Hard Feeding Cob, good doer

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sjward

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I've just purchased a 15hh cob who has been solely out at grass 24/7. She will now be kept in at night, as well as Ad-lib hay I'd like to give her evening & morning feed. Whilst she has done well out 24/7 she does have quite dull coat & patchy mane. I've taken advise from feed companies but wondered what people here would suggest. She's in light work, ridden for hour daily.
 
Personally, I wouldn't listen to the feed companies, they just want to sell you feed.

We feed high fibre, low starch. low sugar feeds to all our horses, young and old. We give varying amounts of soaked Agrobs Wiesencobs, or EmeraldGreen grassnuts, with linseed oil and salt. The oldies, who now need a bit more get cooked linseed. They all good condition scores and shiny coats.
 
my good doers get varying amounts of kwik beet, copra, and topchop zero as chaff. I was using linseed but one of them didn't get on well with it, so copra when their weight drops over winter - puts a good shine on coats.

I also add salt and the one with poor feet gets a balancer.
 
My good doers don't get any hard feed if their condition score is good. My forage is good and it gives them all they need and they look well. If they drop off or look like they need a bit more I give a vit supplement or balancer
 
yep if it's just to keep them happy if other horses are fed, then i just throw a handful of chaff or beetpulp into a bucket so they think they are getting something.
 
She will be in during the night and all other horses get a feed morning and evening at the same time so really just something for her to have in a bucket so as she doesn't start kicking door yelling 'where's mine'. She was previously from gypsies so whilst she is good on the weight side her condition is a bit sorry. Obviously not looking for high calorie feed but an opportunity to give her something to perk her condition up a bit. I could very well chuck a couple of carrots in a bucket and she wont feel left out but just wondered what other people do.
 
i feed a handful of chaff, speedibeet, any vits etc that they are getting, and about 10 nuts.....this is worth getting excited about.
 
some of the cobs i get in at times will realise they have been scammed with less food, so for those i just stick balancer nuts into one of those horse treat balls with a hole in it, and it keeps them happy for ages kicking it around!

I'd be curious what the feed company recommended? We get rescues in and the feed company are great for some, and then for others, especially cobs, I am always baffled at the stuff they recommend. We end up just feeding them good forage and nothing else, and they all look great after a few weeks anyways.
 
paddi22 said:
some of the cobs i get in at times will realise they have been scammed with less food, so for those i just stick balancer nuts into one of those horse treat balls with a hole in it, and it keeps them happy for ages kicking it around!

I'd be curious what the feed company recommended? We get rescues in and the feed company are great for some, and then for others, especially cobs, I am always baffled at the stuff they recommend. We end up just feeding them good forage and nothing else, and they all look great after a few weeks anyways.
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The feed companies I have spoken to have all recommended 'balancers' to be included with a 'chop'.
 
Mine gets a treat ball with grass nuts for tea . Just a small handful so he isn't the only one on the yard not getting an evening feed . For breakfast he gets lo cal balancer and his supplements . Biotin , seaweed , linseed , turmeric and pepper . I am trying to help his hooves , coat , and encourage mane growth after a snuffy hood took out a patch of his mane . I also massage cade oil ( it's used in supreme product mane rebuilder ) into the bare bits . My boy is a hw cob and his feed needs to be monitored , there are days I'm unable to ride but I try to ride /exercise a minimum of 5x a week . He gets a big flexi tub , and a half , of haylage for night time .
 
Mine is on Honeychop Lean and Lite and Spillers Lite Balancer with a little bit of micronised linseed for his coat. I feed a fair bit of the chaff because he eats far quicker than the other two.
 
henmother said:
Biotin , seaweed , linseed , turmeric and pepper . I am trying to help his hooves , coat , and encourage mane growth QUOTE]

Seaweed really isnt recommended for feet anymore, in most cases its determential, and biotion isnt usually needed as horses can make their own. You are better off feeding one of the no iron mineral balancers like progressive earth/forage plus etc
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Mine gets a handful of pink mash and a handful of grasas chaff, with salt and the cheapest progressive earth balancer. Hes in pretty hard work usually so manages unrestricted grazing and ad lib haylage.
 
Leo Walker said:
henmother said:
Biotin , seaweed , linseed , turmeric and pepper . I am trying to help his hooves , coat , and encourage mane growth QUOTE]

Seaweed really isnt recommended for feet anymore, in most cases its determential, and biotion isnt usually needed as horses can make their own. You are better off feeding one of the no iron mineral balancers like progressive earth/forage plus etc
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Thanks Leo , will look into the brands you've mentioned , if they aren't out of my limited budget and suit horse I'm happy to try . I've not heard of seaweed being detrimental, will research further . Thank you .
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seaweed at best has variable levels, at worse has too much iodine in it.

My go to is equimins adv complete (good supplement, minimal fillers- others would be the pro_earth pro hoof, forage plus, equivita), micronised linseed and something to put it in (though the equimins pellets can be fed alone) - chop/sugar beet etc.
 
ester said:
seaweed at best has variable levels, at worse has too much iodine in it.

My go to is equimins adv complete (good supplement, minimal fillers- others would be the pro_earth pro hoof, forage plus, equivita), micronised linseed and something to put it in (though the equimins pellets can be fed alone) - chop/sugar beet etc.
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Thankyou ester , had a quick look at their products and I'm impressed by their money back guarantee . Prices seem reasonable too. You and Leo have given me food for thought - no pun intended. A review of his diet before the dreaded winter is top of my go do list now . Thanks for the advice , always appreciated, first horse so want to make sure I'm doing right by him .
 
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