Feeding a tricky horse

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Flip_flop

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Hi, I’m loooking for some feed ideas for a tricky horse. He’s an 8 year old warmblood working advanced medium competing medium. Just been diagnosed with grade 1 ulcers today which are being treated. He’s currently on 1/2 scoop saracens Competition fit cubes, 1 cup Baileys performance balancer and 1 scoop readi grass twice a day along with ad-lib Haylage. I want to move off the competition fit cubes as they have 20% starch in them and just feel there not working, 90% of the time he’s so laid back he’s horizontal however when he’s sharp he is a nightmare. Generally at competitions he has enough energy and adrenaline, however at home he is very lazy. Doesn’t need to put on condition as he is a good doer and competition mixes send him loopy but at a loss as to what to try next!
 
Flip_flop said:
Hi, I’m loooking for some feed ideas for a tricky horse. He’s an 8 year old warmblood working advanced medium competing medium. Just been diagnosed with grade 1 ulcers today which are being treated. He’s currently on 1/2 scoop saracens Competition fit cubes, 1 cup Baileys performance balancer and 1 scoop readi grass twice a day along with ad-lib Haylage. I want to move off the competition fit cubes as they have 20% starch in them and just feel there not working, 90% of the time he’s so laid back he’s horizontal however when he’s sharp he is a nightmare. Generally at competitions he has enough energy and adrenaline, however at home he is very lazy. Doesn’t need to put on condition as he is a good doer and competition mixes send him loopy but at a loss as to what to try next!
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A friend put her horse on Spillers Instant Response which is an instant energy mix for laid back horses, it doesn't send them loopy but gives them stamina. It has a lot of highly digestible fibre compared with other mixes.
 
For a horse with ulcers I would try to feed no cubes or mixes .
I would feed adiet based on dried grass micronised linseed micronised oats and speedi beet or similar your horse may also do better on hay rather than haylege .
If circumstances mean you need to feed mix I have had success with Gain horse feeds freedom mix and Saracens relieve .
 
I’d replace the competition cubes with omega rice (quantity dependant on weight and workload) and then just keep your grass chaff & balancer as the main base. Check the sugar levels maybe in the ready grass and if needed swap to a different brand. Could add speedibeet if needed.

I’m also quite a fan of GWF. I feed fibregest which is beet, micronised hemp, micronised black oat - no soya.
 
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