Finding a new feed

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rachk89

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Looking to get my horse on different feed as his hooves are getting weaker but the supplement didnt seem to be doing much and I would rather have everything in his feed. I'm not very good with feeds so thought I'd ask here.

He is currently on 1 scoop of Spillers cool fibre a day. He was getting a half scoop of Spillers conditioning cubes as well but he was getting fat and hyper so I took him off of that. The attitude has changed a bit, but he can still be overly hyped up at times and being a very big strong horse, that can make him a bit difficult to manage when he having a tantrum. I dont want to change his tack as normally he is a good horse, but I think maybe his feed isnt working for him anymore.

I had a look at some brands today, Dodson and Horrell more than others. Chatted to their support team and they advised to put him on the Safe and Sound feed first, and add in Ultimate Balancer in winter if he loses weight as the safe and sound is really to keep weight off. However looking at the ingredients, I think just putting him on the Ultimate Balancer only might be a better option as it has 30mg of biotin per kg and it has a lot of magnesium which I think he is lacking, but the Safe and Sound only has 10mg of biotin per kg. I might be reading it wrong I guess, but thats what it seemed like.

Failing that, does anyone know of any feed that I could give him that would help him keep condition, get his hooves stronger and yet not make him hyper? I am going to use some hoof cream stuff as well once his recent wound has healed up, but I cant use it yet (vet has told me not to).

I dont think Spillers have anything but willing to be corrected. Just want to know if anyone has had these issues before and what they fed their horse. Or what would you feed him in this instance.

Oh outside of his current feed, he is currently out 24/7 on good grass, and he gets good quality haylage if he comes in either while standing around or if he is in his stable overnight. But the stabling hasnt happened often recently.

Thanks :)
 
If he's on good grass or haylage really he only needs a good balancer,perhaps a forage plus one or the spillers daily balancer if you want something cheaper.Add micronized linseed and salt The linseed is anti inflammatory and gives them a wonderful shine.,Add unmollassed sugar beet for more weight if necessary.I would keep off the processed feeds personally. Nothing there to fizz him up except the grass perhaps. ps the Agrobs feeds from Red Rufus are brilliant.
 
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OLDGREYMARE said:
If he's on good grass or haylage really he only needs a good balancer,perhaps a forage plus one or the spillers daily balancer if you want something cheaper.Add micronized linseed and salt The linseed is anti inflammatory and gives them a wonderful shine.,Add unmollassed sugar beet for more weight if necessary.I would keep off the processed feeds personally. Nothing there to fizz him up except the grass perhaps. ps the Agrobs feeds from Red Rufus are brilliant.
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Ok thank you for that. He is actually pretty shiny for a grey once you get all of the dust off of him. Gonna get the spillers original balancer seems to have everything i need. Hopefully it will help him with his hooves.
 
Keep feed simple. I agree with OGM that better to stay away from brands. I stopped feeding compound feeds 6 years ago and horses have never been better! I do everything barefoot so its the ultimate test I suppose!

I only feed speedibeet, grass pellets, micronised linseed. I give them prohoof from progressive earth but not all year round. I also give a variety of herbs. I'm not sure why people think a small bucket of feed is going to give a horse energy... it's the forage that does that. Plus if you keep changing feed, the gut flora takes time to adapt. Horses rely heavily on hind gut digestion (hence large caecum) so friendly bacteria is crucial.

If the feet are bad, it is often feed that's the problem but if the foot balance is wrong then no amount special supplements are going to make any difference.
 
If you buy brands there may well be ingredients you don't want as well as the few you do. Buy straights (beet pulp, bran, grass pellets, GrazeOn chop, linseed etc) and add the ingredients you need. For feet, biotin (vitamin B), zinc, maybe magnesium - Forageplus do a really good generic mineral balancer which is based on forage analyse averages across the country
 
Could I be really cheeky and butt in and ask jillA and tallyho what grass pellets they use, as I planning winter diets for my toothless FR pony...

OP I'd suggest balancer with added linseed or maybe copra over the winter, hope you get a solution to work for you..

Fiona
 
Fiona said:
Have you ever used simple systems blue grass pellets, as we def have a distributor over here..

Fiona
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No, I find them expensive in comparison and TBH the distributer in our area had has a charisma by-pass, he is the most surly unhelpful person I have ever met in a customer based situation. Don't know that they are any better than the competitors either. That said, they are only part of my oldie's diet - the rest is usually unmollassed beet pulp and/or soya hulls, all of which soak down well.
 
Fiona said:
Could I be really cheeky and butt in and ask jillA and tallyho what grass pellets they use, as I planning winter diets for my toothless FR pony...

OP I'd suggest balancer with added linseed or maybe copra over the winter, hope you get a solution to work for you..

Fiona
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Haha don't worry about it fiona may as well ask while people are answering feed questions.

Thanks. Think I am gonna order a balancer and see how he goes on that. Never tried linseed but will look into it too.
 
Fiona said:
Could I be really cheeky and butt in and ask jillA and tallyho what grass pellets they use, as I planning winter diets for my toothless FR pony...

OP I'd suggest balancer with added linseed or maybe copra over the winter, hope you get a solution to work for you..

Fiona
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I'll have a look on the bag when I get home. I have had grazeon in the past. This bag is different - I haven't paid too much attention - as long as its 100% grass.

The one I really wanted was Agrobs Weisencobs but they didn't supply it and I was totally out so needed some - I just asked for grass nuts. I don't feed loads as I have two good doers but it's tasty and one has an allergy to alfalfa.
 
Thanks tallyho :)

I know I can get the ss ones. Not sure about other brands..

Good luck with the balancer OP, you can always add to it if you need to...

Fiona
 
I feed a small amount of Agrobs Museli & Aspero & a bit of Charnwood linseed. Fabulous quality low in sugar & starch my horse looks fab on it. I add a scoop of Pro Mineral and a small scoop of Brewers Yeast and that does him - loads of non heating energy!
 
Oh and I use Emerald grass nuts for his football - they are pony nut size and he loves them (he is pair bonded with his football - looks like his throats been cut if he doesn't have it in the stable!) - again no rubbish - think Emerald are a subsidiary of Thunderbrooks! Might be worth a look and he gets plenty of good quality hay. I really think the sugar & starch levels in most feeds/mixes causes a lot of problems, my horse is fizzy enough without anything but 100% fibre!
 
Fiona said:
Thanks tallyho :)

I know I can get the ss ones. Not sure about other brands..

Good luck with the balancer OP, you can always add to it if you need to...

Fiona
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Vso sorry for delay.... keep forgetting!

It's Emerald Green I've got now :) smells lush. Takes a bit longer to soak now I've had it a week, but they are chowing down so must taste ok :)
 
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