feeding straights/follow on post to supplements

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cellie

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I found supplement post interesting and was intrigued by additional views on feeding straights .I feed allen paige fast fibre, calm and condition and alpha plus oil (dengie mostly for weight gain but it can hot her up)
If I were to change to straights what would you recommend. My mare is 16 h tbx but very anxious/stressy type.She has calmer , harmony super calm which is herbal.The above is only feed that keeps her fairly level headed and I need conditioning feed.
I have used sugar beet added oil and linseed in past but find that fibre needs to be her main intake if not she is more difficult to ride she is horse that runs on adrenaline.
Fibre alone will not keep her weight up over winter.
Thought please :D
 
If I want to feed straights for condition but not fizz for my oldie I use barley. I personally buy the whole barley and boil it, my old lad likes a nice warm tea. But I only do it in bad weather if he drops condition.

Its certainly cheaper than buying complete foods.
 
I suppose anything at all can be more heating than nothing.

That said, most of the non heating foods contain barley. My oldie has been fed it for years it never made a scrap of difference to him. Mind you he is hot on fresh air.

Our warmblood can eat it without any noticable effect too.

I could never feed it to our little cob, she needs something with fizz (naked oats or racehorsemix) and she certainly does not want any weight on.

I think with most feeds its trial and error, if you try it just start with small amounts and gradually build up.

I cant think of any straights which are less heating than barley which give the same weight gain.
 
I would try ditching alfalfa. That is likely causing the stress. Keep the other feeds and just see if that helps. If not you can try something else. If you need more weight, then add unmolassed beet to your regime.
Horses were designed to survive on fibre alone, so if she drops weight so easily, either she has a digestive pathology, or something youre feeding is wrong for her.
As commercial feeds go, your current (minus alfalfa) isn't bad at all.
 
Oberon said:
I would try ditching alfalfa. That is likely causing the stress. Keep the other feeds and just see if that helps. If not you can try something else. If you need more weight, then add unmolassed beet to your regime.
Horses were designed to survive on fibre alone, so if she drops weight so easily, either she has a digestive pathology, or something youre feeding is wrong for her.
As commercial feeds go, your current (minus alfalfa) isn't bad at all.
Click to expand...

I tried sugar beet last year and it heated her more than alfa alfa.Although she is hotter on alfa alfa I can manage her well enough plus she is ridden 6 times a week.
She eats constantly and its nothing to have 23+ poohs a night to everyone one elses 12:rolleyes:.Fibre is definitely a must with her think she has very quick digestive system but her weight is good at moment ,fortunately I still have grass plus I feed haylage in field.
 
23 poops - yeesh!

Was it normal sugar beet or unmolassed? It doesn't agree with some horses.

If alfalfa 'heats her up' I'm inclined to think of that as either aggitation or discomfort. Neither one I'd be happy about but you obviously know your horse better than I.

I ditched alfalfa with my elderly Arab with dodgy teeth and started feeding balanced minerals. He's kept his weight, resisted mud fever, looks really well and he has more 'life' when ridden than he has for a long time...perhaps a little too much at the moment
whaat.gif
. His rider is in her 60s they are both dancing at the front of each ride with the younger ones behind, looking embarrassed
lol.gif
 
It was normal wouldnt feed molassed :eek::D,maybe alfa does cause her aggitation .I fed regular ozzie chaff all summer and she is still same think its just type of horse she is. Regular work and good discipline keeps her sane she is just more lively in winter with cold and windy conditions.
Have been told to try oats as good source of slow energy and non heating feed.:)
 
Maybe worth a try .She is good weight at moment just want to keep her that way.Brought her in tonight for first time as it is getting cold now , she has full clip although you would never believe it the way her coat has grown back . It will save the grass for day time turnout which will help :D
 
Id swap from haylege to hay if the alfalfa cut doesnt do it. Haylege can affect some horses quite dramatically and that amount of poo suggests and irritated gut to me.

Id also cut the sugarbeet due to the sugar content if she's fizzy, but thas just me i hate the stuff lol

If you felt she needed more high cal then Id be putting in germinating oats, dont panic about the old wives tales about them

http://thunderbrook.co.uk/app/download/2999164702/Mature+Organic+Oats+Information+Sheet.pdf
 
Micronised S/B like Speedy beet [3.5% sugar] is a good filling feed but needs minerals added if horse is in work, tbh I would stick with C^C if you want condition. no need for any other feed. Though most people do add something as it looks boring to humans.
I feed 100gm micronised linseed meal for coat condition, and am going to add Dengie molasses free chaff [lo alfa] for a variety of fibres
 
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TigerTail said:
Id swap from haylege to hay if the alfalfa cut doesnt do it. Haylege can affect some horses quite dramatically and that amount of poo suggests and irritated gut to me.

Id also cut the sugarbeet due to the sugar content if she's fizzy, but thas just me i hate the stuff lol

If you felt she needed more high cal then Id be putting in germinating oats, dont panic about the old wives tales about them

http://thunderbrook.co.uk/app/download/2999164702/Mature+Organic+Oats+Information+Sheet.pdf
Click to expand...

Just to clarify the large amount of poohs is when she is out on good grass in summer,the feed is minimal at that time of year so maybe it is just her make up. She isnt on sugar beet tried it last year and it fizzed her up.Her behaviour at moment is fab but I have to be careful what I add.
Thanks will look into germinating oats :D
Our haylage is more of a high quality hay as the hay is rubbish in our area.
 
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MrsD123 said:
Micronised S/B like Speedy beet [3.5% sugar] is a good filling feed but needs minerals added if horse is in work, tbh I would stick with C^C if you want condition. no need for any other feed. Though most people do add something as it looks boring to humans.
I feed 100gm micronised linseed meal for coat condition, and am going to add Dengie molasses free chaff [lo alfa] for a variety of fibres
Click to expand...
I tried linseed last year and it jazzed her up,will have look at lo alfa as I can always add my own oil.
 
TigerTail said:
Id swap from haylege to hay if the alfalfa cut doesnt do it. Haylege can affect some horses quite dramatically and that amount of poo suggests and irritated gut to me.

Id also cut the sugarbeet due to the sugar content if she's fizzy, but thas just me i hate the stuff lol

If you felt she needed more high cal then Id be putting in germinating oats, dont panic about the old wives tales about them

http://thunderbrook.co.uk/app/download/2999164702/Mature+Organic+Oats+Information+Sheet.pdf
Click to expand...
Micronised SB is different product from molassed SB nuts, and oats are cereals, so not to be given to HOT horses.
Hay is lower in sugars, but haylage can be soaked to remove sugars..
I do not understand how 80gms of micronised linseed can zizz up, as it is a slow release energy source.
 
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I would tend to feed a lot of fibre, ie 24/7 hay, plus minerals, my boy poops quite a few times per day, but more poops per hour if he is excited.
If he is out at grass [farmers grass] the poops are huge.
Currently, the horse next door has a smelly, wet poop and it is a stress-head, if it were me I would feed it hay 24/7
My horse has had big poops in summer cos he was out on farmers grass, I brought him in four hours per day and gave him chaff, but have now moved him to a better yard, where they have some understanding of feeding horses, well enough to listen to me!
 
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She is on high fibre diet the fast fibre is good feed for her and calm and condition seems to work.There seem to be alot of different opinions on oats some say it heats and others say proven not too.:D
 
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