Feed Help

[mickey]

**In New Lounge as well - apologies but too late to delete from New Lounge.**

My horse is in very light work (lunged or ridden for 30mins twice a week). He lives out all day and comes in overnight. He is being fed 1 scp pasture mix (1 round scoop), and 1 large scoop mollichop, twice a day.

He has ad-lib hay at night, and by that I do mean ad-lib. The hay is off a round bale and doesn't look to be especially green or sweet.

He came off haylage onto hay about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have noticed a drop in his condition (paddock also has low level of grass now).

I am not sure whether to;

- Increase pasture mix
- Swop chaff for Alfa-A. I tried it a few weeks ago but his leg became swollen where he had lymphangitis last yr, and I think it could be related to the raised protein level of the Alfa.
- Try something like build up or comp mix
- Barley cubes???
- Sugar beet but I don't like feeding it in the summer really.

I want a LITTLE more condition/maintenance of condition without the fizziness and also bearing in mind his low level of work.
Any ideas?
Also please can anyone refer me to a list of nutrients in straight barley, as I wish to compare it to barley rings. Thanks all!

--------------------

'Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not
have an opportunity to use any of the others'.
- Samuel Johnson

Post Extras:

 

[horsemadmandy]

you could try simple system feeds- I found them very useful - they will advise you on what to feed how much to feed and take into account the exercise your horse is getting-

 

[the watcher]

That sounds like quite a lot of pasture mix for a horse that isn't doing much!

Would it not be possible to back to the haylage since that seems to be the catalyst for a drop in condition? Failing that you could try Speedibeet and adding a little oil?

 

[sachak]

why not a feed balancer? deffo recommend top spec.

recently my boy has dropped some condition and i contacted the huys at spillers who were v helpful

i am now feeding my boy 1 round bowl scoop of spillers horse and pony cubes and 1 round bowl scoop of alfa a original. i feed that together with garlic dengie perfonamce vits and minerals and super flex. my boy has been on it for 5 days now and is doing fab

 

[vicksey]

Bailys Low Cal everytime. My horse looks great on it, good coat, excellent feet, nice top line etc. Has been on it for over a year now. Never become fizzy or silly, just motivated and happy.

 

[mickey]

[ QUOTE ]
That sounds like quite a lot of pasture mix for a horse that isn't doing much!

Would it not be possible to back to the haylage since that seems to be the catalyst for a drop in condition? Failing that you could try Speedibeet and adding a little oil?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yard only has round bales of hay and that will not change until winter.............
The oil suggestion is good ...........I have always tended to steer away from SB in summer in case of fermentation and as I am not in control of the preperation and storage of this (yard is).

 

[mickey]

[ QUOTE ]
why not a feed balancer? deffo recommend top spec.

recently my boy has dropped some condition and i contacted the huys at spillers who were v helpful

i am now feeding my boy 1 round bowl scoop of spillers horse and pony cubes and 1 round bowl scoop of alfa a original. i feed that together with garlic dengie perfonamce vits and minerals and super flex. my boy has been on it for 5 days now and is doing fab

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the idea of this. I think I shall do 1 pasture mix, 1 alfa, some top spec supplement. I may change off Alfa if his leg flares up. Thanks.

 

[mickey]

QR thanks all for your suggestions - It is hard to work things out with so many options on the market and given the fact I have hardly ever changed his diet in 8 yrs!!!!!!