Feeding young PRE's (Spanish)

[littlenordic]

Hi There, I will hopefully be bringing home a rising 3 year old Andalusian gelding on Saturday. Please can people recommend what feed to give him? He is currently living out 24/7 with hay at night ane he gets a small feed of pasture mix in the evening. When he comes to me he will be stabled at night and will have adlib hay and have about 5 hrs out a day. I want to make sure he is on the correct feed for his age and dietry requirements. Any advise in general would be hugely appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[Cortez]

Hi there, congratulations on your new horse! PRE's are wonderful horses but require a little different approach to most other horses in the UK in many aspects of their care and training. Firstly, they are mostly VERY good doers and do not tolerate any sugars in their feed at all - it can make them itchy, and crazy! This will also apply to grazing (if the rain ever stops, the sun ever shines again and we do actually live to see a spring. And grass). I feed mine on stemmy timothy hay and barley straw with no hard feed at all, but yours may need a little more if he's still growing. They are sensitive, intelligent and HOT horses; if you havn't already done so I'd suggest joining BAPSH and getting to know people who know the breed and can give you some support as your young horse progresses.

 

[Mongoose11]

Perhaps go straight onto a barefoot diet? I will bring back the fast fibre

Maybe FF, Pro hoof or Pro Balance, Linseed and your multivitamin?

I am sure the Spanish Pros will be along shortly...

Cortez, TallyHo...... Where are you?

X

Ah ha... Speak of the devil I cross posted with the master herself!

 

[Wheels]

Yes they are very good doers! If yours is getting turnout for a few hours a day I would say no hay in the field and then try and split the night time hay.

My young Andalusian is fed good quality hay, ad lib through the night but a small amount in the morning and another small amount in the afternoon if he's in, if he's out then no hay during the day, there is enough grass for him to nibble.

He then just gets a low calorie balancer to make sure he gets some vits and mins.

 

[littlenordic]

Yes they are very good doers! If yours is getting turnout for a few hours a day I would say no hay in the field and then try and split the night time hay.

My young Andalusian is fed good quality hay, ad lib through the night but a small amount in the morning and another small amount in the afternoon if he's in, if he's out then no hay during the day, there is enough grass for him to nibble.

He then just gets a low calorie balancer to make sure he gets some vits and mins.

Do you mean something like Low Cal??

 

[Cortez]

That's what I feed mine, IF they need it, which at the moment they most certainly do not . I have a new horse (also PRE) who came in a bit under muscled, had him 12 weeks and he's now as round and shiny as a conker on ad lib hay/straw and lo-cal. Now on the forage only.

 

[littlenordic]

That's what I feed mine, IF they need it, which at the moment they most certainly do not . I have a new horse (also PRE) who came in a bit under muscled, had him 12 weeks and he's now as round and shiny as a conker on ad lib hay/straw and lo-cal. Now on the forage only.

Thanks Cortez. Would you also add linseed and or Brewers yeast or is is not required using the lo-cal?

 

[Cortez]

Look at your horse. If he looks OK I wouldn't add anything. If he needs more condition or has dry skin or coat then a bit of linseed might be beneficial, not sure why you'd add Brewer's Yeast for a three year old? If the horse looks well, I really don't see why you'd start throwing all sorts of additional stuff into him. A picture is, of course, required......

 

[littlenordic]

Look at your horse. If he looks OK I wouldn't add anything. If he needs more condition or has dry skin or coat then a bit of linseed might be beneficial, not sure why you'd add Brewer's Yeast for a three year old? If the horse looks well, I really don't see why you'd start throwing all sorts of additional stuff into him. A picture is, of course, required......

Thanks! I will add a pic when he arrives on Saturday!!! Thanks again!!!

 

[tallyho!]

Am I too late??

Ah... loks like it's been covered. And anyway, I just copy what the breeder fed... basically a hi-fi diet with plenty of roughage e.g. hay, barley straw etc with a dash of linseed in a soaked fibre feed in winter to top up the Omega ration.

Probably avoid haylage and grains... unless you absolutely want a rocket to ride and handle.... just saying, some like it HOT



p.s. Brewers yeast... useful. When the horses were brought in during very stormy weather in Dec, she got a really dicky tummy from such a sudden change in forage type. I added some BY and mint to the diet and it was sorted within about two days. No more fart/poos that could get you in the eye, stood 6 feet away.