feed that gives energy but does not condition

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Austen123

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hi,
im looking for a feed that will give my mare some energy as she is very sluggish and needs just bit of extra umph.. she is on hayledge and that isnt doing it. at the mo she is on pasture mix. and in the summer she is usually on competition mix (dodson and horall) . i was thinking of giving her some sugary chaff like Molli chaff with apple with her pasture mix as at the moment she is on 1/2 scoop pasture and 1/3 alfa a original.
 
I guess you wont want to hear but food wont give her more energy a fat lazy horse will normally just get fatter and lazier if you increase its calories. Fitness and exercise with lots of forward going things like cross country and hunting are the key. Make life interesting and she will perk up
 
ilovemorgan said:
hi,
im looking for a feed that will give my mare some energy as she is very sluggish and needs just bit of extra umph.. she is on hayledge and that isnt doing it. at the mo she is on pasture mix. and in the summer she is usually on competition mix (dodson and horall) . i was thinking of giving her some sugary chaff like Molli chaff with apple with her pasture mix as at the moment she is on 1/2 scoop pasture and 1/3 alfa a original.
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This makes me cringe when I ready posts like this:(

First find out if there is a reason for the sluggish

Pain
unfit
laminitis
overweight
saddle fitting
teeth
bridle fitting
wrong bit
rider / schooling
horse not having enough fun (turnout - hacking)

find out all the above speak to you vet.

Speak to Dodson and Horrell Senior nutrition
 
yep all of the above has been checked. she is in perfect condition. not underweight or over weight. saddle , dentist and back checked very regularly . ridden for at least 1hr1/2 a day. daily turnout. in at night. im considering getting a couple of tests done see if there are any deficient condtitions
 
varied work. competition one day at weekend. hacked 4/3 times a week and schooled/ jumping session once. day off after competetion. she is only in a snaffle. never had a problem with laminitis. and overall she is a very chilled out horse. i really do no have a problem with her she is one in a million. just wanted to see if there anyhing i could do at all
 
Sugar and starch are very bad for horses, and the effects are particularly noticable in their feet. I would suggest switching to a fibre based diet, with oil for any extra calories, and add a good mineral supplement. I like Pro Balance + from Progressive Earth.

If you add calories, that will give condition. There's no way of feeding to increase energy without adding calories, therefore any energy rich feed will add condition - if the horse is not using all of those calories in its work.
 
Sounds like a perfect pony and you are doing all you can. I guess lots of hunting and galloping about might make her more enthusiastic it is a very old fashioned way though
 
ilovemorgan said:
varied work. competition one day at weekend. hacked 4/3 times a week and schooled/ jumping session once. day off after competetion. she is only in a snaffle. never had a problem with laminitis. and overall she is a very chilled out horse. i really do no have a problem with her she is one in a million. just wanted to see if there anyhing i could do at all
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sadly that was my position 2 years ago
mare not enough oomph etc , fed her corn comp mix propell plus barley rings etc. Eventually by the July she picked up.


2011 saw the same symptoms, I thought its her asthma again kept her on the same diet..

Aug 2011 saw her diagnosed with Laminitis, the sluggish the year before was a warning.



MY mare of a lifetime went over the rainbow yesterday all due to me feeding loads things to give oomph.


Please be careful with her

Speak to Teresa Hoyland Most vets know of her Senior Nutrition

Too many well meaning people suggest more corn etc.

Its better to have smaller "correct diet" than pumping her with loads of stuff which could lead to her downfall :(
 
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ilovemorgan said:
yep all of the above has been checked. she is in perfect condition. not underweight or over weight. saddle , dentist and back checked very regularly . ridden for at least 1hr1/2 a day. daily turnout. in at night. im considering getting a couple of tests done see if there are any deficient condtitions
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You may just want to give her a little more of the same hardfeed, rather than adding anything new. She may just need more food.
 
ok yep thanks for the advice. when i say "pumping" i mean of unnecessary calories.. may try taking her hunting.. as someone said on here.. the "old fashioned way" :D dont know why it didnt cross my mind earlier!!
 
I have just added a bit of topspec turbo flakes to coblets feed before parties to pep her up usuall a couple of cups the day be fore and a cup the morning me got as well as being kept in overnight gives her bounce :)

I don't feed it continuously but its designed to be fed to give racehorses oomph for racing along with a balancer :)
 
How old is your mare, how long have you had her, and has she always been sluggish or is this a recent change in her energy levels?

In nutrition terms 'calories' and 'energy' are the same, so if you increase calories in the diet you can't guarantee that it won't be turned to fat rather than enthusiasm for work!

If the sluggishness is a new thing for this horse, then it is possible that it is a sub-clinical physical problem - spavins forming, for example, can make a horse seem sluggish without obvious lameness. Low grade laminitis can have the same effect.

What I do notice about the feed you are giving is that you are not giving the amount of mix recommended by the manufacturers, presumably because she doesn't need the extra calories. However, this does mean that she is not getting the full amount of vit/mins that the manufacturer intended, so it could be worth swapping the mix for a balancer or a broad spectrum vit/min supplement. It is quite possible that she is getting all the vit/mins she needs from haylage and grazing anyway, but it is worth a try and better than increasing the cereal content of the feed if you don't want her to get any fatter.
 
In the good old days we fed a handful of micronised peas to hunters that lacked sparkle along with good quality oats, linseed, chop and sugar beet. Plus all the good hay they would eat.

My, how things have changed now !
 
Are you replacing the salt loss, or it could be that she may be lacking in iron so adding some propell plus won't harm although ideally a blood test and talking to your would make more sense if you have ruled out all other possible reasons. It might be that she just needs a rest to recharge a bit like peopke
 
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