Feed for TB with possible ulcers.

[Rockman]

I have a 13 year old 16.3 TB. He raced until he was 10 and then hunted a bit but I have had him for 18 months now. He is currently stabled at night and out all day however come October until April he will be stabled full time with a maximum of 4-5 hours turnout per day. I am suspecting that he has ulcers which is something I am now looking in to, I have made the decision to try a diet change first before getting the vet involved, I know some will disagree with this decision but after researching and a lot of thinking I would rather try this than get the vet straight involved. However I definitely will get the vet involved if I think they are getting worse or if the diet change has any affet as this would help indicate to me that he definitely has them. Through reading up etc I have realised he is on completely the wrong diet! He is currently fed 1/2 a stubbs scoop of Baileys number 2 nuts, 1 scoop hi-fi dengie and brewers yeast twice a day with access to ad lib soaked hay. He is only in light work, 1-2 ridden schooling sessions, 2-3 lunging sessions and 1-3 hacks per week.

Any advice on what feeds I could change him to would be really helpful and also the amount that he should be fed. From what I've read I was thinking of putting him on either happy hoof (not sure what I would feed with this?) or alfa a original with an alfa a balancer.

He is my first horse and I've had so much help from here since owning him hence why I'm back with my newest problem haha! So I know that I haven't helped if he does have ulcers but better late that never right!

Thank you to anyone who has made it to the end of my ramble and is still willing to offer some advice!

 

[JillA]

Low sugar is the first and foremost - sugar increases the acidity of the gut environment, and that includes starches found in cereals. And maybe some cooked linseed, to provide a mucous lining to the stomach. TBH it is vital to maintain access to food so that the stomach is never empty so my inclination would be as much hay or grass as he can get himself outside of and just a small feed of low sugar/high fibre such as unmollassed beet pulp to carry any supplements he may need. Maybe bicarbonate of soda to further reduce the acidity.

 

[fuzzle]

Very good post above!!!! mine had ulcers and it is lots of management!!! feed is the big factor like above no cereals!!!! luckily mine is a good doer, fat shiny and you would of never believed she was full of ulcers, i feed her
soaked alfa beet, pony nuts and chaff!! lots of haylage but i buy the haylage more on the dry side than the wet haylage just that i cant get really really good hay, but good herb hay is better, i got my horse fully better by using the equine science products and still 100pc ulcer free!! after a year, if she does have ulcers you will need to treat them and keep her on a maintenance product has they will re occur also you need to find out what has happened to her to get her ulcers ie pain or stress, if its stress find a way of re training her and keep her relaxed and in a good routine, my horse had stress ulcers from been broke in too early she hates the manage totally switches off, i changed her work program lots of hacking schooling and canter work in the field and make things fun instead of the same schooling thing ie pole work, lots of praise all has worked and we are doing amazing!!! got our first hunter trials soon and she is a happy horse!!!!! ps my horse is only 5 years old and i nearly had her PTS with ulcers she was colicking every night and in loads pain xxxx

 

[Rockman]

Thank you both so much, all the advice has been really helpful and made me feel a lot better! Hopefully he should be free of them soon!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I guessed that my Draft mare had ulcers when I got her, I knew that she had ben fed a high cereal/high sugar diet and she was very girthy and grumpy. Apart from giving her a no added sugar/ high fibre diet, I gave her Aloe Vera juice. She is much better now but at first if I ran out of AV, she would become grumpy again within 24 hrs of a missed dose.

 

[Rockman]

I guessed that my Draft mare had ulcers when I got her, I knew that she had ben fed a high cereal/high sugar diet and she was very girthy and grumpy. Apart from giving her a no added sugar/ high fibre diet, I gave her Aloe Vera juice. She is much better now but at first if I ran out of AV, she would become grumpy again within 24 hrs of a missed dose.

That's really interesting thankyou! How much AV and how often do you give it please?