Feeding a good do-er

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Lauramctag

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Looking for some opinions! I have a Welsh D (we think!) cross gelding named Billy, 8 years old. This will be my first winter having him but so far proving to be a good doer. He's used to wintering out although I do have him rugged and he will get brought in on those nights when it really is harsh weather out. So far, he's getting no hard feed, and a little hay plus 24/7 turnout. He's still actually a little over weight but is in great condition, barefoot and a good shiny coat, nice and furry winter coat and a bit of feathers on his legs too. My question is, should I feed him any hard feed? He has a history of being "fizzy" and is only in light work (partly due to lack of facilities, and due to the fact that he has been totally re-backed after some behavioural problems!) so he probably only gets worked for no more than 4 hours per week, we lunge, do ground work, walk out in hand and building up our riding time. I want to make sure he's getting all the nutrients he needs, but I don't think he needs much in terms of hard feed. Opinions please! Thank you :)
 
Following with interest! I have my very first 'good doer' arriving in time for this winter. She's currently only on hay (and doing more than well on it!) but I'm interested in how to maintain nutrition throughout winter too.
 
I have looked at various different feed options. But would rather he came out of winter a little thinner than he is now. As he's pretty chunky, wouldn't want him at risk of lami or anything else. And he's in pretty good condition; nice and healthy looking! Just wondered if anyone had any experiences with good doers!
 
If he is overweight now and only in light work then he is unlikely to need any proper hard feed. If you are worried he is missing out on nutrients then you could give him a vit/min supplement in a handful of chaff, or a low calorie balancer. Obviously, monitor his condition and energy levels throughout the winter to see if you should feed a bit more, but he doesn't sound like he needs it now!
 
A lite balancer like top spec lite will give all vits/mins required and can be fed on own (its pellets). Cheaper option is to put mineral lick out or you could feed a vitamin and mineral supplement in literally a handful of non molasses chaff. If he drops weight increase hay/haylage before you try hard feed. My guess would be you might need to ration the hay/haylage anywayif he is a good doer as you want him coming out of winter slim ready for spring.
 
Sounds like you are doing the right thing. Just keep an eye on his weight and if he starts to drop weight increase his hay ration. While he is in such light work as a good doer he shouldn't need any extra feed. Mine is an extremely good doer - its great for the bank account - she lives out, unrugged and only gets hay on frosty days. Our climate here is quite kind in winter so not harsh enough for extra feed.

On the days you work him you could feed a balancer - just to top up his vitamins and minerals. Enjoy having a horse that lives on the smell of an oily rag - you can save the money others spend on feeding for lots of other treats.
 
My very good doer, lives on fresh air, highland pony has a similar set up to yours by the sound of it. Light hacking only through winter due to no facilities, lives out, fully clipped in a light sheet, only coming in when the ground is sodden. He gets one round scoop of hi fi lite every day, all year round and has a red rockie block in his field. He gets soaked hay when he is in, when he is in the lorry and if we get hard snow! Other than that, nothing. Oh, and hes on shavings as well. I just about manage to keep his weight in check on this regime. Obviously if you do need a bit more oomph you might need a little more but it doesnt sound as if you do. I would stay as you are for now, weight tape him once a week which will give you an idea of his overall weight and up his hay if he starts to drop too much.
 
I'm one of those people who try and remember that horses are wild animals and not to pamper them too much, which is why I'm conscious not to over feed him just because I feel guilty that he's out in the winter weather! I spend time with him every day but in terms of actual "work" he probably doesn't break a sweat, not even once a week. I looked at a couple different balancer lea but he's honestly not really needing any more food, considering Wer nearly in to December and he's still fairly chunky! (Can't find how to post a picture or I would show yous him!) it's just everyone keeps telling me I should have him on feed now incase he's "hungry" but they are foragers and summer was a nightmare trying to manage his weight! He came to me neglected in May, totally skin and bones, and by June he was back on a diet because the weight had piled on so quickly. He was huge! And he's in great condition, shiny coat, really good strong hooves and he still gets an apple and carrot here and there. I don't want to feed him just for the sake of it and not actually because he needs it!
 
You are doing everything right, only give hard feed if they have dropped weight you have tried AdLib hay or haylage and they are still dropping! V unlikely! A lite balancer will not put weight on but I would have thought a mineral lick would do the job!
 
