Feeding a 3 year old warmblood

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I have a 3yo ID, 16.2hh. He is out in the field with not mental but not poor grass (you can see in photo below) from 3pm-8am (I bring him in for 1-2hrs about 5:30-7pm), he had adlib hay when he is in in the day but doesn't eat much of it, and then he has a handful of happy hoof and a handful of spillers original balancer twice a day, mainly to get his calmer, some herbs and some salt in him. He is not in work, although I am thinking that I will need to teach him to lunge and bit him so we can walk out in hand to get him moving a bit more as he may start to become a bit porky before long.

This is his condition at the moment, he has put on weight after coming over from Ireland which he needed, but I am keeping an eye on it, and hoping he plateaus!

 

[TGM]

When our warmblood was that age he just got a balancer and a bit of speedibeet. Like you we don't have tons of grass so he got ad lib haylage as well. In fact, that has been his staple diet throughout and he is 10 next week!

 

[paddi22]

I found high fibre and high oil diet works best for mine.

 

[Horseysheepy]

I tend to feed a youngstock balancer such as spillers grow and win, or suregrow with a low sugar chaff, up till they are 3.

Once they are 3, they are fed as an adult horse. As they will potentially be starting their early education at this age, I don't like to heat them up too much with feeds. Tend to keep it simple, grass, hay if necessary and if anything, an allround feed balancer.

 

[Spirit7]

They are sales people that's what they do most feed companies will over estimate what you need to feed.

I can't feed mine alfalfa or molasses sends them nuts i feed a grass chaff like emerald green meadow or grass tastic or graze on its just chopped grass.

Yes that’s sounds similar to agrobs as I don’t want anything fertilised or with bag additives and preservatives. Thanks you

 

[Spirit7]

I found high fibre and high oil diet works best for mine.

Thank you

 

[Spirit7]

Y'what? That's not what you said in your earlier posts!

Sorry I said in first post what I had been advised to feed then I said in next post “What he is actually as of today in a bucket twice a day/ tomorrow ia handfull of agrobs myo, half scoop of linseed, third of fast fibre (as came on it and I feed it anyway) and 75g of FP balancer……scoop in a little one not a stubben!! So less than what you feed atm. I think I’m just going to stay with this at least until I can move them to my better fields. Thanks for your input

 

[Spirit7]

I have a 3yo ID, 16.2hh. He is out in the field with not mental but not poor grass (you can see in photo below) from 3pm-8am (I bring him in for 1-2hrs about 5:30-7pm), he had adlib hay when he is in in the day but doesn't eat much of it, and then he has a handful of happy hoof and a handful of spillers original balancer twice a day, mainly to get his calmer, some herbs and some salt in him. He is not in work, although I am thinking that I will need to teach him to lunge and bit him so we can walk out in hand to get him moving a bit more as he may start to become a bit porky before long.

This is his condition at the moment, he has put on weight after coming over from Ireland which he needed, but I am keeping an eye on it, and hoping he plateaus!

View attachment 115264

He looks lovely. Lots of condition but he is ID! I wish you well with him. Thanks for taking time to share.

 

[Spirit7]

This is said horse. Not best photo but shows covering. Thanks for all your help (so far)

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

This is said horse. Not best photo but shows covering. Thanks for all your help (so far)

He doest look terrible they often go ribby when they shoot up its pretty normal for youngsters, he looks like his gonna be quite big so will go through ribby stages.

The grass chaff I use is much cheaper than agrobs like under a tenner a bag!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

He doest look terrible they often go ribby when they shoot up its pretty normal for youngsters, he looks like his gonna be quite big so will go through ribby stages.

The grass chaff I use is much cheaper than agrobs like under a tenner a bag!

Sorry to jump on thread but which grass chaff ate you using? Can't seem to find any in stock!!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Sorry to jump on thread but which grass chaff ate you using? Can't seem to find any in stock!!

The emerald ones or graze on I get it from Tittmus

 

[Spirit7]

The emerald ones or graze on I get it from Tittmus

I have just emailed Emerald Green feeds to ask if their grass pellets are processed from chemically fertilised fields as look like a good option over agrobs if organic. And not bother jump away !!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

The emerald ones or graze on I get it from Tittmus

Is the emerald green back in stock now?? Will look at graze on thank you.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Is the emerald green back in stock now?? Will look at graze on thank you.

The meadow one was not the grass tastic but it seems almost the same.

