Help with feeding horse whilst on holiday

hopscotch bandit

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I’m going away on holiday for a week in June and I want to prepare my horses diet in advance.


At the moment she’s on 1 ½ mugs of speedibeet, 1 ½ mugs of leisure mix and a handful of pony nuts mixed with a bit of carrots. This is split between two feeds; breakfast and tea in order to allow her to take her supplements and bute. She’s a really good weight now, she got quite fat at one point so I reduced her paddock (we have very good grazing) cut down her feeds and hay and increased her exercise and she’s lost about 15KG, according to the vet she needs another 10KG off and she should be about right.


I don’t want to continue the speedibeet whilst I’m away on holiday as I need to be reliant on it being soaked and I think it’s too risky in case the staff soak it the night before and it ferments in the heat, or its not soaked sufficiently. She’s not been on chaff for a few months now as she had teeth trouble with a fractured tooth and then started getting food trapped in between her front teeth which was starting inflammation of the gums, so I brush her teeth once a day to get rid of the food build up.


Has anyone any suggestions as to what I can feed that doesn't require soaking? I will most probably make up the feeds and bag them with the supplements already in so all the staff have to do is empty into her bucket and wet.

Thanks for your help
 

supsup

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Good suggestion, but I'd say any of the other brand's quick-soaking high fibre feeds should be suitable as well (e.g. pink mash, Spillers speedy-mash fibre, TopSpec high fibre mash etc. ). Maybe you can try and get some taste samples from other liveries/friends and see which ones she likes best? All of these soak pretty much as you stir, and by the time you've carried the bucket to the stable/field, they are ready soaked.
 

hopscotch bandit

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Hi AA. You are twisting my words. Firstly i didn't say they couldn't be trusted. They are brilliant. But i just dont want to take the risk in case it ferments or its not soaked enough.sometimes i make up a feed myself and think it needs more water as initially it looks like enough until half an hour or so later. Its easy to do especially when its a busy yard or people aren't aware of how much to soak it. I trust the staff 100% or she wouldn't be there, they are a lovely bunch and knowledgable too. Thanks for suggestions everyone will get some samples from the local feed merchant. Maybe a bit of chaff won't hurt for a couple of weeks or so.
 
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HorsesRule2009

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You clearly don't trust the staff if you think the feed will be fed wrong?
I've been a groom for many years even on very large yards but always double even triple check when feeding because as you say feed can ferment/go off easily or just simply need extra water.
I'm sure the staff are capable of making these decisions
 

AdorableAlice

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A professional groom will recognise fermented feed and will also know the ratio of dry matter to water required. I am not twisting words at all. If your staff are feeding the horse now and getting it right why would they be at risk of getting it wrong whilst you are on holiday ? I hope they are not reading the thread. If I was your groom I would be most insulted.
 

ihatework

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Just wet the feeds, it will break down the pony nuts sufficiently. It’s not exactly like the horse is getting a lot.
 

hopscotch bandit

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I hope they are not reading the thread. If I was your groom I would be most insulted.[/QUOTE]
No you would LOVE them to be reading this thread so dont come that. You have totally twisted my words to cause maximum trouble. Anyone with half a brain can see what you are doing. Why do you get so much pleasure from constantly ripping my posts apart, distorting the words and trying to make them into something there not in order to cause maximum trouble. How sad are you???? Have you seriously nothing more productive to do with your time than troll???
 

SEL

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There's professional yards and ...... yards with staff. I've been on yards where I've banged my head against the wall with what staff thought was appropriate at times.

I use kwik beet OP and if they're only making up enough for 24 hours and it's not left in the sun it should be fine. Ask them to make it sloppy and then there's no worry about too little water.
 

milliepops

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I'm also puzzled - I've been on a "yard with staff" who I didn't trust but you say the staff on your yard are great, so i would also have expected them to be able to cope with soaking speedibeet.

regardless, as it's just for a short time I'd ask them to dampen the rest of the feed and scrap the speedibeet until you get home. The mix ought to carry a normal volume of supplements well enough I'd have thought.
 

hopscotch bandit

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You are all making something out of nothing. In the summer speedibeet goes off overnight. I need my horse to have her supplements, I don't want her to not eat her food because its been made up the night before which would be the easiest thing to do and it smells the next day.

I asked if you had any suggestions for feed which I could try as I would need to give quite a large amount of leisure mix and nuts to make up for the lack of speedibeet in the feeds. I didn't ask anyone to try to change the post to suit themselves by trying to cause trouble or insinuate that I didn't trust the staff. I will reiterate yet again that I don't have a problem with the staff, they are great and look after my horse very well.

