Help keeping weight on a horse

[_jetset_]

My WBxTB (5 years old) was not in work until I took her on in October. She has been gradually building up her fitness, and is now beginning to look a little too lean.

She is on Alfa A (the required amount on the bag which is quite a lot), TopSpec Feed Balancer and adlib haylage.

Can anyone suggest anything I could do to keep her weight up as her work load continues to increase (she is doing an hour schooling, mostly trot, working towards affiliated dressage).

Someone has suggested putting her on Alfa Oil...

Thanks,

Rebecca x

 

[_daisy_]

Rebecca - Chantin lost loads of weight over build up to Christmas/new Year. She also went off her food after hunting on Boxing Day. Ive put her on D&H Build up cubes. She looks really well on them. Has put on lots of weight (certainly doesnt look fat though - just right) Good thing is it hasnt sent her doolal

!!!

 

[Pidge]

If she likes the topspec why don't you try her on their superconditioning flakes which transformed Pidge, and didn't heat him up either. Now he is nearlly up to weight we swapped these for their cool and condition cubes.

 

[_jetset_]

What are the flakes exactly? I don't really want to add too much to her feed as she is a hot mare as it is, but she needs something to sustain the amount of work she is doing.

Would I have to take her off the balancer to put her on the flakes?

 

[vickers22]

no you wouldnt-most people feed the balancer and the flakes. They didnt heat up my boy and he is gaining weight on them really well. also they love them!i feed him a scoop a day of them,however this depends on how much weight you need to gain.

 

[_jetset_]

It's not an awful lot, like I said she could do with putting on a tiny bit and then sustain her condition...

 

[Pidge]

keep the feed balancer and introduce the flakes slowly over 5 days. She is on a similar diet to what I had Pidge on, Alfa A, TS Feedbalancer and then the conditioning flakes. They look like oats but are full of protein but not heating - well not for Pidge anyway. He was on 500g FB, 2 level scoops Alfa A, 2 x 3/4 scoop conditioning flakes, 1 scoop speedibeet and garlic per day, split over 2 feeds. It really did wonders for him weight and condition wise, he even has a topline now

If you ring Topspec they are very helpful and will tell you exactly how much to put her on. About £9/20kg bag from memory.
ETS: have a look here for more info http://www.topspec.com/TopSpec07/super-condition.htm

 

[Pidge]

love any excuse to show off my horsie

Pidge 27.5.05 under 450kg

Pidge Sep 06 nearlly 600kg

The results speak for themselves I think

 

[air78]

Well done with Pidge, he looks like a diffrent horse!

 

[vickers22]

OMG!!!hope that happens to zak soon....

 

[Pidge]

thanks both, I have gone from being very embarressed being seen out on him, to being a very proud mummy

ALL HAIL TOPSPEC!

 

[horsegirl]

Well having put my horse on balanced feeds showmix I can really recommend it. He is a stressy TB and drops weight really quickly, he has been on the Showmix for 3 weeks and I can see a great improvement already! He is also really sensitive to anything the least bit heating but he seems to be fine so far.

 

[RobinHood]

Another vote for balanced show mix. I have had my last 3 horses on it and it works wonders. We are 2 minutes down the road from where they make it and the owners are only too happy to talk to you about their feeds, and you can watch it going through all the chutes and conveyorbelts being made.

The 3 I have fed it to have all been tb or tb types and they haven't fizzed up on it at all.