I am the other way round I rarely if ever feed hay it is far too rich for my fatties and they wont eat it wet and I hate frozen wet soggy hay that stinks lying around so mine year round are on strip grazed long grass while it lasts and a small feed of Ossichaff cool hoof which is a chaff made from oat straw and timothy hay it smells lovely has virtually no sugar and carbs and is the perfect vehicle for their supplements. They have turmeric, linseed, pepper, salt and powdered vitamins what ever is cheapest att he time. A bag of Cool Hoof last exactly one month for three/four native ponies and at about £8.50 is cheap and cheerful. https://www.facebook.com/1050967628...3057.105096762857577/1023432151024029/?type=3 Oncethe grass has gone I just let them have the whole acreage to scrub around on and if the poo level drops too low will then chuck a section of a small bale of hay well round the field for them to grub up
 
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FrankieCob said:
Honeychop Chopped Straw and a powdered supplement. Progressive Earth do a very basic one thats about a tenner a month and should cover any major deficiences
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That would be the sort of thing I would be looking at perhaps add a tiny bit of speedibeet to make it palatable and access to salt .
I would be suprised if he needs any hard feed at all .
I have one really really good doer I have have have to get him really slim by the end of winter or despite of using a fatty track I would get into real trouble with him.
Rather a bit slim than ending the winter too fat then it's a nightmare .
 
I wouldn't give him anything other than hay. I have *lots* of experience of good-doers and they truly do not need anything else, except an unmolassed mineral lick. Every extra morsel that you feed adds to the extra weight that you do not want and risks the horse's health. Try to remember that horses have evolved to live on very poor quality (as in low nutrient) forage.

The feed companies have huge marketting budgets that they spend trying to part horse-owners from their money. Now that many owners have realised that high starch, molassed mixes are bad for their horses, the feed companies are directing thier budgets towards persuading us to buy "balancers". Goodness knows how they know what each individual horse is short of, or what its grazing lacks. Don't be tempted into spending more money than you need to OP, because it won't benefit the horse.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I wouldn't give him anything other than hay. I have *lots* of experience of good-doers and they truly do not need anything else, except an unmolassed mineral lick. Every extra morsel that you feed adds to the extra weight that you do not want and risks the horse's health. Try to remember that horses have evolved to live on very poor quality (as in low nutrient) forage.

The feed companies have huge marketting budgets that they spend trying to part horse-owners from their money. Now that many owners have realised that high starch, molassed mixes are bad for their horses, the feed companies are directing thier budgets towards persuading us to buy "balancers". Goodness knows how they know what each individual horse is short of, or what its grazing lacks. Don't be tempted into spending more money than you need to OP, because it won't benefit the horse.
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Totally agree with Pearlsasinger- and I too have loads of experience with fatties. My final and forever horse is a Clydesdale, she has not had additional food for years, unless there is a frost and then she'll get a slice of hay.

How much hay you feed will depend on the amount of winter grass you have, but there is absolutely no need to feed even chaff (chop) your horse will not think you are being mean. A mineral lick accessable regularly is useful.

Our fat ponies, and all my school ponies lived very well on just hay and a mineral lick.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I wouldn't give him anything other than hay. I have *lots* of experience of good-doers and they truly do not need anything else, except an unmolassed mineral lick. Every extra morsel that you feed adds to the extra weight that you do not want and risks the horse's health. Try to remember that horses have evolved to live on very poor quality (as in low nutrient) forage.

The feed companies have huge marketting budgets that they spend trying to part horse-owners from their money. Now that many owners have realised that high starch, molassed mixes are bad for their horses, the feed companies are directing thier budgets towards persuading us to buy "balancers". Goodness knows how they know what each individual horse is short of, or what its grazing lacks. Don't be tempted into spending more money than you need to OP, because it won't benefit the horse.
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This is my first winter with a good doer too. For me, it's not only the advertising pressure but also having historically had TB types who didn't fare half as well and horses in heavy work. It feels really alien to not feed! Lots of good tips for re-educating myself on this thread though.
 
Thank you! The problem I have is I loan him from my friend who has a TBXID (he has always been mine and she only bought him so I would buy him in the long run so i 100% make the decisions with him.) anyway her horse has dropped so much condition already and it's only the beginning of winter. So seeing him getting fed every day with supplements etc I feel like maybe I'm neglecting him a wee bit: but then I see him still fat and hairy and in good condition and I give myself a kick up the bum! All my other friends horses are stables every night and get balancers and conditioning mix etc etc and I just think "am I doing the right thing" he gets all his regular vet checks, dentists, physio and farrier like clock work and I'm always asking "does he look okay; your sure Wer okay to go barefoot" questions like that because it seems like every horse gets so much done except my Billy who just survives in fresh air and gets his feet trimmed every 7 weeks. Iv had good doers before but he seems to be a good good good doer! I actually think I'm maybe spoiling him by rugging him, I'm sure he could survive happily without even that! My plan is a wee bit extra hay will see him happily through winter :)
 
Fatties still need high quality nutrients just fewer calories .
So a broad spectrum vit and min supp is a good idea a balancer is usually just a vit and min supp with some high quality protein added .
So a standard supp and 100 grammes of linseed will usually do the job but is cheaper .
Just like humans horses can manage well on a standard type supp unless their grazing is on very funky land or they are in extreme type work .
Horses on resticted diet probably have more need of a supplement than most horses I learnt this with fatty who lost over 230 kilos after he came to me .
 
