Going to try the soaked oats diet....

[mandy4727]

Just been to feed merchants. Went for a few bits and bats for my daughter for her stocking fillers and spent £45 ????? Not what I needed. But also got a sack of whole oats and am going to try my oldie on it. One question. How much water to how much oats do I use. I obviously want to break him in gradually to the feed and am unsure how much to give him to start off with. Also what would I mix it with. I have the following feeds.
Molichaff showshine (flavoured with cherry)
Speedibeet
Alfalfa original
Economy nuts
Non heating coarse mix
Dried grass

All suggestions appreciated and will let you know how he gets on as he won't eat anything else.

 

[Tempi]

im just about to start Archie on it (got some oats today, well my mum did) and hes just having it with his A&P Calm&Condition for the moment.

 

[Kelly1982]

Doesn't oats send them mental though or are there different kinds??

Sorry that probably sounds really thick but i have never heard of soaked oats before coming on here. I was just told they were fed to heat up lazy horses

 

[Tempi]

well thats what i heard too, but apparently when you soak them for 12-24 hours it takes out the bit that makes them mental!! it better not anyways as Archie will probably kill me!!

its meant to be realy good for their coats and keeping/putting weight on.

might be a good idea for your mare as i remember your post about her weight recently?

ETS - mum brought a bag of rolled oats and i shall be soaking those tonight and he will be getting them tomorrow evening to try out.

 

[Kelly1982]

Thats what i was thinking that they might benefit her.

So do you just soak the oats and give them that or so you add other feed with it like alpha and sugarbeat etc?? And how much do you feed them??

Sorry to gate crash you post Mandy but i am really interested as a lot of people on here seem to of had really good results with them.

 

[mandy4727]

Hi Kelly. Don't worry about hijacking my post no problem. I have read about this over the months and kept think yep I will one day. My old guy is nearly 40 and struggling with weight now and won't actually eat anything apart from carrots and apples and bread!!!! Won't touch horse food only people food. Was speaking to Bonzabaubles yesterday she really rates it and was telling me all about it. PF acutally sent me an info sheet about it a couple of months ago. So on the good reviews by everyone on here I thought I have nothing to lose and would give it a go. It only cos £4.95 for a sack so not even expensive if he won't eat it. I think the process of soaking the oats first actually take out the properties that makes them hot the horse up first.

 

[mandy4727]

I was told it is the whole oats you soak not the rolled ones. But not sure what the difference is.

 

[Blizzard]

Im thinking of trying this too so reading with interest. Also have the info sheet!

Mandy are you just getting the oats from your local feed merchant?

 

[mandy4727]

Yep just normal oats from the feed merchants. The whole ones. Just waiting to see if anyone knows how much to feed at first and how much water to put in. When I know that I will soak them tonight and feed them to him tomorrow night. Not sure if they soften or not after they have been soaked. It will be learning curve for me too.

 

[severnmiles]

The best person to PM is Forrest. She's the bible on it!

The oats don't make them mental (I have two pure TB's on it and a yearling plus others and temps are better than before if anything).

Its got to be whole oats really as with crushed and rolled the goodness inside will filter out into the water instead of being kept inside the oat and you'll end up with the dirty-ish water with a nice thick white paste at the bottom of your draining bucket.

 

[Blizzard]

Thanks Mandy and severnmiles, will give it a try!

 

[severnmiles]

I just put masses of water in. You know those tubtrugs things that come in all sorts of colours, I use one of those. I just make sure there is plenty of water in there for the amount of oats. Also give it a good stir as some float.

 

[piaffe]

I have some whole oats on order!

my only question, once soaked, anyone know how long it can be kept?

 

[severnmiles]

Well I took some overnight to Pavo and they were fine but they do go off. Smell them and that will give you your answer. I doubt they'll last long in the summer. Fresh is best I think.

 

[PapaFrita]

Hooray! Great decision! PF is on 3kg a day (3 scoops in 2 meals) and it would be less if I could get Fabian to listen! and I believe Forrest's Owen is on 1 a day! They really get sooooo much out of the oats (you're right; should be whole) you'll find yourself feeding lots less!
In summer they don't last very long; you'll know because of the smell!!
Add lots and lots of water (well over the top of the oats because they swell up loads) i have a bucket with holes drilled in it inside another so I can just pull it out and let it drain to one side. I certainly don't wait the full hour or so recommended; just until they've stopped dripping.

edited because i forgot loads of stuff

 

[Tia]

I have 22 here and all are fed soaked oats. They all look fabulous - their feet are in tip-top condition and they are all shiny even though they live out.

