Feeding (Sorry)

[Heidi1]

Need some help chaps - Have a TB mare, 8 years old, who is just going to start fittening work, she is rather light in her build (ex flat racer) and never gets a belly on her, what would you recommend feeding her to keep the weight on, but help build up muscles, topline and condition. Not on any cerals as she has suffered from tying up......... Few pictures of her below

Winter 2006

Summer 2006

 

[AmyMay]

She's lovely.

I would feed her Red Mills Horse Care cubes. Excellent for those prone to tying up and give excellent coverage to the 18hh HW hunter on our yard.

 

[Scarlett1980]

wow, she does look lovely. I'd feed her WINERGY Equilibrium Growth - the only feed scientifically proven for horses that tie up AND they will send you a bag free to try if you ask nicely!

I have a TB chesnut mare that suffered really badly from ERS, subsequently looked quite poor when fit. WINERGY worked with my vet to find the right diet for her and it is amazing.

their number is 01908 226626 or email winergy.equilibrium@effem-equine.com

 

[Heidi1]

Thank you for that, I did have a look at Winergy's feeds when we went to Burghley last year, glad you reminded me of it, I will give them a call....... She is a poppet....

 

[Peanot]

She looks very nice now. You don`t want to give her too much now as the grass will soon be through, then you`ll be trying to get the belly off her.

My horse can`t have cereal either and I spoke to Saracens horse feeds and they suggested Response feed. This is the feed that calmed her down but kept weight on her. Not sure that it is for putting weight on specifically tho. If you go onto their website and fill in a form about your horse, they will send you the ideal feed for her.

 

[TGM]

I think her condition looks fine now - what is she getting at the moment? Can you just not increase that as she comes into work?

 

[spaniel]

My thought too. You dont want any more weight on her now.

 

[Heidi1]

She is on H&P Cubes, Just Grass, Speedi-beet, soya oil and Selenivite E. Have considered putting her back onto equilibra or perhaps TopSpec as we go into spring... Looks a rather boring diet when mixed together, but she certainly enjoys it, so would you increase the cubes gradually over the next month or so.??

 

[sanda]

I dont think you need to be worrying at all, shes just right as far as condition is concerned, she has some weight over her topline and loins that most tbreds dont get so shes a lucky tbred to look so well!

 

[Scarlett1980]

I just tried to post this and it crashed my computer so appologies if I'm repeating myself!

you have to be really careful with increasing the feed of horses that tie up. even H&P cubes are relatively high in starch and adding a balancer to this will make the starch more available.

If I'm right, you just want to maintain her condition as she gets fitter and give her the energy she need to build muscle without tying up?

thing is this is very different to feeding a horse in the same situation that doesn't tie up.

before the winergy feed i had mine on high fibre cubes, alfa a, speedibeet, vit E and selenium and oil. i added blue chip and she tied up. blue chip were really honest about what caused it and recomended winergy but i had already spoken to them at burghley anyway.

 

[TGM]

Ah - was assuming you were feeding totally non-cereal feeds already. Most H&P cubes contain cereal derivatives so would be risky to increase them. How much oil are you feeding? Would you be able to increase that as she comes into work? Alternatively you could try adding a high oil supplement such as Outshine.

The other option, as already suggested, is to feed a product specifically designed for horses with ERM if you can get hold of one - don't know how easy it is to source specialist feeds in your area. I know some people have used Saracen Releve with good results. Don't forget electrolytes if the horse is working hard.

Do remember to feed for the work done - ie don't increase the feed in anticipation of the work the horse is going to do. Also when looking for cereal-free foods be careful to read the labels carefully. Often a product will say it is oat-free but contain barley, or say barley and oat-free and then contain maize!