nasty if he has even tiny amounts of the "wrong" feed and the other, our Highland, gets red flaring nostrils and becomes very silly. We have tested this over many years - including when my daughter has tried something new to get more of a buzz out of them when competing - and we are quite clear that they are both very reactive to some feeds. Warmblood owners never believe this!
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Hi Durham. Thanks for the inf0. My welsh is a been there done it type of 13yo. If anything he's a little lazy (apart from when on grass out in open spaces !!). His previous owners definitely advised never to give him Baileys No.2, cheap pasture mix or oats (unless i want an interesting ride :-) ). So, even though he's not a parituclarly sensitive horse, he obviously can react to feed. Interestingly, previous owners did say that if we want to give him more energy (without fizz) Spillers Instant Response is ideal. However, I've not tried this as not looking for more energy at this stage!!

He has wintered out (his first time) fantastically well, so think I will be reluctant to re introduce these feeds next winter. He's now on a scoop of Happy Hoof (he's always had that) with glucosamine and vit supplement added....
 
Could it be the change in the weather or the spring grass coming through?

My boy, who is also quite lazy when on his own but ups a few gears when in company, out hunting etc, has been really on his toes for the last couple of weeks. He has been on Spillers Instant Response, with Hi Fi Lite and Speedibeet, but as hunting has finished I have cut out the mix and halved the amount of Hi Fi and Speedibeet. He will go on to Lo-Cal when I have been to the feed merchants and I have never noticed a change in behaviour before with this.

Good luck with him
 
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