feeding advice for 17.2 pretty please

[nrg]

Hi any feed advice appreciated.
I have just bought a 17.2 Belgium warm blood who is 5 yes old. He is a very layed back boy and nothing seems to phase him. He is going to be used for competing sj this year and hopefully eventing next season so going to need some energy. I want a bit more weight on him too as I feel he is not " covered" enough and had lost a bit during transport.
at the moment he is on good grazing, is going to be ridden 5 times a week.
Any suggestions please??

 

[_GG_]

Honestly, I'd find a qualified independent nutritionist to talk it through with. That's a big horse for a 5yr old to be out competing even if it's low level so I wouldn't want to be guessing...I think he'll need dietary support and that it would be easy to overfeed him with the wrong things as a big young horse like that is better not to have too much on him to overload the plates that haven't finished fusing yet.
I think it's a case of supporting his work but without compromising his natural growth and maturing process.

He sounds lovely though so we definitely need pics!!!

 

[AdorableAlice]

Forage, forage and more forage. If he has not matured, and I doubt he has, you need to be very careful with the protein levels.

I have raised and fed a few properly big horses and always based the diet around good quality ad lib forage, a good mineral supplement and a minimum of hard feed. You mention he is 'light', a lot of the bigger horses look 'raw boned' rather than poor. Their frames take a lot of time to furnish and finish with muscle giving them a very angular look.