Feeding advice

[Hanz]

I have a 15.1 9yr gelding who loses a bit of condition in the winter, but goes through the roof if I give him hard feed as he has too much energy and basically needs 23 hours work a day until he will settle. So what do you reccommend I feed him?

At the moment he is getting haylege on a night and is turned out during the day. I give him half a handful of chaff to mix with garlic on a night and loads of carrots!

He also has clicky back legs since I brought him back into work after 2 mnths off, anybody got any ideas on how to loosen him up?

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Also got a VERY good doer who is rode 6 times a week - hacked once, SJ once and schooled the rest. I was thinking about TopLine for her but would like some advice from ou knowlegeable people first.

Thanks in advance

 

[KatB]

Hmm, difficult one!! Something like Speedy beet, a low sugar chaff to keep energy levels down, and a mix that will put on weight, but low in sugar and starch. Allen and Pages Ride and Relax is working well for my boy, and combined with low sugar chaff like Hifi could help put weight on, without sending him through the roof. Also as much hay as you can!!

 

[Hanz]

Yup he has never been easy! He would be the type to get hyper off half a blue smartie.

 

[KatB]

Oh the good doer wouldnt ffed anything other than hay, chaff and a multi vit supplement TBH!!

Cod liver oil is good for joints, or alot of people recommend cider vinegar?

 

[Jay89]

Cider Vinegar is excellent for joints!!

 

[Happytohack]

www.simplesystem.co.uk
these are fantastic feeds that are non cereal, non sugar-based and high fibre. These feeds are high in fibre and are naturally slow release energy. What haylage are you feeding? If it is a high ryegrass mix, it is very high in energy. If you contact Jane of Simple System, she will work out an excellent diet for your horse - she is extremely knowledgeable and helped me no end.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Drop the carrots(oodles of sugar) and add something fibre based to his diet.Speedibeet or fibrebeet might be good

 

[AmyMay]

If he were mine, he'd be on as much haylage as he wanted, high fibre cubes, and either Alpha A or Hi fi, and also a good vitamin suppliment. Echo what others have said about Cider Vinegar. Doesn't sound as if he's getting an awful lot of grub to be honest, and if he's not a particularly good doer through the winter will need more than carrots to keep him going.

 

[Theresa_F]

I am feeding mine Simple Systems and they are doing very well on green gold, lucie stalks and total eclipse.

I give Cairo cortaflex and they both get extra linseed for Cairo's joints and Chancer to have a show coat.

I also give black sunflower seeds and they get ad lib hay and a few high fibre nuts in their ball for entertainment purposes.

Jane was very helpful with her advice to me.

 

[Hanz]

Thanks guys will try Jane