Feeding Advice

[classiclady]

Hi Everyone,

I have an 18 year old Anglo Arab Mare and for the last six or seven years she has had to have a muzzle on during the summer as she has been over weight due to very good grass. She isn't ridden any more but is lunged. She has always had energy even when over weight, last summer on a weight tape she was reading 550kg, she is 15hh.

Last Christmas her friend was put to sleep and I took the opportunity to move her to a bigger field with more mares in, she could see more of the other fields and wouldn't stress if she was the last in her field. During this summer she has lost weight to under 500kg and not had to have her muzzle on at all. I started giving her chaff at the beginning of September and changed her to haylage so I don't have to soak hay in the cold. I have just started her on pony nuts but have noticed that she seems to be lacking energy and dropped weight to 469kg

I am thinking of getting some barley and sugar beet to add to her feed, what to you guys think? She is eating and drinking and she does feel the cold, she started to loose her summer coat beginning of August.

What do you guys think?

 

[Nocturnal]

Is she in work? If so, how much? Is she clipped? Adequately rugged? Regularly wormed? Does she live out? If so, are you sure she isn't having her feed/haylage stolen? Does she need non-heating feed?

If all other options have been covered, then adding a bit of speedibeet seems reasonable, or you could try a balancer like pink powder, to help her get the most out of the forage she's having. Is she on a vit/min supplement at all?

 

[smellsofhorse]

Is she rugged?
That would safe nutrition eneregy from being wated keeping her warm.

Alpha a with oil is great also you should try a feed especialy for OAPs and a suppliment if needed for older horses too.

 

[Rouletterose]

Hi Everyone,

I have an 18 year old Anglo Arab Mare and for the last six or seven years she has had to have a muzzle on during the summer as she has been over weight due to very good grass. She isn't ridden any more but is lunged. She has always had energy even when over weight, last summer on a weight tape she was reading 550kg, she is 15hh.

Last Christmas her friend was put to sleep and I took the opportunity to move her to a bigger field with more mares in, she could see more of the other fields and wouldn't stress if she was the last in her field. During this summer she has lost weight to under 500kg and not had to have her muzzle on at all. I started giving her chaff at the beginning of September and changed her to haylage so I don't have to soak hay in the cold. I have just started her on pony nuts but have noticed that she seems to be lacking energy and dropped weight to 469kg

I am thinking of getting some barley and sugar beet to add to her feed, what to you guys think? She is eating and drinking and she does feel the cold, she started to loose her summer coat beginning of August.

What do you guys think?

I would ask the vet to check her over for possible cushings, and also teeth, if not either of these then it could be a loss induced depression at the loss of her friend, even though she is with lots of other mares.

But I would definately get vet to check for cushings first and then go from there.

 

[classiclady]

Is she in work? If so, how much? Is she clipped? Adequately rugged? Regularly wormed? Does she live out?

She isn't in regular work as she isn't ridden any more, she isn't clipped. I do think that I haven't rugged up quick enough due to the changeable weather, she is now wearing an under rug and 6oz with hood during the day and two under rugs, one with a full neck and a 6oz stable rug on top. I have always had layers on her during the winter. She is in at night. We are on the Liverpool worming program and her last test came back in September as 0 and since we have been doing this program it has been 0.

 

[classiclady]

I would ask the vet to check her over for possible cushings, and also teeth, if not either of these then it could be a loss induced depression at the loss of her friend, even though she is with lots of other mares.

But I would definately get vet to check for cushings first and then go from there.

She did seem a bit down coming out of winter this year, I put it down to the loss of her friend and changing fields and that fact that winter had been very bad, we have also had a lot of changes in our field we have had five mares move out and then been replaced over a space of time, she seems to know her place in the field. She did seem to pick up during the summer and would always gallop of be with the others and looks for them when I walk her down the track.

 

[Nocturnal]

She isn't in regular work as she isn't ridden any more, she isn't clipped. I do think that I haven't rugged up quick enough due to the changeable weather, she is now wearing an under rug and 6oz with hood during the day and two under rugs, one with a full neck and a 6oz stable rug on top. I have always had layers on her during the winter. She is in at night. We are on the Liverpool worming program and her last test came back in September as 0 and since we have been doing this program it has been 0.

In that case (providing, as rouletterose said, teeth are tip top), I'd say adding a bit of speedibeet along with a general supp or pink powder would be the first thing to try. Having a vet check her over wouldn't hurt, either.

 

[TGM]

I would ask the vet to check her over for possible cushings, and also teeth, if not either of these then it could be a loss induced depression at the loss of her friend, even though she is with lots of other mares.

But I would definately get vet to check for cushings first and then go from there.

Ditto this, especially given her age. I would want to rule out Cushings before adding any high sugar or high starch foods to her diet, as if she has got Cushings you could trigger a laminitic attack. In the meantime, I would definitely avoid barley and other cereal-based feeds, although unmolassed sugar beet would be a good source of fibre-based calories for her, whilst keeping sugar and starch low. (Don't use normal sugar beet for her though, as it is 20% sugar).

 

[Sarah2207]

As others have said try adding some speedi/fibre beet to feed, and poss change your chaff to a higher calorie version such as Alpha-A Oil, I think that Dengie also do a veteran chaff now too?