Feeding baby Andalusian

[Caol Ila]

I've been giving Hermosa Top Spec's low calorie stud balancer. I'd read mixed views on whether or not youngsters need the extra vitamins and minerals of balancers, and thought, well, why not. Except she's not a great fan of it and looks less impressed by it every time I feed her. I guess the ingredients which makes that stuff tasty, like molasses and sweeteners, aren't in it. Lo-cal whatever just generally sucks, doesn't it?

My questions are... does she need a balancer or extra vitamins/minerals at all? And if so, what should I try? For those who don't know, she's a two-year old (almost three!) PRE, turned out on grass 24/7. It's the yard's 'fat native' friendly field, so the grass is short and not that rich.

 

[milliepops]

I'm still feeding my yearling and 3yo (who is still growing) Suregrow at the moment as they haven't moved fields yet and so are on pretty poor grazing with plenty of hay. I figured they weren't getting the additional stuff I would like from decent grazing so I've kept it up and they both look good, 3yo a little on the light side, yearling alternates between a bit light and good condition depending on her growth spurts...

when they move I'm intending to return to the vits/mins in a handful of grass chaff that they were having previously. I'm no expert but all the stuff i read said that young horses have a higher mineral requirement than adult horses. so I figured at the very least it would do no harm to keep going with it. Forageplus do a specific young horse mineral mix. I was feeding progressive earth before as that's what the mare was having.

3yo had poor skin and feet when he arrived and they have improved so that's good feedback from my POV.

 

[Caol Ila]

She's not light, for sure. But she isn't going for the blimp look as much as she was in Ayrshire. I just want to make sure she's got all the vitamins and minerals she needs to grow up. Like a lot of fields, it's kind of a monoculture grass-wise. She had really dandruffy skin (is that a word) down in Ayrshire, but that seems to have sorted itself out since she's been in the new yard.

 

[daydreamer]

I fed my youngster Suregrow over the winter when he was 8 months ish again the winter when he was 1 yr 8 months ish. Lots of people seemed to recommend it. He did well on it. This winter he was in with others who don't get fed (he lives out 24/7) so I have ended up feeding him equimins advance pellets as it is just a tiny handful that I can give when I go to see him (most days). He is also looking good on that! He is a real good-doer.

 

[Cortez]

I'm sure you know that Spanish horses are generally extremely good doers. I wouldn't be feeding her anything, and keeping her on the barest pasture I could find.

 

[Caol Ila]

The pasture is as bare as anything can be in the West of Scotland. I have spent years and years owning horses who needed to be fed lots of stuff that I'm finding it to be a bit of a head game to have one who needs nothing. Is this sh1tty grass in the field really enough? Is it really?

 

[Cortez]

I'm sure you know that Spanish horses are generally extremely good doers. I wouldn't be feeding her anything, and keeping her on the barest pasture I

The pasture is as bare as anything can be in the West of Scotland. I have spent years and years owning horses who needed to be fed lots of stuff that I'm finding it to be a bit of a head game to have one who needs nothing. Is this sh1tty grass in the field really enough? Is it really?

It's really quite simple: if she starts to get thin or look poor, then she needs extra food. If she looks like she does in the photo, then she doesn't. If she looks fatter than she looks in the photo, then you need to feed less, or reduce grazing.

 

[angel7]

If that is her poop next to her I would be feeding her some more fibre based feed. She does look a little off her back weight wise but I like mine well covered. I like keyflow pink and grass nuts, salt and suregrow.

 

[Caol Ila]

LOL, that shite was there when I went into the field. It could be from any one of eight horses, and it looked a few days old.