Feeding advice please!

[andraste]

I posted this in Stable Yard a while back but nobody has even viewed it so thought I'd try my luck in here. Would really appreciate any response - even if it's to tell me I'm an idiot and doing it all wrong!

Firstly, sorry if this sort of question has been asked before. I had a quick search but couldn't find anything specifically to do with what I'm going to ask.

Anyhoo, I have a 6yo 16.1hh ISH. I bought him in May and his condition at the moment is pretty much exactly how I want it. The grazing where I am is excellent so he was only fed one scoop of Alfa-A per day throughout the summer - pretty much for something to mix his garlic into! Obviously as the goodness goes out of the grass I will increase the amount of Alfa-A I feed him and/or add Speedi-beet as necessary to keep his weight steady. I really don't want to add hard food unless it's absolutely necessary as the fibre based diet seems to give him all the calories he needs and he can be quite sharp anyway.

My specific query is this - should I start to add a general supplement to his feed to balance the loss of nutrients from the grass? Should I start to add a feed balancer? If so, which supplement/balancer? Or, should I just leave well alone since he is doing well?

Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Allover]

If you are concerned about him lacking minerals and vitamins you could always give him a field/stable lick.

 

[TGM]

In theory, you should be adding a vit/min supplement (such as Benevit/Equivite) to his feed, but having said that lots of horses do well without them, but it does give you peace of mind!

Whether you give him a balancer or a supplement depends on what you want from it. The supplement will give him his vit/mins, as will the balancer, but the balancer will add extra protein and probiotics. As you are feeding alfalfa which is high in protein you probably don't need the protein from the balancer. The probiotics are meant to help ensure the gut bacteria are healthy so the horses can maximise the food it gets. Gut bacteria can be compromised by stress, antibiotic treatment, high cereal diet etc., so if any of these are the case with yourhorse, or he is known to be a poor doer then they might be beneficial.

 

[andraste]

Thanks very much TGM. Will toddle off and buy a supplement. X

 

[Buzz1]

I like pink powder personally as a balancer

 

[xxRachelxx]

I would also suggest Pink Powder. Not only does it contain all the vits and mins for your pony but also has gut friendly bacteria so helps pony to absorb all the nutrients from the feed and stay in tip top condition

 

[Hippona]

I do the same...my new arab is a tense soul so he has Molli Calmer chaff, Speedibeet and Pink Powder and he's now looking good on it....and I think he's less stressy than when he arrived.

My highland gets a tiny smidge of Spillers Cool Fibre with Pink Powder.

I don't like giving hard feed/cereals unless its necessary....and TBH most of the time for leisure riders I don't think it is really. Cereals are the work of the devil

 

[smellsofhorse]

Are you giving the amount it says to feed a horse his size and work load ?

If not then yes add a suppliment, equivite is good, global herbs do them, there are loads.

 

[TGM]

Are you giving the amount it says to feed a horse his size and work load ?

That rule only applies to supplemented feeds, such as most mixes and cubes. Alfa A is an unsupplemented fibre feed, so in theory needs a vit/min supplement fed alongside it however much is fed.

 

[Cat&Mouse]

You can also buy hi fibre cereal free comlete feeds. I am feeding my 15.3hh WB Alpha Easy, its Alpha A & high fibre nuts but its got all the vits & mins in there. I used to add soya oil to her feed but this has that in it too if she needs a bit more condition or energy however I just top this up & I will start to add sugarbeet shortly.