Help With Feed

[mickey]

My horse is in very light work (lunged or ridden for 30mins twice a week). He lives out all day and comes in overnight. He is being fed 1 scp pasture mix (1 round scoop), and 1 large scoop mollichop, twice a day.

He has ad-lib hay at night, and by that I do mean ad-lib. The hay is off a round bale and doesn't look to be especially green or sweet.

He came off haylage onto hay about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have noticed a drop in his condition (paddock also has low level of grass now).

I am not sure whether to;

- Increase pasture mix
- Swop chaff for Alfa-A. I tried it a few weeks ago but his leg became swollen where he had lymphangitis last yr, and I think it could be related to the raised protein level of the Alfa.
- Try something like build up or comp mix
- Barley cubes???
- Sugar beet but I don't like feeding it in the summer really.

I want a LITTLE more condition/maintenance of condition without the fizziness and also bearing in mind his low level of work.
Any ideas?
Also please can anyone refer me to a list of nutrients in straight barley, as I wish to compare it to barley rings. Thanks all!

 

[moodiestmare]

Can't really help but you will probably get a better response posting in the feed section.

 

[fredthoroughbred]

I think what you are feeding sounds fine and he has probably lost weight because he was used to haylage and is now on hay. Have you considered giving him a supplement like pink powder as that will boost his vits/mins and it contains pre/probiotics (and it's cheap)??
With regards to straight barley v barley rings i'm really not sure. I always feed micronized barley and oil throughout winter as it keeps Fred upto weight

 

[CracklinRosie]

Do you contribute his weight loss to changing from Haylage to hay?
How old is said ponio, what build etc?

 

[hellybelly6]

Haylage has more sugars than hay.

I presume horse's teeth are regularly rasped.

Horse's use 80% of their energy to keep warm to in wet weather, I would use a 40 gm or higher rug.

You are right to beware of Alfalfa. Here is an interesting link.

http://www.womenandhorses.com/protein20050517.html

I had to take my horse off alfalfa due to the too high protein, itching and lethargy etc.

You could try increasing the pasture mix.

It depends on the horse's weight, age and work. How much in weight is he/she currently given?

 

[mickey]

QR He is 15.3hh, normal weight is around 500kg (I like him not fat, but in 'show' condition for the likes of county shows.)
I am not sure on the weight of feed, sorry. I should know this. He has been on this diet so long I have forgotten how much it weighs. In the winter he normally has 1 round scp pasture mix, 1 round scoop Alfa, 1 round scoop sugar beet. Summer diet is as said in OP.
I know hay has less protein than haylage and do account the weight loss to this and lack of grass.

 

[mickey]

[ QUOTE ]
I think what you are feeding sounds fine and he has probably lost weight because he was used to haylage and is now on hay. Have you considered giving him a supplement like pink powder as that will boost his vits/mins and it contains pre/probiotics (and it's cheap)??
With regards to straight barley v barley rings i'm really not sure. I always feed micronized barley and oil throughout winter as it keeps Fred upto weight

[/ QUOTE ]

Being very thick here, can you tell me what the difference between micrinised barley and normal barley is? I presume one has less heating properties.
Yes the supplement idea sounds good. I may well go down the road of getting him top spec feed balancer again.

 

[CracklinRosie]

I know this seems pretty simple but can you not just put him back on haylage again?

 

[Bananarama]

I think conditioning cubes?

 

[fredthoroughbred]

I found this:

Micronized Barley: This is a cooking and rolling process, which has the effect of changing the make up of the grain by releasing sugars, which are normally locked up in the starch of the grain.

The effects this feed has on the animal are:-
1. Is more palatable and flavoursome.
2. Increases energy to the animal
3. Improves the general condition of the animal.

I just use it to maintain condition and for some reason (although i'm not sure why) it doesn't heat him up in the slightest. Fred is quite a fiery sort and even two scoops in winter doesn't heat him up

 

[mickey]

[ QUOTE ]
I know this seems pretty simple but can you not just put him back on haylage again?

[/ QUOTE ]

I am afraid the yard is just getting round bales of hay in until winter.........

 

[mickey]

[ QUOTE ]
I found this:

Micronized Barley: This is a cooking and rolling process, which has the effect of changing the make up of the grain by releasing sugars, which are normally locked up in the starch of the grain.

The effects this feed has on the animal are:-
1. Is more palatable and flavoursome.
2. Increases energy to the animal
3. Improves the general condition of the animal.

I just use it to maintain condition and for some reason (although i'm not sure why) it doesn't heat him up in the slightest. Fred is quite a fiery sort and even two scoops in winter doesn't heat him up

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for looking this up for me - Appreciated!
I just don't know - I have only ever changed chaff to Alfa if he needs more weight and kept on with no more than 1 scp pasture (and some SB in winter). I like him to have mostly forage to make up diet but he does need to put on some weight at present. I feel nervous about using barley or barley rings as he is doing so little exercise and only needs a little more condition.
I am really starting to think I will try the Alfa for a week and if leg flares up will order a feed balancer.

 

[Bounty]

Straight Barley :-

95 g/kg crude protein
18 g/kg oil
50g/kg crude fibre
25 g/kg ash
0.6 g/kg calcium
3.3g/kg phosphorus
5 g/kg potassium
3.1 g/kg lysine

12.8 MJ/kg digestible energy

 

[kellyeaton]

i think you are feeding to much for the work he is doing i would just give him a maitanice diet with a glug of oil!