Feeding a new horse-help!

Jmillwood

Jmillwood

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Hi guys

I have just taken ownership of a very pretty 16.2 TB off the race tracks. I have had him for about three days now. Although beautiful he is so so skinny not just skinny but no condition either :(

He is currently on ad lib haylege and 4 hours turn out a day.

I am gently lunging him for 15 mins a day toget his brain thinking and getting into routine.

Question. Should I start getting some short feed inside him?

I am worried I am going to blow his mind, but also worried he needs more in him to start to build up and feel better about himself.

My hot headed warmbloodxTB who doesnt keep weight is on Hifi and Top Spec Coll and Condition as this is the only combination I have found to work for him

Do you guys think I should introduce this to my TB or do you guys have a better suggestion?

HELP!
 
Only thing I would do is make sure he has a feed balancer, make sure he is getting vits and mins he needs. Other than that, leave well alone.

If he was on 24/7 turnout, I might be tempted to feed more, but 4 hours isn't an awful long time!

If he's that skinny, he would probably be best off not being lunged either - thats just using up his energy.
 
Ok will try that, I am lunging him also as I am worried he will be bored. He just has no neck or topline. And when I say lunge 85% is at walk....do you think that that is ok?
 
If you think he may be getting bored, how about taking him out for a walk in hand? Taking him in the school and walking him over coloured poles? Letting him see "scary" things.

You will probably find he puts on weight eating the haylage.
 
Ok excellent will try that as well, its just we are in the middle of Epping Forest which can be "scary" at the best of times and I was worried of loosing him if he threw a massive spook.....perhaps I could take him for a walk with my old dependable cob.......
 
You dont have to ride him! You may be able use it to your advantage - if hes not full of beans, he probably wont be as spooky!

How old is he?
 
Hes no baby then!

"Work" wise, I would do what ever he seems happy with. I got mine last November (she was rising three). Initally did some lunging work with her, but then just took her down the road for a walk on her own, all tacked up. We have progressed to walking the same route with me riding her (on her own).

Just vary what you do with him, and I am sure he will be fine. Another thing to do with him is make sure that his teeth and back are checked.
 
Cool so my thoughts are along the correct path then.....have the vet coming next week for a meet and great and an MOT :)

I just worry because of the lack of condition, thats all!
 
I think it is very early days but you have started off along the right lines. I'd make sure you feed haylage off the floor so that you're encouraging him to use his topline as much as possible and try and increase turnout gradually so that he is getting free exercise.

I think your idea of ride and lead is a good one. the sooner he gets used to chilled out excursions with a calm buddy for company the better. Lunging is hard work, especially as he is so used to going in straight lines so keep sessions short and sweet and as unrestrained as possible.
 
I used to have an ex racer who struggled to keep weight and condition and we fed very simple. Hi Fi, Coursemix and slowly introduced Bailys NO4 Conditioning cubes as these were non heating. I wouldnt rush to pack loads of food in as can change temperament and make life hard but i dont think a small amount twice daily would harm maybe one before going out to grass and again after you have worked him. I would monitor his behavour and see if it changes with this..

Riding and leading out is a great way to let them see scary spooky things with having the little extra confidence of another horse.

Hope all goes well :) xxx
 
If hes eating and getting some exercise I wouldnt worry to much. He wont be an RSPCA case, so best thing to do is let him down gently over the next month or so, then maybe start feeding him a bit before it gets to cold.
 
It will take time, but dont worry. Are you intending him to keep him for the forseeable future?

If you want to feed him, at the minute, I would just suggest pony nuts and a balancer, but to be honest, with him being on adlib haylage you should start to see a change in about 3 weeks.
 
Im hoping to keep him as his forever home....he jumps beautifully and not how they wanted him for hurdling and he has beautiful paces....Im hoping that in time I will have a lovely little riding club horse :)
 
I feed my ex-racer just HIFI and a balancer at the moment. I really recommend a balancer, they really help to build them up and they include everything, biotin for feet, yea sacc for the digestive system, protein for muscle, all the vits and mins ect.
I then add fibre nuts in the winter, a splash of oil and kwik beet if needed (we didn't need it last winter). Fibre nuts are great because you can feed lots without worrying about negative effects :p.
I visited an ex-racer charity and they fed all their charges on fibre nuts and they were all fat and blooming.
You may not even need the nuts though, most of the time my horse does fine on balancer, HIFI and adlib forage and that's totally cereal free :).
 
I would be looking at feeding a balancer and chaff (possibly alfalfa but otherwise just straw chaff). This is mainly to help him build the muscle.

I use the GWF (Gro Well Feeds) range and my two are on equilibria 500 and a plain straw chaff and are keeping weight on brilliantly, one in growing and one is ridden 5 days a week schooling.

They also do a pure alfalfa chaff, fibregest and tigeroats.

I've used fibregest with mine and it's great and not expensive. Not tried the tigeroats myself but other people on the forum have and haven't said about any negative sides to them though they're not the best at hotting horses up.

Have a look. It's all based on fibre really and really seems to work. My two are shiny and dappled even though they're moulting like mad.

Good luck

C
 
Why only 4 hours t/out, it is a TB it is used to being worked hard, right now you cant do that so turn it out, if it stays in a stable it will become full of itself. Unless you are there 24/7 to check it constantly has hay how do you know it is getting ad-lib but if it was turned out with hay as an extra it would certainly get ad-lib what I am trying to say is horses that stand in stables do spend time with nothing to eat, hence they are good places for good doers. Good luck and have fun.
 
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