help!! what to feed for weight ??

[mariebx19]

i have a 5 yo 15hh cob (domino) and a 1 yo colt cob (phoenix).i have had domino just over 1 year and phoenix for a few weeks.domino has been turned away for 3-4 months and they have been getting just grass,but domino looks like he is losing too much weight now and he will be brought back into work starting from this week or next and phoenix was skinny when i bought him but just having grass doenst seem to be putting any weight on.i dont know anything about feeding horses or what is best to feed them.domino did use to get 1 handful of chaff and 3 handfuls of pony nuts once a day just so he was getting something along with the other horses but started putting too much weight on-what should i feed them (dont want anything that will make them more high energy than they are already) would chaff and pony nuts be good enough ??? along with minerals and vitamin licks.they are also needing wormed-is equest pramox a good wormer to use ??

domino







phoenix

 

[be positive]

The youngster will probably benefit from a good worming and then along with the grass growing you should notice an improvement.
Feeding wise just giving some hay, if you don't already, could well be enough as they may not be getting enough fibre from the grass in their field.
A basic high fibre feed such as fast fibre with either a balancer or vit/ min supplement should suit both, they will not need much once the grass grows.

Pramox is good as it will do tapeworms as well as other types of worm .

 

[JillA]

Er, just grass? For the last 3 to 4 months? There has been no grass (and your land looks much like everyone else's in that respect) in winter, have they not had any hay or haylage? I would think that is what they need, more than bucket feeds, some half decent forage until there is a decent bite on the fields. Is there no-one locally who can advise you on how to feed your ponies - as cobs they don't need high octane feeds, just decent grazing and/or forage, until they are better, then make sure they don't get too fat.
Wormer? Have they not been wormed at all over winter? If not, then yes, Pramox to get rid of a wide spectrum of parasites including tapeworms and encysted worms - for the rest of the year an ivermectin based one will do.

 

[mariebx19]

thanks,i will just start giving them hay and vitamins/mineral licks,where i am there are about 18 huge fields and they are moved quite regularly so there is decent grass.the younger one was wormed just before i got him but i was advised to worm him again about this time.