Thank you! Sounds like I should just keep what I'm doing. So next question, if he was your horse, what would you be feeding him? Or rather giving him in terms of supplements etc
 
Lauramctag said:
Thank you! Sounds like I should just keep what I'm doing. So next question, if he was your horse, what would you be feeding him? Or rather giving him in terms of supplements etc
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I would give a general supplement something like 24/7 complete but there are literally 100's of basic powered supps and 100 grammes of linseed mixed in a little bit of chopped straw and a mug of soaked speedibeet once a day and some hay .
A word of caution on dieting in winter watch the droppings if they get small and hard you need to be careful they don't colic .
 
My cob is a very good doer, and despite being in full work and hunting weekly, receives no hard feed. He has haylage, grass, access to a salt lick, and I feed him Dodson and Horrell equibites. They are a hand given treat with all necessary vits and mins (think balancer in a nugget form), so I have no faffing around with chaff etc.

He is thriving on this regime, very fit, but still not a rib in sight (well he is a cob after all!).
 
Goldenstar said:
I would give a general supplement something like 24/7 complete but there are literally 100's of basic powered supps and 100 grammes of linseed mixed in a little bit of chopped straw and a mug of soaked speedibeet once a day and some hay .
A word of caution on dieting in winter watch the droppings if they get small and hard you need to be careful they don't colic .
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Best advice of the day
 
Absolutely - a good doer (who looks well and is already in good condition) will only need forage in terms of grass/hay/haylage. A balancer can be fed if you want to ensure he gets all those vits and minerals, there are also some good 'field licks' which I've heard good things about. A lot also depends on your grazing, but ponies / horses of this type seem to do surprisingly well, even in winter!

Well done for not getting sucked into the 'he must get hard feed brigade' even if in work. Horses were designed to eat forage, in a trickle feeding fashion - and if you can work with that as much as you can you are less likely to run into digestive problems.

Our 21 year old stallion is in fairly light work, is out 24/7, standard rug, partly clipped, he is a reasonably good doer and his grazing is decent. At the moment he is getting nothing, nada, zero hard feed or hay. He looks fab. But I will keep an eye on the grazing and start hay or haylage when I feel he needs it. Not all horses can be kept like this, but ours would explode and his behaviour would be affected by unnecessary feeding.
 
T
Goldenstar said:
I would give a general supplement something like 24/7 complete but there are literally 100's of basic powered supps and 100 grammes of linseed mixed in a little bit of chopped straw and a mug of soaked speedibeet once a day and some hay .
A word of caution on dieting in winter watch the droppings if they get small and hard you need to be careful they don't colic .
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Why would you give all this?

The grazing is filling his dietary need to maintain his weight.
The OP states that he looks well.
He is in minimal work, therefore the protein levels his body requires are being met by the forage he is eating.
A mineral lick will assist in keeping mineral levels reasonably balanced.

It's not that long ago that all these feeds and supplements did not exist. Yet our horses and ponies were fit and far healthier than their modern descendants. I have many 'Best Condition' rosettes, won by horses and ponies that only got hay in winter.

Good quality meadow hay, fed when grazing is too low or when there are heavy frosts or snow will keep him looking well.

Feeding is based on a 'day by day' impression of the condition of the horse. Weight decreasing, then increase feed, work load regularly increasing, then give something extra, but only if energy levels fall or condition is lost. Ifi weight increases then reduce food. It's spring/early summer here, my girl is now following all the other stock round, grazing billiard table length grass. She has to work hard to get a days ration, she's walking around all day which is ideal for a fatty.

I do agree with you over the droppings, though small and hard during winter is often a sign the horse isn't drinking well.

Personally I think the OP is doing a good job with her feeding. Well done OP for not being sucked in by the food companies.
 
I don't give hard feed to mine in winter unless they look like they need it. There's hardly any grass to my eye but they hold condition grand on hay and eating the hedgerows. They sometimes even leave hay behind. If they drop a bit of weight I'd give then some. I think I'd be mostly feeding them to make myself feel better. But, my mare is not in work and the other one is a yearling. Both small, fattish ponies.
 
Thank you everyone! Is field is in alright condition, enough grass to keep him and his friends going I'd say! He's unclipped but rugged. I think il leave him be just now and keep an eye on him. If he drops weight then he can get some food but that's highly doubtful that he will because he honestly is a fattie! And most of our "work" is basic ground work, parelli followed by half an hour of walk, halt, walk, halt (he is a bolter so we are trying to establish some manners!) hence the low work load. Another reason why I didn't wanna feed him anything too sugary, he really doesn't need the extra oomph!
 
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