Feeding a hunt mash

[toppy72]

Hi, my father in law has passed on a recipe for a hunt mash he recommends feeding this once a week to keep them interested in food and to help with condition during the winter. The recipe is boiled barley, bran and linseed oil. I have boiled my barley in the aga for 24 hours as per instructions and am planning to feed it tonight. However I am aware that this goes against the golden rule of making any changes to feeding gradually. Can anyone tell me if they have fed something like this on a weekly basis and what are the risks if any to the digestive system.

 

[kittykatcat]

I would never feed something 'once a week'. The horse relies heavily on their microbe population in the hindgut to ferment fibres. Any quick changes - the microbe population cannot change that quickly, and that's when problems happen.

People swear by feeding a bran mash ' to keep things moving' the only reason the horse gets the s**ts after being fed one of these once in a while is because the digestive system has been disturbed, the horse gets diarrhoea. Not sure why anyone would suggest doing this - but I know it's still in the BHS bible!!!

 

[toppy72]

thanks for that you have echoed my concerns. The boiled barley smells really nice perhaps I will tuck into it myself instead!!

 

[kittykatcat]

Dyu know what - I've seriously starting considering eating linseed....my horses have such shiney coats - I wonder if it would do anything for my hair! As long as it doesn't give me a shiney face

 

[Archangel]

We always used to give horses boiled barley mashes on return from hunting. Seems very odd to give a tired tummy completely new food now but they all survived. Perhaps it is very easy to digest.

Dyu know what - I've seriously starting considering eating linseed....my horses have such shiney coats - I wonder if it would do anything for my hair! As long as it doesn't give me a shiney face

Will probably give you the runs

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

I love boiled barley as a conditioning feed and it seems very yummy for horses. I generally use it alongside their existing feed, though, making changes fairly gradually.

 

[ThePony]

I would never feed something 'once a week'. The horse relies heavily on their microbe population in the hindgut to ferment fibres. Any quick changes - the microbe population cannot change that quickly, and that's when problems happen.

People swear by feeding a bran mash ' to keep things moving' the only reason the horse gets the s**ts after being fed one of these once in a while is because the digestive system has been disturbed, the horse gets diarrhoea. Not sure why anyone would suggest doing this - but I know it's still in the BHS bible!!!

this!

Why don't you introduce it to their daily feed rather than just as a once a week thing? Does sound delicious!

Ours have bran everyday for the phosphorus content and low calcium (see scary bran feeding thread!) as it clearly benefits them given the mineral profile of their grazing, but again I wouldn't feed a weekly bran mash.

 

[toppy72]

i am thinking that maybe a little each day will be better than a lot once a week, is it very heating as a foodstuff.