Feeding Advice?

[goatbabies]

Sorry I know these threads are done to death!

I'm currently feeding my heavy 15.2 cobby mare one big scoop of healthy hooves with two carrots once a day, out at grass all day and stabled during winter at night with adlib hay. She is just coming back in to work and doing light hacking - will be doing more work when weather gets a bit better, it's a horrific here!

She could probably do with losing a bit of weight, she had a foal a couple of yeas ago and still doesn't look like the right shape, but seems generally healthy and happy, I just worry that she doesn't get the right vitamins and minerals. She has a himalayan salt lick, is there anything else you could recommend she should get?

The dengie website suggests that for her size she should get 4-5 scoops healthy hooves per day, but that seems a bit excessive, especially as she is only in light work!

Thanks for any help!

 

[Shay]

If you feed under the manufacturer's reccommended amount you can add a supplement to the feed like Pink Powder. Alternatively you could swap for a balencer and chaff only. IMO manufacturer's guidelines have always seemed a bit high for a good do-er - the only possible exception to that being the A&P range which is pretty much spot on.

 

[goatbabies]

Thanks for your reply Shay, I'll look into Pink Powder! Any other ideas?

 

[Ellies_mum2]

I spoke to the rep at YHL this year and said I feed my mare this and under the recommended amount and asked if I should change to a veteran feed as she is 15 now. I was told its actually good to feed under the RDA as then you can feed more if necessary without over feeding and that providing my mare isn't losing any condition (more than you would expect over winter) then leave her on the HH.

If you are worried about vits etc then you can always add a balancer to it and provide a salt lick.

 

[goatbabies]

I was told its actually good to feed under the RDA as then you can feed more if necessary without over feeding and that providing my mare isn't losing any condition (more than you would expect over winter) then leave her on the HH.

I'd never thought of it like that before, thank you!

 

[spotty_pony]

You can always add a balancer - such as Baileys Lo-Cal Balancer.

 

[windand rain]

Equibites do the trick for me and are much cheaper

 

[doriangrey]

tbh, unless she is in hard work I would just work her off good forage with a mineral lick.