 

[Spirit7]

Just an update for anyone interested I called back Forage Plus and this is what has been clarified. And I can’t add up.
400g of SS haycare is just over quarter of a Stubbs scoop
400g of speedibeet (dry) is between a third and half a Stubbs scoop and what they advised that I got wrong was 115g of micronised linseed which is I think a small handful as a full Stubbs scoop is about 1.2 kilos - if anyone has better maths please help. Then lastly it’s 150 to 200 g of balancer which is 3 of the 2inch diamater little blue scoops So over 2 feeds that’s not nearly as much as it sounded……. Or have I got it wrong again?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Just an update for anyone interested I called back Forage Plus and this is what has been clarified. And I can’t add up.
400g of SS haycare is just over quarter of a Stubbs scoop
400g of speedibeet (dry) is between a third and half a Stubbs scoop and what they advised that I got wrong was 115g of micronised linseed which is I think a small handful as a full Stubbs scoop is about 1.2 kilos - if anyone has better maths please help. Then lastly it’s 150 to 200 g of balancer which is 3 of the 2inch diamater little blue scoops So over 2 feeds that’s not nearly as much as it sounded……. Or have I got it wrong again?

I would just stop calling them - if you call a car salesman and ask them if you need to buy a car he is going to tell you you should buy four. A feed sales/advice line is just the same.
Whack him on a low starch/sugar chaff and some balancer and see what he does on the grass (which may flush when we get the rain that's incoming). As long as he isn't losing weight then it's alright for him to be a bit lean. I would also do a worm test and get his teeth done - just to be sure.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I would just stop calling them - if you call a car salesman and ask them if you need to buy a car he is going to tell you you should buy four. A feed sales/advice line is just the same.
Whack him on a low starch/sugar chaff and some balancer and see what he does on the grass (which may flush when we get the rain that's incoming). As long as he isn't losing weight then it's alright for him to be a bit lean. I would also do a worm test and get his teeth done - just to be sure.

This. Over feeding youngsters is never a good idea. It's a great time of year to work out what he needs. Balancer, grass, if loosing weight feed hay. Always fibre before anything else. My wb lived on fresh air in his younger days.

Just to add feed companies always want to sell, obviously! I rang one and for my horse , one of their bags, on the recommended ration, would last me 3 days!

 

[eggs]

My youngsters - all warmbloods - had grass and hay as their main food source. When they were three they got 2 cups of whatever balancer was on offer at the time with a scoop of chaff. Now aged between 18 - 22 they all look well and are sound.

I would not rush to put condition on a horse that is still growing.

I also think that we see so many horses that are overweight that it has changed our view on what is a good weight.

 

[Spirit7]

I would just stop calling them - if you call a car salesman and ask them if you need to buy a car he is going to tell you you should buy four. A feed sales/advice line is just the same.
Whack him on a low starch/sugar chaff and some balancer and see what he does on the grass (which may flush when we get the rain that's incoming). As long as he isn't losing weight then it's alright for him to be a bit lean. I would also do a worm test and get his teeth done - just to be sure.

hiya Forage Plus are not selling me feed they are advising what quantities of what (protien, sugar, starch etc). I only feed their balancer which I would have bought anyway regardless until I have my forage tested. I have of course worm counted day 1 and wormed all my horses accordingly 2 days ago but thank you and also had the horses teeth checked (especially re wolf ) during the 5 start vetting I had late May so happy with that but thanks for suggesting. I think we all have different ideas as to what is correct weight, I think my boy is a tiny bit under due to moving stresses and growing but would far prefer this to any excess weight gain. I do only try to feed non fertilised organic feed/ forage so for this reason would not be able to feed something like happy hoof or regular bagged balancers with additives and preservatives. It all come down to past experiences and I’ve learned the hard way. Thanks for all your help and no I will never call a feed company for advice on which of their feeds to buy !! Thanks so much for all your advice. Best

 

[Spirit7]

My youngsters - all warmbloods - had grass and hay as their main food source. When they were three they got 2 cups of whatever balancer was on offer at the time with a scoop of chaff. Now aged between 18 - 22 they all look well and are sound.

I would not rush to put condition on a horse that is still growing.

I also think that we see so many horses that are overweight that it has changed our view on what is a good weight.

Thanks and agreed. My post was not a concern about weight it was a question about what levels to feed a 3 year old. I think I’ve got what I need and worked out that I was pretty much on the money once I understood how weighed quantities look in a scoop rather than on paper!!

 

[Spirit7]

This. Over feeding youngsters is never a good idea. It's a great time of year to work out what he needs. Balancer, grass, if loosing weight feed hay. Always fibre before anything else. My wb lived on fresh air in his younger days.

Just to add feed companies always want to sell, obviously! I rang one and for my horse , one of their bags, on the recommended ration, would last me 3 days!

Brilliant. And agreed