I soak my oats with hi-fibre pellets, black sunflower seeds and coarse mix at a ratio of 4:1 in favour of oats:everything else. I have to use a huge tub as there are so many to soak for. I use approximately a quarter the ratio of water to feed and then stir it around and leave it for about 20 hours.

Unlike everyone else on here, I don't drain mine as it would be impractical to do so, however because I soak with the pellets it means that there is never any water left in the tub anyway.

None of my guys are zipped up on them; they are all as calm and quiet as they always have been.

 

[fizz-tally]

going to put jay on this in january

 

[S_N]

B & H are on this diet. I'd hate to think what B may have looked like without it. She could still pick up some more, but she's getting there. Hector is looking FANTASTIC on it!! I MUST take some piccies of him! However, I did contact Ellen Collinson about the diet, as I was concerned about the Calcium/Phosphorus ratio of the oats and I wanted to know if he should be fed something else in addition to the Alfalfa/SB/Hay/Haylage. SHe advised that He be fed Soya Bean Meal - a tea cup a day. Plus of course a good vit/min supplement. If you leave the oats a long time draining - like overnight - they may become too dry and then they may pass staight through the horse. Also, some peeps have found that only soaking for 12 hours, has meant that the oats have gone straight through!

 

[Blizzard]

hmm so what is the optimum time to soak them for then?

 

[severnmiles]

[ QUOTE ]
hmm so what is the optimum time to soak them for then?

[/ QUOTE ]

24hrs works for me.

 

[seabiscuit]

PF I am now feeding Owen just half a scoop a day- and this is the horse that needed 3/4 scoops of conditioning cubes to keep weight on him!

As Severnmiles said, the oats do NOT make them silly ( I have my two ex racehorses on it!) and it really is essential that whole oats is used; any other form of oat is completly pointless really will not do them any good. All the goodness of the oat is in the HUSK which you can only get the proper husk on whole oats not rolled/bruised/crushed oats.

I have had my new boy on it a few weeks now and he is already putting the weight on!

Also a few other pointers from Ellen Collinson(brains behind this!)- would not reccomend feeding these oats with any sort of mix or nut...just alfalfa (unmolassed) seaweed, and rock salt. Some linseed and cidear vineagar would be good too.

Also a bran mash twice a week with electro saltsto clean out the digestive system.....I SWEAR that the horses look even better the morning after their bran mash....old fashioned method, modern feed nutritionists do not reccomend it, but it does work a treat. Remember they fed bran mashes all the time in the old days and there was hardly any colicking....

 

[PapaFrita]

Ah, I wasn't sure if it was 1/2 scoop per feed or per day... not much is it!?

(in a good way!) I remember having to feed similar amounts of cubes to PF

New boy? I've missed something again, haven't I? Pics??

 

[PapaFrita]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, some peeps have found that only soaking for 12 hours, has meant that the oats have gone straight through!

[/ QUOTE ]
Not me!

I can only soak for 12 hours because of the heat but had no trouble with PF. However, you're quite right; I remember someone on the forum finding oats in poo.

 

[seabiscuit]

PMSL - What I meant was he WAS getting 1 scoop a day ( you were def right there!!) but that has now gone down to half a scoop in the last month!

Absolute legend this diet, just makes bloody good sense

New boy is Cheeko! I have got the ride for eventing next year- 5 year old Ex racehorse! Absolute dude, most trainable and easy boy ever,love him!

Can do a before/after, not sure if you can see all that much difference in pics but think he is already a bit better !( only been on the oats 2 weeks)
BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Fiona]

Ditto PF - 'new boy' have I missed something also??? tell all!

I mix Ben's soaked oats with readigrass, oil, and with blue chip (but he is an exceptional case I imagine due to his age and his workload). He used to be such a fattie up to a couple of years ago that he was on restricted grazing all summer. Now he can be out 24/7 all summer with extra feeds and still doesn't go into the winter overweight (wish he did though). I wouldn't use the blue chip if I thought I could get away without it.

Fiona

 

[PapaFrita]

Ooooh he's lovely! Deffo looks sleeker!

Is he really tall or are you itsy bitsy?

 

[seabiscuit]

*sob sob sob*

I am tiny, absolutely tiny!! My little short legs never grew

Glad you like him tho PF!Yes I agree- do think he is a bit sleeker!

 

[PapaFrita]

Surely he's over 13hh though!!

 

[seabiscuit]

PMSL!!!

That was a HORRID thing to say PF!!

He is actually 13.2 hands, THANK YOU!!

 

[Fiona]

Lovely boy!!

Fiona