Feeding for oomph - feed vs supplement?

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emfen1305

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Overdone I know but thought i'd revive!

Cob is in work 6 days a week (between 30mins - 2 hours depending), He's quite fit, in good condition and out in the day and in at night on ad lib haylage and up to date with all checks.

He's gone a bit lacklustre of late, he is more than capable of what I am asking him it just feels like he's giving just enough and there is nothing extra in the tank! He has a varied work routine and I try to keep his schooling sessions interesting and RI agrees its more of an attitude problem than a competence issue so I wanted to see if there was a little pick me up I could give him just to help push through some of the harder sessions and give him a little bit of buzz back! I think the stubble fields round us are due to be cut soon so i can take him for a good canter but I definitely get more excited about going on them than he does!

He's a good weight so I am wary of feeds as the extra calories are designed for condition but does anyone have any they would recommend? My RI suggested Barley Rings but I read they pack the weight on. Tiger oats are another option. He's had ulcers in the past so wary of cereals too. In terms of supplements, I tried the Kossolian Blood Salts but realised they had magnesium in and he does go slightly too laid back with that. I've just started (day 6) of NAF Energ but not seeing anything so far so looking for other recommendations!

I am considering a blood test to see if there is anything going on that's making him feel like this too!
 
Just oats, I use them and micro linseed to energise my cob, never had a weight gain issue as he is just more generally energetic :)
 
another oat fan here, I feed hay and a basic balancer and then add in oats when mine are working hard. My sec D is in loads of work at the moment and looking pretty good. I just buy cheapo rolled ones rather than the naked/tiger etc.
 
milliepops said:
another oat fan here, I feed hay and a basic balancer and then add in oats when mine are working hard. My sec D is in loads of work at the moment and looking pretty good. I just buy cheapo rolled ones rather than the naked/tiger etc.
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Fab! Looks like oats it is then! How much do you feed and do you just add in when you need or do you feed daily?
 
I feed 2 scoops of oats a day to Fig (3 in winter) and thank the lord they don't add extra energy.

Restrict grazing and soak hay. Add a handful of flaked maize to feed.
 
I fed all the time, quantity dependent on specific workload so summer one stubbs scoop a day, winter when hunting 2. Feeding him for the work he was doing rather than just looking at his condition really worked for us.
 
ester said:
I fed all the time, quantity dependent on specific workload so summer one stubbs scoop a day, winter when hunting 2. Feeding him for the work he was doing rather than just looking at his condition really worked for us.
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yes this is broadly my approach too, I tend to use the grazing/hay to control condition and bung oats in to give additional petrol ;)
 
Yup, grazing restricted, more oats, though he's always been ok with Adlib hay :). I think in a lot of ways oats are just more consistent in their contents than grass.
 
Great! Just need to hunt some down now, not had much luck in my local feed shops!

We have poor-average grazing, enough in the summer to keep them ticking over and nothing in winter so he's fairly restricted there. I'd like to feed hay but the quality we get on our yard is terrible, really dusty stuff that looks like its been pulled from the side of the field so will just restrict the haylage!
 
really!? I've never found them an issue to get hold off, different brands, (generally works out fairly cheap too). Start by adding a bit and see how you go, but plenty use them with our/your sort of type and find they just have that bit extra but not silly.
 
ester said:
really!? I've never found them an issue to get hold off, different brands, (generally works out fairly cheap too). Start by adding a bit and see how you go, but plenty use them with our/your sort of type and find they just have that bit extra but not silly.
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I can only find them in mixes, nowhere seems to do them straight! what brands do you use if you don't mind me asking? That's all he needs, feels like his operating a bit at 80% which is only making his job harder, everyone is just telling me to give up and accept that is what he is like but I'm not convinced!
 
emfen1305 said:
I can only find them in mixes, nowhere seems to do them straight! what brands do you use if you don't mind me asking? That's all he needs, feels like his operating a bit at 80% which is only making his job harder, everyone is just telling me to give up and accept that is what he is like but I'm not convinced!
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Most of the major feed brands will sell straight oats. I fed Baileys best British as that was what my local place stocked. The one time I bought cheaper (countrywide own) the quality was rubbish so would personally stick to a bigger name brand.
I used 1 litre a day on a reasonably good doer to add a little more oomph
 
I started using Bailey's ease and excel for some energy boost for my mare over the winter as her work load increased. Really good for the ulcers and I've found that one or two mugs is enough to give a good energy oomph but although designed to help keep weight on ulcer prone horses recommended amounts are in scoops so 1 or 2 mugs isn't enough to put weight on (I also feel your pain there) but it does give oomph. I use it alongside a balancer to ensure she has all vits/minerals needed
 
mynutmeg said:
I started using Bailey's ease and excel for some energy boost for my mare over the winter as her work load increased. Really good for the ulcers and I've found that one or two mugs is enough to give a good energy oomph but although designed to help keep weight on ulcer prone horses recommended amounts are in scoops so 1 or 2 mugs isn't enough to put weight on (I also feel your pain there) but it does give oomph. I use it alongside a balancer to ensure she has all vits/minerals needed
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Ah that's interesting! He gets a mug of healthy tummy in each feed, less so for the energy but for his stomach but I did get a sample of ease and excel when it first came out just to double check he would eat it so could swap it out! That is definitely easier to get hold of than the oats, the two feed shops I tried don't have them so if my last option doesn't i'll try the ease & excel!
 
I've been quite impressed with it. I do around about 40km a week on the roads and recently did 56km over 2 days just on 2 mugs of ease and excel and her balancer. In the winter I also had the keep calm mash they do but only added the ease&excel for energy when her work was stepped up and she was getting so that she'd have energy for the first 3/4 of a ride but flag at the end and that went quickly on starting her on the small amount of feed - initially just gave 1/2 a mug which was enough to notice a difference, and then built it up as her work load was increasing.
I also like how cheap it is - at 15 a bag it's really economical when fed by the mug rather than scoop
 
mynutmeg said:
I've been quite impressed with it. I do around about 40km a week on the roads and recently did 56km over 2 days just on 2 mugs of ease and excel and her balancer. In the winter I also had the keep calm mash they do but only added the ease&excel for energy when her work was stepped up and she was getting so that she'd have energy for the first 3/4 of a ride but flag at the end and that went quickly on starting her on the small amount of feed - initially just gave 1/2 a mug which was enough to notice a difference, and then built it up as her work load was increasing.
I also like how cheap it is - at 15 a bag it's really economical when fed by the mug rather than scoop
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Definitely one to consider though Toby is not doing as much work as that I will admit! Just feels like he's lacking a little bit of his sparkle which is making schooling quite a lot harder than it needs to be for both of us, I try to find him interesting things to do and he finds the concept of walk to canter incredibly exciting but then struggles to maintain that impulsion for more than 2 strides before he just dies on me so hoping that something will help give him a little bit of fizz! Ease & Excel does appeal though due to its tummy friendly stuff!
 
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