Feed suggestions

[Roxylola]

This will probably be long sorry.
So supercob could do with a little more oomph, definitely dont want to promote weight gain although hes in a reasonable amount of work so that shouldn't be too much of an issue to keep on top of.
He's in light/moderate work, schooling novice/elementary work. Actual arena work is maximum once a week for between 40 minutes and an hour. He hacks the rest of the time, generally an hour a day sometimes more, minimum 2 fast hacks a week which are mainly trot and canter, the rest are probably 60/40 trot/walk.

So feed, he gets alfalfa (topspec), baileys lo-cal balancer, vitamin e oil, magnesium and ulsguard or similar. Ad lib hay.

He has mallanders, has been treated for ulcers in February, and has some undiagnosed sugar issues where he displayed tying up symptoms last year when given mollichop as a carrier for gut supplements - cheap way to check for likelihood of ulcers before scoping.

Hes mostly in at the moment, and he tends more to get uppity and bounce if hes got too much energy so I dont want him too full of it, but hes just a bit flat at the moment. We added unmolassed sugar beet for a week because we already had some in, he likes it but it caused a huge mallanders flare up within days. Taking it out has settled it down very quickly.

My current plan is to get in touch with feed reps and ask for suggestions with samples if possible (happy to buy) as there's a lot going on and he can be fussy so I could end up with 20 bags of feed that have been used for 3 days! My local baileys rep is lovely and super helpful, but theres so much on the market these days there will be plenty I dont know about. Any thoughts welcome - I'm also prepared to try straights, toying with oats in some form, or linseed maybe, it's all giving me brain ache!

 

[NocturneNoel]

I'd be tempted to try a wee scoop of bruised oats and go from there.

 

[Roxylola]

Could I get away with porridge oats do we think? Just as a trial, it would give me a few days worth without buying a bag full

 

[Littlewills]

has he been tested for PSSM? Just with a tying up episode previously and reactivity to sugar I would do that first before I changed anything. If he is then a scoop of oats would easily be enough to tip him over into a full blown tie up.

 

[Roxylola]

He hasn't been tested, but is managed as if he is, well rugged and a big dose of vitamin e. He wont be getting a scoop of anything, I'm super cautious anyway it would be a handful at best - and I've tiny hands

 

[Littlewills]

He hasn't been tested, but is managed as if he is, well rugged and a big dose of vitamin e. He wont be getting a scoop of anything, I'm super cautious anyway it would be a handful at best - and I've tiny hands

If you suspect it and he's tied up before then dont even think about feeding oats. Even a tiny handful can trigger an episode and even if it doesn't it will almost certainly make them symptomatic and slower than usual. If mollichaff effected him, even a tiny handful of oats will be too much. You have to stick to below 10% NSC as an absolute max.

It might be worth adding a fat source, in a small amount, so linseed or similar. Mine does similar work and with no fat source goes a bit flat and lifeless. A handful of high oil in some form or another and she perks up again.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Slightly left field but I wonder if some Alcar would help? We give it to The Beast instead of adding oil as per PSSM diet. Theoretically helps them access energy in fats better. Or I would try some oil or linseed.

I didn't realise sugar beet can make mallenders worse. Darn it. Maybe that's why MrT has gone a teeny but crusty again. It's all he can blimmin eat though because he's an idiot who doesn't chew his food!

 

[Roxylola]

Thanks Littlewills, I had thought oats especially like bruised etc were fibrous enough and not starchy but I'll just avoid I think.
Hes no symptoms really to speak of but I cant think of any other reason that he showed signs when given molli and hasn't again ever since we adjusted to manage him that way.
I've also toyed with linseed PF, I dont think sugarbeet is a usual culprit but it very clearly has been for him. Just need to get back on top of it now - got some camrosa as that worked very well before.
Flipping sensitive cobs!

 

[chaps89]

In winter I feed a handful of Saracens releve on harder work days. I know there's posts on here about horses choking on it but I don't give large amounts, and touch wood, to date, haven't had any issues.
It seems to just give her a bit of oomph without being silly.
It's quite palatable (smells good anyway) and quite low sugar/starch for a mix feed (can't remember if it's below 10% but if it's not I don't recall it being far off - certainly I've been ok feeding it to my EMS pony, though I appreciate EMS is different to pssm. I see it as it gives her enough oomph for me to get a better quality ride out of her which in turns burns the extra calories from the feed anyway)