Feeding for stamina

Bustalot

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Over the past couple of weeks my rising 6 year old seems tired (can't think of a better way to describe it!)

He still seems himself in the sense of his personality etc. still pounds out to the field everyday and still ears pricked and happy. So I do not think he has picked up a virus or anything.

He always seems tired after he has been worked. Literally as I untack he is falling asleep!! He doesn't feel tired while riding him and I hardly ever school him for more than 30 mins 2-3 times a week and over the past year have built up his work slowly (more because it has taken me awhile to get my confidence with him) But over the past few weeks we have been working on his canter a bit more and introducing more transitions/ direct transitions etc. So he is starting to be worked a little harder and I get the feeling its now time to re-look at his feed.

He is currently fed :
1 scoop fast fibre (split over 2 feeds)
2 scoops alfa a lite (split over 2 feeds)
plus vits and mins

He has done well on this all winter. But with the more work he has also dropped a little weight. He is given 6 sections of hay a night and 3 sections in the morning as he doesn't go out till lunch time as the grass is rubbish! There is always hay left at the bottom of the haynets.

My older boy I feed Micronised linseed for his condition so have started to give him a mug full of that a day also to get the weight back on him, waiting to see if he goes fruit loop on it before i start to give him more!

But will the micronised linseed help his stamina also? He doesn't really need more 'energy as such'. Just needs to pro-long the energy, more stamina.

Any ideas? Thanks and a big cup of tea for making it through that :)
 
Any form of oil will help, as oil gives a slow release energy. Such feeds as the Baileys Endurance Mix or Outshine will help.

We all need the grass to grow and get them out on it. The hay from last year is not as good as normal, again due to last years weather.
 
I used Spillers Slow Release competition mix and found it made just enough difference, even though I did not feed it at the optimum level for the horses weight.
 
My rising 6 year old is the same...He is mentally and physically tired after most schooling sessions - especially sessions with lots of questions being asked of him... I have found keeping him in all day a couple of days a week helpful in giving him a bit on an energy boost as he doesn't waste so much being a 'boy' in the field... he is also lami prone so it's a good way of keeping on top of his grass intake...

He is 17hh and fed on fast fibre, linseed (mug of), ERS pellets (2 scoops of) - soon to be changing to full fat soya due to them now containing alfa-a which irritates his skin, 1/2 scoop of oats and his vits and mins a day - split between 2 feeds.

I would reccomend you try oats and or ers pellets (soya based).
 
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