Feeding the Barefoot Horse

[jm2k]

Ive just brought my new horse into work following quite a few months off with tendon then hoof absess issues! Ex-racer, last raced Oct and just gone 4 yr old.
After all the time off I thought its perfect to trial him barefoot
We have marquis boots on front, nothing on back. Seems to be working a treat.
Now the help comes in: Feeding!

All mollassed stuff gone, and in comes Speedi-Beet, Hi-Fi Lite and ........ ??

Turned out in good grazing (and will be living out in winter,heavy rugs,stable
if needs/wants it, ad-lib hay.

He is 15.2, 460kg, Lightweight TB who is a little more covered than flat racing condition. Certainly dont want him to lose any weight so what do i need to give him or get ready for winter that is suitable for his barefoot essentials?
No Barley, Corns, molasses, high sugar etc. Low starch etc.

Any info greatly received

 

[Theresa_F]

I feed mine grass and alfa chaff - nothing in it or added. They get a little speedibeet and high fibre nuts or grass nuts.

I also feed micronised linseed, brewers yeast and what I found for the four I have had without shoes that really did the trick, black sunflower seeds. They get a small coffee mug twice a day in their feeds and it has given them rock hard feet. Also darkens the coat and gives a super shine.

 

[maggiesmum]

Keep an eye on the grazing, even TB's get lammi and you'll notice all the more if he's barefoot.
The 'general' barefoot supplement is mag-ox, brewers yeast, seaweed and linseed although the best way to do it is to get your grazing and hay/haylage analysed and to supplement accordingly.
The linseed will help with weight and Copra can be very good for adding weight too, bear in mind though that if he only came off the track in October it make still take him some time before his system adapts to 'normal' eating rather than racehorse eating.
Is he stressy at all? Doesn't matter what you feed you'll never get weight on a stressy Tb so keeping him chilled helps.

A copy of feet first is always a good investment, good luck with it and shout up if you hit any problems there are lots of people who'll offer advice.

 

[Zuzan]

Would highly reccommend micronised linseed.. doesn't need cooking so can be added to the chaff / speedi beet, linseed is best veggie source of omega oils as well so good for the joints and brain too... if you do need to feed grain the best is Oats as lower GI than other grain.

 

[jm2k]

Thanks both.

Sunflowers, that one i havent heard before and interesting to consider
Linseed is on the shopping list for tomorrow. Prob wont be putting him on grain, or at least for a very long time and that would depend on what it is

Ironically, looking at him today, he does look a little better covered so something is working.

If you change his routine (ie feed him in a different place etc), he does stress slightly, otherwise he is fairly laid back thankfully.

Managed 2 days out riding in a row now (long term probs with lameness), just hope this lasts and we can actually progress. only hacking at walk around lanes, and he is just chilling in the field learning to be a normal horse.

will def be calling on here frequently

 

[rupertsmum]

My Ex racer, is barefoot as he has navicular. He has ride and relax, hi fi and speedi beet. Nothing else (except hay and grass) His feet are perfect and he needs no other supplements. Don't waste your cash

 

[Miss L Toe]

My Ex racer, is barefoot as he has navicular. He has ride and relax, hi fi and speedi beet. Nothing else (except hay and grass) His feet are perfect and he needs no other supplements. Don't waste your cash

for some strange reason [unknown to Allen and Page] my boy would not touch Ride and Relax, I think I should have sent them a sample as it may have been contaminated, who knows.
I went back to Calm and Condition and Fast Fibre, mixed, as he needed the minerals and had enough weight for his work.
I have just bought all my minerals to try the barefoot diet, but it has been expensive even though I carefully researched the prices and the quality, I could have paid 50% more if I had not been so careful.
I hope he will have enough for 150 to 200 days when he is stabled at night.
10kg seaweed meal £18.00
10 kg micronised linseed £25.00
3 kg limestone flour £5.00
2kg biotin £12.00
4kg magnesium calmer [herbs plus minerals] £40
Even if this works, I think it will not be much cheaper, any comments?
I will be feeding speedy beet and a heaped pet scoop of hi fi non mollasssed chaff [Dengie] plus a pet scoop of Mare and Youngstock.
He is spooky, but has great feet and skin.

 

[Miss L Toe]

does the linseed count as feed or supplement, it has oil and it has fibre so to my mind it is feed, but he won't be getting a lot of it, so does that make it a supplement?
I already had the magnesium calmer [half price offer], but I have used it on him before, so I know it works, I think we are in a short of Mg in the soil round here.
I am not sure how much Speedi beet, probably two to three pet scoops per feed [of wet beet], and if I should pour off the liquid to remove the sugars.
Where is going to get his protein from, will it only be from the Mare and Youngstock?

 

[zandp]

My 2 were on Fast and Fibre alone for a year and I was happy and more importantly so were they - one QH/TB, one ID/Conn. Then my trimmer recommended the Base Essentials Mix from Thunderbrook Feeds, it contains linseed, brewers yeast, mag ox, the girls love it and they are both doing really well on it. The ID/Conn's feet have improved dramatically, the QH/TB keeps her weight on easily and isn't fizzy. They've got a website detailing all their feeds, my friend had her OTTB on it and was happy too.

 

[Zuzan]

To my mind linseed if feed whole micronised or cooked is a feed.. it is a high oil feed.. an effective alternative to cereals such as oats, barley, maize, mixes.. etc if you were feeding oats the quantities are probably not too dissimilar. Volume wise I reakon a mug full of linseed is a feed and not supplement. If you do need a bit of extra ooommph oats are the next thing to consider for faster / more immediate burn energy.

 

[Miss L Toe]

I don't really think I need oomph, just feel that if he only gets speedy beet plus mins and vits he is really getting nothing like a conventional diet of oats bran and chaff, or the Calm and Condition it is supposed to be replacing.

 

[maggiesmum]

My Ex racer, is barefoot as he has navicular. He has ride and relax, hi fi and speedi beet. Nothing else (except hay and grass) His feet are perfect and he needs no other supplements. Don't waste your cash

you're one of the lucky ones, not all horses are blessed with a metabolic system that can cope so well and some areas supply very unbalanced levels of minerals which causes problems.
My friend has 2 barefoot horses both living in the same field, one is struggling terribly with footiness on the grass the other is rock solid on her feet.