Feeding for condition without oomph - baileys outshine/no.4/straights/other?

jesterfaerie

jesterfaerie

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I am looking into adding a little more to my TBs feed, he is currently living out (poor grass), well rugged, ad lib (good) haylage, with 2 feeds per day (each = 1 1/2 round scoops of alfa a, about 1/2 scoop sugar beet, a cup (cant remember weight sorry) baileys lo cal balancer. Teeth recently checked and treated. He is worked a minimum of 4 times per week a mix of schooling (around 40 minutes w/t/c and hacking for a minimum of 45 minutes. He has started to loose condition, and look a little ropey as his workload has been upped and the grazing is very poor.

I cannot up his current feed by much more, so I am looking into adding something else to his diet, I am not wanting anything that is heating. I do like the sound of the outshine in particular, with it having such a high oil content. However I have been looking at as many as possible inc A&P Ride and Relax, Top Line Conditioning Cubes/etc.

Going to speak to instructor about this today, she does seem to be wanting me to add a mix of some sort rather than just oil.

I am curious what people would recommend on here, and what route others would go down mix or cubes/oil/straights/upping current feed.

Many Thanks
 
No need for a mix. I would, personally, avoid that like the plague. Swap the Alfa A for Alfa A molasses free (has oil, fenugreek for condition, and mint for digestion and is no more expensive than standard alfa) and then bung in a good measure of cheap vegetable oil.

If you'd rather a dry addition then either micronised linseed (approx 35% oil content) or D&H Build and Glow is the highest oil content of the high oil feeds that I've found, at approx 24%. I was on Equijewel before at only 17%, but the B&G is wonderful stuff!

I personally don't rate outshine that highly at all. I have used it in the past but found Equijewel to be better....but B&G has been even better still and works out actually more economical to feed than the others too.
 
Meant to add, apart from the balancer (I feed a powder supplement) you feed similar to me, so the things I have suggested should work well!

Adding the oil to your sugar beet as you soak it makes it more palatable to the horse too.
 
Brilliant thank you very much, I hadn't looked at the Build & Glow definitely a good thing for me if it is economical to feed! I have to admit I would rather get away with not feeding a mix if it were possible, I have never been their biggest fan.
 
Top spec cool condition cubes are great for condition without being heating. My very,very feed sensitive TB does really well on them. He also has speedibeet,spillers conditioning fibre & Charnwood linseed. The linseed is much more economical than Outshine etc. He also does ok on spillers slow release cubes, they're low starch so don't wind him up but I'm sticking with the TS cubes over winter as they're more calorific than the Spillers cubes.
 
Spillers Slow Release Cubes were fantastic for my previous horse ( arabX) who went berzerk at the whiff of a mix or any hidden cereals....better than the Baileys 4 which can send some horses do-lally also.

Personally I find hay hay and more hay the best for condition without oomph ....
 
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