RachelFerd
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I've just pulled my rising 4yo in from his winter turnout, and he looks exactly as I'd expect him to after a wet and cold winter - hairy, angular and a bit scabby. He's not ribby, just has no muscle (and why would he - he's been out, growing and being a horse).
He was backed and lightly ridden away last summer and proved to have an excellent temperament, verging on too chilled (halo hasn't slipped at all yet) - but I am now keen to (safely) get more condition and topline on him. I'll start out on a progressive path of groundwork and very short bursts of ridden work to build him up very slowly; but I am interested if there's anything different others would recommend in terms of feed.
Starting point is that he has been out 24/7, with big bale hay shared in the field, no hard feed.
He's now switching to 4-6hrs daily turnout (not much grass to speak of yet) and ad lib haylage all of the time that he's in. I'll be working him daily, but often for only 15 minutes at a time - building up really slowly.
I've initially put him onto the same feed as my event horse (because it is what i've got to hand) which is Allen and Page Soothe and Gain - 1kg dry weight split into two feeds. I feed this in conjunction with Dengie Healthy Tummy (500g a day).
I'd also planned to start adding in Linseed Oil - increasing towards around 300mls/day.
I did feed him small amounts of Soothe and Gain when I had him in light work back in August/September - so I know it doesn't have any disagreeable effects on him. Interested as to whether people would advise anything dramatically different for feeding the weak and weedy youngster?
I've just pulled my rising 4yo in from his winter turnout, and he looks exactly as I'd expect him to after a wet and cold winter - hairy, angular and a bit scabby. He's not ribby, just has no muscle (and why would he - he's been out, growing and being a horse).
He was backed and lightly ridden away last summer and proved to have an excellent temperament, verging on too chilled (halo hasn't slipped at all yet) - but I am now keen to (safely) get more condition and topline on him. I'll start out on a progressive path of groundwork and very short bursts of ridden work to build him up very slowly; but I am interested if there's anything different others would recommend in terms of feed.
Starting point is that he has been out 24/7, with big bale hay shared in the field, no hard feed.
He's now switching to 4-6hrs daily turnout (not much grass to speak of yet) and ad lib haylage all of the time that he's in. I'll be working him daily, but often for only 15 minutes at a time - building up really slowly.
I've initially put him onto the same feed as my event horse (because it is what i've got to hand) which is Allen and Page Soothe and Gain - 1kg dry weight split into two feeds. I feed this in conjunction with Dengie Healthy Tummy (500g a day).
I'd also planned to start adding in Linseed Oil - increasing towards around 300mls/day.
I did feed him small amounts of Soothe and Gain when I had him in light work back in August/September - so I know it doesn't have any disagreeable effects on him. Interested as to whether people would advise anything dramatically different for feeding the weak and weedy youngster?
