Help needed with very complex feeding problem...

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wench

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I have a very awkward horse to feed. She is allergic to soya and molasses. Currently on D&H equine sensitive, which she generally does well on, however I really need something slightly different.

So she's allergic to soya and molasses, needs to be fed a "complete" feed, no additions, and nothing to be soaked (fed by livery yard, so as little to go wrong as possible). Will also be living out over winter, with a thick rug, but partly clipped.

The D&H is lowish calorie, at 10mj, but is a bit too low in protein (9.5%), so she's not building as much muscle as I would like.

So what I would really, really like would be the D&H higher in calories and protein, then it would be ideal!

If anyone has any suggestions, all gratefully recieved!
 
I think with a problem like that I would be speaking to the feed companies, most have advice lines. Try a few though, they will all want to sell you their product whereas a competitors might be preferable. And all will have a analysis and ingredients list on their websites. Grass pellets are useful but I would want to feed with unmollassed beet pulp or straight chop to stop her bolting them and you want a complete feed.
 
I have trawled through all of the feed websites, and haven't found any other feed! Forgot to mention she won't eat chaff, so stuff like dengie is out!

Grass nuts would be ideal, but as they have to be soaked they are out unfortunately !
 
Second the getting on to feed companies.

I found Allen &Page really helpful and mine did well on fast fibre and calm and condition by them and did also have their power and performance for a short time. But obviously they need to be soaked... http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Barley-Molasses-Free-Range.aspx

I'd be tempted to possibly add Equi Jewel to her D&H if I'm honest as the ingredients look OK http://saracenhorsefeeds.com/eventing/33-equi-jewel BUT I'm not a nutritionist so would be asking them. They were really informative on a seminar night at my vets actually.

Or at the moment I'm using this http://www.spillers-feeds.com/products/balancers/senior-balancer/ alongside soaked hay. Protein seems a lot higher than the equine sensitive, but if I'm honest I've never come across Equine sensitive.

I do sympathize, mine's allergic to molasses, barley, wheat, alfalfa and quite a few things externally as well! Those are the feed companies I've found most helpful with their advice for horses with allergies. A rather large company were rubbish and basically told me it was in my head (I didn't spend a couple of grand with the vets for a diagnosis for fun thank you very much!) and recommended something totally unsuitable!


PS those 3 also offered competitors feeds if they thought it was more suitable surprisingly!
 
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Equijewel? Or is that too calorific? Dead easy to feed, and ticks all your boxes!

Except that I clearly didnt notice you needed a complete feed!
 
How about mixing your own straights and then supplying to the yard? Micronised barley with micronized linseed for the protein and grass nuts (they can be fed dry but not on their own if so) with a good mineral balancer from someone like Forageplus (as opposed to a pelleted on which will have a binder of some sort)? Most ready made feeds have molasses or soya as a binder or to enhance palatability.
 
Will have to look into the simple systems! The equijewl is also an interesting thought, although it's not a complete feed, she only gets fed approx four times a week (after being worked), so won't be getting vits and mins every day from the D&H, so probably won't matter so much the equi jewel is a complete feed!

I can be away with work for two or three weeks at a time, mixing feeds up would be a logistical nightmare, and having extra bags of things to feed her, whilst would be the better option, stands a pretty high chance of not getting fed as required!
 
If she is only getting fed 4 times a week that is probably why she is not building up as well as you would like her to, I have always found they do best on several small feeds a day if you are trying to improve condition, can the yard not feed her daily, why can they not manage to add anything or soak a feed, it seems an unusual arrangement to have.
 
I know why she's not building up hence the looking at different feeds; as for yard that's the scenario and how it is!
 
can you clarify OP-does she get fed by livery yard every day and you only get to feed her approx 4 times or does she only get fed 4 times when you see her total?

if the former then leave the same feed up there for them to use daily and add in either equijewel or linseed on the days you ride? which i think although not ideal is consistent enough it wont upset her gut.

if you only feed her the days you ride surely you can add in whatever you want and feed equijewel or linseed every time? again not idea but i dont think would cause an issue in an otherwise healthy horse.
 
I feed her twice a week after I have ridden, and then she gets fed the other two times by the livery yard. If she gets ridden more by the yard, she will get fed then. I top her feed up with Equidgel when I ride, so she gets a boost from that.

I could mix up feed, but she will still only generally be fed twice a week by them, and it would probably stand more chance of ending up in the wrong horse than having my own "bag" of feed.
 
micronised linseed is quite a fine dry powder so my only other thought is to keep a couple of old feed bags then put half a new bag in to one, add in some linseed and shake it all up.

do the same in another bag then add the 2 together to make one bag of feed/linseed mix you leave at yard et voila-one feed in one bag?
 
I find the concept of a horse being fed 4 times a week/only when ridden completely baffling! Especially one who has a complex feeding problem needing more calories and protein? Why on earth can she not be fed every day?
 
Kind of raises the question - are the yard doing what you are paying them for, or what they just want to do. I would worry about a horse's daily routine if she isn't getting a daily feed.
 
amandaco2 said:
Or add lysine powder to the existing feed, as its working ok
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This would be my suggestion as well. I have a very good doer who needed a low cal diet but with enough protein to add some muscle as he had been out of work for a while. I had great results with it and it was very cheap as well at £10 for 3 months.
 
Could another livery not do a feed for her everyday even if you paid them? Or the only other option as someone else has said is mix the two or 3 feeds in one bag and they can just be given that bag to feed her from.
 
I would say trying to feed everyday would prob be more benefical than only 4 days then you can stay on the feed you currently have.
Alternatively 4 buckets ready made each week in a feed bin?
 
She can't be fed everyday :( leaving bags or buckets about isn't really practical as there are lots of people here there and everywhere and they are more than likely to get fed to another horse, or knocked over and wasted
 
wench said:
She can't be fed everyday :( leaving bags or buckets about isn't really practical as there are lots of people here there and everywhere and they are more than likely to get fed to another horse, or knocked over and wasted
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Can you not have a plastic bin with a clip on lid to put your feed in, so it won't get knocked over or wasted? With your horse's name in big letters on the top so everyone is aware of who it should be fed to? Or are you saying there are lots of thieves at your yard who will steal your feed? At the end of the day, if you want to build muscle on a horse who has complex feeding needs, then it really needs to be fed at least once a day (preferably twice a day during the winter) or otherwise you are likely to end up disappointed!
 
Your horse really should be fed daily. Nothing you add will help if it's not regular.

I would suggest continuing with existing feed and adding the Equi Jewel as extra.
 
Where do you keep feed anyway then?
We have a livery that makes up her own feeds and leaves them in her feed bin- no mess, no problem.
 
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