Feed for Little Cob?

MrsMozart

MrsMozart

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All these feed posts have prompted me to actually remember to ask the question I was meant to ask about two weeks ago
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Little Cob: 13.0hh Tradtional. Light build for a coblet. Good doer. Clipped out, but still has a mane (pulled to plait). Worked five or six days a week: daughter has started hill work in an attempt to get him fit, and lots of transitions to build some top line. Can jump, and actually enjoys it, but sort of a plod between jumps looking at the scenary as he goes by
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Currently fed Blue Chip Pro, Bailey's Outshine (ouch, no wonder I'm broke), a cup of oats and Alpha A Oil (I know he shouldn't have the oil one, but I ran out of feed bins! He gets a handful). I want to swap all neds to straights, but what do I need to feed LC to give him some oomph? He's definately capable of it if he's in the mood! If he has molassed sugarbeet he gets much more lively, but if I've read a post right, I can't feed him oats and sugarbeet? He lacks in stamina (hence the fittening programme, but boy, it's hard work
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All thoughts and comments, as ever, much appreciated
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If you are trying to get him fitter and he is a good doer then Baileys Outshine may not be the best because it does also promote weight gain aswell as good overall condition!
Prehaps the baileys LoCal Balancer or a regular mix would be more approriate, along side an Alfa A Original, its obvious from what you feed him you still want that shine, as long as he has his vits and mineral balance correct you should still get a good shine and nice coat, so a mix is ideal because they have added balanced vits and minerals. As for getting him a bit more livley and some more omph, that will come in time, as he gets fitter - the work will pay off in the end, there are no real feeding shortcuts that work an unfit pony, but your feeding him a concentrate such as barley/oats ect could hinder his fitness as in good-doers they put on the weight easily, so prehaps a very small amount of corn to give the energy boost, as i know the cobby types can be a bit lethargic at times!
But it depends, if he is not putting on weight or a bit tubby on what he is fed at the moment then he may not be as much of a good doer as you think, as i know certain ponies that would balloon on his diet !!!
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Best talk to a nutritionist, Baileys have a line you can call, we found them most helpful, and remember not to change too fast, more exercise and a bit less food might shock the little chap
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(i know it would me !!
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Ta hun
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I think he's not putting on weight at the moment due to the work daughter is doing with him
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. As his breeding dictates, he can go out for a two hour hack (with a bit of speed in it) and come back pretty happy, but put him round a show jumping ring and he's bo!!oxed!

Cobs seem to be hard to get fit...
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(sorry for such a generalization!).
 
te hee , yes we have had horses much the same,
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i am working hard at the moment to bring my big chunky 16.2 Barneys fitness up and blimey is it hard work, but i do find the cobby types muscle up and tone nicely, and they look so stunning when they reach that nice balance. Once he gets up to the fitness level and regular jumping he might need a little topline mix but generaly theyre so easy to keep, nothing like our blooming TB, eats and eats and eats ........
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Feed him nothing!!
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My coblet exists on a handful of Happy Hoof, speedibeet and Fromula 4 Feet for her laminitis. The fitter and thinner she is the more 'ping' she has - as your grazing is good I really wouldn't give him anything until the grass starts to go in Sept/Oct - Prior to Inca having her laminitis she never had any extra feed from when the spring grass came in until then and she has always had restricited grazing. Honestly he will get all he needs from the grass and it will save you some £££'s as well. When the grass goes lots of high fibre feed only - once cobs are muscled and fit they look fab and will ping around for ever - and the added benefit is if they need an extra boost literally a handful of oats/mix etc is enough to make them ping - until then it makes little difference other than possibly making him fizzy. Inca can work 7 days a week on that - including 2 and 3 hour hacks up hill etc

Hope that makes sense - don't feed the coblet and make him work!!!! Just ignore the death stares......
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Eek! But a coblet's death stares are so scarey!!!!

So will the fitness give him the stamina to bounce around a SJ course? He'll walk up to the blasted jumps and then pop them very nicely (or just walk through them if it's going away from the collecting ring
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Also, daughter wants to hunt this year, so he'll need 'something' no?

I'm more than happy to not feed him (lol), but daughter wants him more on his toes (she's more than happy to put the work in riding, but she's only got skinny things for legs
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I know they are but you have to train yourself to ignore them!!
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Honestly the more stamina she can get into him the better - as his fitness levels rise the easier he will find stuff - and he needs to be fit for hunting!! I would only start giving him extra feed when actually going hunting - ie the night before and after cobs really don't need any extra feed and he will be so much more responsive when fit - if she doesn't believe me she can come and have a sit on the Stinks!!
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