Feed for light work?

[Traks]

Can I have some recommendations please for a feed or supplements to add to feed for a pony in light work? ISH, good doer. Currently on top spec lite balancer and top spec chop lite…she’s become a bit more forward than we’d like (was a definite plod over summer, became more forward with the top spec). Looking at the combination of the 2 products the energy is actually quite high.

Ridden up to about 30 mins 3 or so times at week at the moment, mostly schooling with some hacking. Moving to a yard in a fortnight with as lib hay (good quality) but turnout restricted to 4 or so hours the next month or two. No health concerns, can be occasionally spooky.

Was thinking of something like safe and sound or back on the healthy tummy that she came with (no ulcer history she just had that because it’s what the sales livery horses were on). Probably won’t need much hard feed once the good quality hay kicks in!

Or just keep her on the chaff we are on and add a vitamin and mineral supplement? So confused!!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I use baileys lo cal and a handful of hifi lite and just grass in summer and my Welsh d was fine. He’s an extremely good doer.

I was giving in the same in winter and he was fine until he bruised his feet he’s now getting the same and soaked hay since he’s out of work.

 

[twiggy2]

I wouldn't feed if the hay is good quality and the work load is that light

 

[Traks]

I wouldn't feed if the hay is good quality and the work load is that light

I did wonder this, they all get fed though in the barn so I feel I need to offer something? Would she not be deficient in vitamins etc if she only gets hay?

 

[Sossigpoker]

I did wonder this, they all get fed though in the barn so I feel I need to offer something? Would she not be deficient in vitamins etc if she only gets hay?

Yes you need to add a balancer or a multi vitamin supplement if just fed hay.
You could feed a small amount of chaff and add a multi vitamin supplement to that. I'm currently using the Dodson and Horrell everyday vitamins , it's intended for leisure horses

 

[Jambarissa]

You'd only really know if she's deficient if you tested your hay and had a blood test for her. We do test the hay and got some really nice stuff this year, surprisingly lower sugar given all the sun, but decent spec.

And then you'd need to feed the supplement and test again, there's no other way to know whether her body will actually convert and use an artificial form of a vitamin.

Most people won't do this and most would like some reassurance so a basic broad spectrum in a handful of chaff or soaked hay cobs (my preference) would do it.

Worth thinking about if you'd not supplement if you knew though? Test hay for £30 and save a fortune on top spec.

It's also fairly unlikely your feed is at fault. It's higher energy/protein but how much are you feeding? There's around 600g - 1kg of sugar in a net of hay, and maybe 20g in your feed?

I'm no expert here, just something to think about.

 

[Patterdale]

I wouldn’t feed anything. Grate a carrot into a bucket if it makes you feel better, and save your money

 

[Traks]

Ok thanks so much, will stick to chaff and get a supplement with vitamins and minerals, perhaps pink powder as I’ve read it’s good for digestion etc and that’s never a bad thing. Thanks so much!

 

[SEL]

I have soaked simple system hay cobs. Very few soak to make it look like there's actually a decent feed - good for fatties and you can hide powders in them.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I just feed grass chaff and a few wooden spoons of unmolassed sugar beet once a day for the supplements that lasts ages for my 2.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Back in the old days a pony wouldn't be fed anything other than hay/ grass on that work load. I still believe ponies don't need feeding unless doing lots of work. As someone else said, pop a carrot in a bucket!!

 

[Traks]

Back in the old days a pony wouldn't be fed anything other than hay/ grass on that work load. I still believe ponies don't need feeding unless doing lots of work. As someone else said, pop a carrot in a bucket!!

Haha I know!

 

[twiggy2]

I did wonder this, they all get fed though in the barn so I feel I need to offer something? Would she not be deficient in vitamins etc if she only gets hay?

If the hay is of good quality the chances are nothing is needed, you could blood test your pony once a year to double check.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Ok thanks so much, will stick to chaff and get a supplement with vitamins and minerals, perhaps pink powder as I’ve read it’s good for digestion etc and that’s never a bad thing. Thanks so much!

PinkPowder made our 2 riding horses very spooky. It has all sorts of stuff in it that you wouldn't give a horse normally.
If she is a good doer, I would just give ad-lib hay and if you feel you must offer a bucket, a few Emerald Green grassnuts or Agrobs Wiesencobs, or a bit of grass chaff

 

[poiuytrewq]

My ponies get a tiny handful of chaff, literally like a few mouthfuls. I can put anything they need in it and they have no idea what’s in anyone else’s bucket so as long as they get one too they are happy!

 

[PSD]

Mine gets a handful of ease an excel and ad lib haylage as he’s welsh and an extremely good doer. I’d prefer to feed him hay but the quality isn’t very good so I’d have to supplement with feed.

 

[tda]

Don't forget that there are vits and mins in grass and hay. I personally would feed nothing, if you were genuinely needing something to make yourself feel better then a handful of fibre nuggets

 

[Mfh999]

Ok thanks so much, will stick to chaff and get a supplement with vitamins and minerals, perhaps pink powder as I’ve read it’s good for digestion etc and that’s never a bad thing. Thanks so much!

Brewers yeast is the base of Pink Powder without the price tag although some don't like the taste but if introduced very slowly it's usually OK. It's an excellent digestion aid, bull of B vitamins.
As mentioned before, if she's a good doer and with such a light work load, I'd cut out feeds altogether and just use hay until you see how she's coping with being in longer.
Remember, it won't be long before better grazing is available with the added chance of gaining weight especially as she doesn't do much. If you feel she must have something for when the others are fed then I'd use a handful of grass nuts just to rattle her bucket and make her think she's had something.

 

[Rowreach]

Good quality ad lib hay and nothing else.

 

[Traks]

Thanks everyone, I’m going to stop the top spec balancer altogether and just use up the last of the chaff with a supplement as our current hay isn’t amazing quality. Once we’ve moved will just give a handful of chaff as they all get fed at the same time (on livery) and a few carrots and see how she goes x

 

[SO1]

I too would say nothing or a handful of molasses free chaff it you need to feed something as everyone gets breakfast that is what my 5 year old new forest gets and he has loads of energy and a shiny coat. He has good quality hay and grass.

My previous new forest was on soaked hay as he was a really good doer in his teenage years and I did give him a balancer due to being on soaked hay. Feedmark do one slim aid or bluechip native.

 

[Traks]

Has anyone used pure feeds? The easy looks good, low energy, chaff based and has all the vitamins and minerals in it etc…

 

[Upthecreek]

Has anyone used pure feeds? The easy looks good, low energy, chaff based and has all the vitamins and minerals in it etc…

Yes but they only get the correct amount of vitamins and minerals when fed at the recommended daily amount, which would likely be too much feed for a pony in light work, especially if they maintain their weight well on grass and hay (and have plenty of energy). If you need to give a token feed to fit in with the yard routine I would just feed a couple of handfuls of low calorie molasses free chaff with the recommended quantity of vitamin and mineral supplement added.

 

[maya2008]

'Lite' chaff (we use mollichaff lite because it doesn't have alfalfa in), water/speedibeet to make it wet so you can mix in vit&min powder (I use NAF, there's a million choices). Some carrots or something to make them eat it, if needed. Less energy than hay...