Feeding Levels???

SmartieBean09

SmartieBean09

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What does everyone do when it comes to feeding and the amount you feed? Do you always feed the recommended rate or start off low and increase if needed?

I dont think I have ever fed the recommended amounts because my oldie used to be a very good doer. However things have changed and she is now on OAP mix to help improve her condition. I have been introducing it over 6 days and am now wondering whether to feed the recommended rate or start off low and continue with her balancer for now???

Just wondering what does eveyone else seems to do and perhaps what I should do?
 
oi smartiebean!! you on here talking about feed again!!!!! go out and buy your new hat give yourself something else to think about!!!!!! i know kids programmes are not great but there are better things than feed balancers lol

how is aaron with his fishing forum i bet he has alot of trouble deciding what to feed the fish!!!!!!!!!!!!! come on fishy look at my magot or should i ground bait????????????
 
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I base my feeding on providing plenty of good quality forage (hay/haylage/grazing) and only add hard feed if the animal needs it for extra condition and/or energy. A lot of good doers can look and perform very well on hardly any bucket feed at all - my daughter's pony competes successfully on just a few handfuls of high fibre cubes a day.

However, if you are relying on a commercial hard feed to supply all of a horse's vitamin and mineral requirements, then you either need to feed near the manufacturer's recommended amount OR top up with a balancer or vit/min supplement.

With regard to your situation, I would monitor your mare's weight with a weight tape once a week to see if she is losing, gaining or maintaining weight. If she is losing weight then increase the quantities of mix. If her weight stays constant but she is not yet in the condition you would like then also increase the quantities of the mix. Once she is the weight you want then either keep the mix at the same level, or if she continues to gain weight then reduce it a bit.

If you are feeding significantly less than the manufacturer's recommendation then you can feed the balancer at a reduced rate to top up the micronutrients. So if you are feeding half the recommended amount of mix then feed half the daily rate of balancer. If you are feeding a quarter of the recommended amount of mix then feed three quarters of the daily rate of balancer.
 
Thats great advice, thanks TGM.

Potty_4_Piebalds...you know what I am like with my feeding OCD!

Aaron is actually watching a DVD on bait lol!!!! See this is why we are together!

As for kids TV, Lily is having to put up with Dads rubbish on the weekend.

Hows Mojo?
 
I think what a lot of people forget to do before they start feeding is first to work out what your horse weighs and what body conditioning score they are. A lot of people seem to feed for no reason when actually they should be putting there horse on a diet. I promise im not saying this is the case with yours. What i aways tell people on the yard is to first body score their horses and then only feed according to their needs not what is on the back of the packed. For anyone confused on body scoring this explains it really well and is also done by a vet.
www.horsehero.com/1175/health-and-well-being/37541
 
Hi,

She has been weighed and condition scored. For condition she is now back up to a 3 (which to me is a good weight) and her weight is 354kg. The feed companies that I have spoken to said that her ideal weight should be 400kg but I actually think she looks ok. She did weigh less and look awful.

Ive never had to feed the recommneded level because she has always been a good doer an I have struggled to keep the weight off!! However over the last couple of years she hasnt put on the weight like she used to and each winter looked fairly poor. This year she dropped a significant amount of weight and looked very poor and seemed very depressed and lethargic.

She is 26, so have had the usual checks, teeth, bloods etc. All ok so would assume she has just aged. I have changed her over to a conditioning chaff and veteran mix and she has picked up and yesterday she seemed really happy and a sparkle in her eye. I assume because of this she is getting the right amount of feed BUT this isnt what is recommended.

Just wondered what others did?

Thanks
 
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