Feeding a thoroughbred....help!

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kelly_s1

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Hi,

I'm posting this on behalf of my friend.

She has a 13 year old thoroughbred gelding, worked 5-6 days a week, out 24/7 at the moment rugged at night and l/w during the day if needed, will be stabled at night when the weather gets worse.

He is currently on chaf and baileys number 4 top line nuts, but she wants something to bulk him up more. He gets two huge feeds a day at the moment and loads of grass out in the fields.

Morris1_zps55e7b2fe.jpg

Morris2_zps6fedc980.jpg


Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks for reading.
 
Hello, I didn't find that the baileys helped mine much to be honest. Over the summer I have fed Countrywide own conditioning nuts and alfa-oil chaff. Over the winter mine will be on more conditioning nuts and sugar beat. Worked well for my TB hunter who is also worked 5 times a week. Best of Luck!
 
Hi i love your friends horse:) i use no4 and its fab! i think i would add some speedybeet to the feeds its very conditioning and a great source of fibre:D
 
2 huge feeds is not ideal and certainly would not be looking to increase the size unless a third feed can be added, if they get too much in one go it overloads the stomach and gets pushed through before it starts to be digested properly so much goodness is wasted.
Plenty of good quality hay or haylage once he is in and small regular feeds, if looking to add condition some oil or linseed would be better than more hard feed. Possibly cut back the chaff and replace with sugarbeet.

He looks well just a bit lacking in topline but that will come with correct work.
 
If that's the horse, and they are recent photos, he looks great to me.

But if she really want's to bulk him up - then D&H Build Up Cubes, fed alongside something like Alpha A oil is works brilliantly.

However, if she's feeding two huge feeds a day, at least 50% of what she's feeding is being wasted, and passed straight through the gut.

And of course, hay, hay and bit more hay.
 
not a fan of conditioning feeds, did'nt work for my lad as it turned out that he had ulcers, so treated for those (herbal - slippery elm) then what finally worked for my lad;

Fast Fibre (2/3 scoop) then soaked
Micronised Linseed (1 mug)
Unmolassed chaff
Balanced minerals + slippery elm

feed twice per day.

Plus 24/7 grass turn out with access to adlib hay.

He is a big horse 17h1 and he looks fab on this diet, albeit only in light work as being bought back from 5 months field rest.
 
My TB is on Alfa A, horse and pony nuts, sugarbeat (mainly in winter) and Baileys No 4. I did also add a bit of Calm and condition last winter when he dropped a little! Oh and lots of hay!
 
To me it looks like he just needs to muscle up which takes time. MY TB is on alfa A oil, spillers high fibre cubes and speedi beet + ad lib hay.

It took me a while to get him in good condition and if he gets stressed in the slightest it all drops off !
 
I understand boiled barley is very good for putting condition on horses together with linseed which I believe is also very good for condition, a good source of fibre and produces a shine to their coats. You can cook the two together. :)
 
In the top pic he looks fine weight wise, but as others say he just needs to build topline which will come with correct work. If that photo is representative of his normal way of going he needs to learn to work from behind properly to allow him to build up the correct muscles.

Agree that the two huge feeds should be split into three if possible. When he starts to come in at nights make sure he has ad lib forage - preferably haylage instead of hay.
 
Lots of hay/haulage the work will turn it to muscle and it will be bulk which IMO tb's need, I see 200 everyday but they also get fed racehorse mix 6 times in a 24hr period 18lbs a feed
 
I have a TB gelding and I had same issues. I was feeding Alfa a oil completion mix and Top spec all in one supplement. I was advised by a judge out showing to just stick to my Alfa a oil, go on to Top Spec balancer pellets and sugar beat. I also lunge him twice a week now for half hour each time using a passoa. The difference in him now is very noticeable. He feels great and looks great.
 
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