asbo
Well-Known Member
just wondered what everyone feeds to hold weight?
feeding to hold weight.
- Thread starter asbo
- Start date
TGM
Well-Known Member
This is my personal approach.
I start with making sure that the horse has as much good quality hay or haylage as they can physically eat. Haylage generally contains more calories than hay (all other factors being equal) and some horses find it tastier too (which means they are likely to eat a greater quantity) so it can be a good choice for the poor doer, if it suits them.
Then I would add some source of highly digestible fibre such as beet, alfafa or a dried grass product together with an oil source - I use straight oil, but some prefer oil-rich supplements such as Equijewel or Outshine which are less messy, sometimes more palatable, but significantly more expensive!
I would feed this in at least two if not three feeds a day and monitor whether the horse is starting to gain weight. If not, then personally I would gradually add some micronised barley to the feed, if I knew the horse was not cereal intolerant or had laminitic tendencies.
The other option is to use a commercial conditioning feed - which one you choose depends on your pocket and whether your horse is sensitive to certain feeds or not!
I start with making sure that the horse has as much good quality hay or haylage as they can physically eat. Haylage generally contains more calories than hay (all other factors being equal) and some horses find it tastier too (which means they are likely to eat a greater quantity) so it can be a good choice for the poor doer, if it suits them.
Then I would add some source of highly digestible fibre such as beet, alfafa or a dried grass product together with an oil source - I use straight oil, but some prefer oil-rich supplements such as Equijewel or Outshine which are less messy, sometimes more palatable, but significantly more expensive!
I would feed this in at least two if not three feeds a day and monitor whether the horse is starting to gain weight. If not, then personally I would gradually add some micronised barley to the feed, if I knew the horse was not cereal intolerant or had laminitic tendencies.
The other option is to use a commercial conditioning feed - which one you choose depends on your pocket and whether your horse is sensitive to certain feeds or not!
saddlesore
Well-Known Member
My TB used to struggle to hold weight - even with conditioning cubes! In the end i fed alfa-a, high fibre cubes, speedi-beet sunflower oil and pink powder. Never looked better!! Apparently cubes are better for weight then mixes and i found the high fibre diet better than anything else i had ever tried! i also gave haylage adlib (although always did)
Honeypots
Well-Known Member
Ditto high fibre..
My TB x is on high fibre cubes, speedibeet, hi fi, a blob of oil and pink powder twice a day. He lives out on good grazing and has hay as and when required...
In 6 weeks he's put on 3 notches of the weightape
My TB x is on high fibre cubes, speedibeet, hi fi, a blob of oil and pink powder twice a day. He lives out on good grazing and has hay as and when required...
In 6 weeks he's put on 3 notches of the weightape
asbo
Well-Known Member
thanks, got jay jay on chaff, hi fibre cubes and kwikibeet
