Good, cheap maintenence feed

[MagicMelon]

My horse has been on Baileys Top Line Conditioning Cubes, chaff (usually Alfa-A etc.) and sugar beet for a few years and competes / look good on it.

However, I've just bought my first house (EEK!) and am now facing a hefty mortgage so costs will need to be cut in places! I'm wondering if I could cheapen his feed somehow. He maintains weight nowadays (slim) all year round so Im wondering if he even needs a conditioning feed anymore...

Chaff Im thinking is a bit of a waste of money. Yes, its fibre but TBH they get hay all the time and are permanently turned out. Sugar beet is cheap and he likes it so plan to keep him on that. He gets added vits & mins etc. I was thinking to try just a general cube (ie. pasture cubes etc.)? He will be having some time off for a couple of months but then will be doing a little BSJA over the winter so he still needs a little bit of spark. Ideas??

 

[KatB]

Baileys economy cubes work well

Agree re. chaff, I am looking to change the chaff I feed, as I love Alfa Oil, but it is SO expensive

 

[marmalade76]

Countrywide maintainance cubes are about £5.50 a sack. I have a friend who feeds her dressage horse (TBx shire) this all year round and adds oats when he is working hard. As far as I'm aware, he gets no chaff or suppliments but may have sugar beet in the winter. He always looks in fantastic nick and has been fed like this for 10 years.

 

[CSYMolly]

Ditto baileys economy cubes. You might find your local feed store does their own brand, ours does and its only about £4.90 a bag.

 

[MillionDollar]

Countrywide Maintenance Nuts! There is a very big stud that use these for their competing stallions aswell as their mares, etc. So they can't be bad

 

[Britestar]

Plenty hay or haylage and Harbro nuts with sugar beet. Can't go wrong, the Harbro nuts are really good.

 

[wonkey_donkey]

I thought Harbro nuts were for cows ??

Straights are cheaper to feed and I don't think you can go wrong with grass nuts which are as cheap as chips !!

 

[tina_day56]

I use my feed shops own brand of pleasure mix £6.50 a bag

 

[Pep12]

Nah. harbro Country Horse and Pony Nuts are as it says for horses!!! And they should be easy for M_M to get a hold of. heaps of locals use them to great effect.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks all. Will look into all those.

Pep - Harbro ones would be ideal as my BF works for them so easy access! I'd just never thought of them!

 

[Pep12]

Even better value for money then!!!!