If you have nothing of any use to say then please don't bother to comment. Thank you.
 

hopscotch bandit

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A professional groom will recognise fermented feed and will also know the ratio of dry matter to water required. I am not twisting words at all. If your staff are feeding the horse now and getting it right why would they be at risk of getting it wrong whilst you are on holiday ? I hope they are not reading the thread. If I was your groom I would be most insulted.
I make up my own feeds, I am on DIY, I make up that night and the next mornings feed. Like I say sometimes its easy to be a little thrifty on the water and then realise after the feeds are made up, which is when I add additional water. I want her to come off the speedibeet for the very reasons I have given, i.e. because of the hot weather we will no doubt encounter in weeks to come, but I need to introduce any new feed slowly and change her feeds over a week or so.

I am probably worrying about nothing but I like to be organised and prepared. That is all. No hidden agenda, no distrust of staff. For goodness sake!
 

hopscotch bandit

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You clearly don't trust the staff if you think the feed will be fed wrong?
I've been a groom for many years even on very large yards but always double even triple check when feeding because as you say feed can ferment/go off easily or just simply need extra water.
I'm sure the staff are capable of making these decisions
Please put your claws away HR or go and hide under the bridge with your malicious personality.
 

milliepops

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So if you trust them why can't you just ask them to add the water on the same day as it's fed? You've said we're making something out of nothing but if they are good staff then they'll do what you're asking, surely?
 

HorsesRule2009

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Please put your claws away HR or go and hide under the bridge with your malicious personality.

Wow can't really see where I've got the claws out or been malicious?
Just said that I think stable staff are able to tell if feed is fermented or not correctly soaked!

Other posters are on the same train of thought as I am 😊
 

hopscotch bandit

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Wow can't really see where I've got the claws out or been malicious?
Just said that I think stable staff are able to tell if feed is fermented or not correctly soaked!

Other posters are on the same train of thought as I am 😊
You are accusing me of 'clearly not trusting the staff'. You are clearly wrong. I do not like to be accused of something for which I am not guilty. So yes, I DO take offence. Even me, aka 'the punch bag of the forum', aka 'the best fun to be had from constantly goading, badgering and hounding a forum user'.
 

HorsesRule2009

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But from the way I read the post that's how it comes across 🤷‍♀️
You've said it's took risky for the staff to soak the speedibeet?
It's pretty straightforward to do?
 

ester

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huh? I wouldn't ever change my horses feed if I were going on holiday. If I doubted their ability to make soaked feeds safely (which really isn't that complicated) I'd be employing someone else to take care of my horse.
 

conniegirl

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Sorry but I agree, if you doubt the ability of the staff to soak speedibeet correctly then you clearly don't trust them at all.

Pay someone you do trust to feed your horse or get over yourself and realise that people other than yourself are clearly capable of makeing up a BASIC feed (and speedibeet is a basic feed).
 

hopscotch bandit

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huh? I wouldn't ever change my horses feed if I were going on holiday. If I doubted their ability to make soaked feeds safely (which really isn't that complicated) I'd be employing someone else to take care of my horse.
For the last time I am not doubting their ability to make soaked feeds safely, I never said I did. You obviously haven't taken the time to read the post fully Ester. The reason I want to swap over is because speedi beet ferments easier in warm weather and I want her to have her supplements and bute whilst I am away. She won't touch her feed if it has 'gone off'.
 

hopscotch bandit

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Sorry but I agree, if you doubt the ability of the staff to soak speedibeet correctly then you clearly don't trust them at all.

Pay someone you do trust to feed your horse or get over yourself and realise that people other than yourself are clearly capable of makeing up a BASIC feed (and speedibeet is a basic feed).
READ THE POST PROPERLY AND THEN COMMENT. THANKS>
 

conniegirl

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READ THE POST PROPERLY AND THEN COMMENT. THANKS>

I did read it properly thanks! maybe you should re read what you posted specifically this section

I don’t want to continue the speedibeet whilst I’m away on holiday as I need to be reliant on it being soaked and I think it’s too risky in case the staff soak it the night before and it ferments in the heat, or its not soaked sufficiently.

You don't trust the staff to soak the speedibeet long enough or to recognise that it has fermented. Therefore you don't trust the staff and should not leave your horse in thier care

I'm going on holiday soon, my horse is on speedibeet, I trust the staff at my yard to soak the speedibeet properly so the only thing I will be changing is the amount of his high energy feeds as he won't be ridden in that time. He will still get his speedibeet, outshine and supplements.
 
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ester

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I take the time to read all posts, always. It is rude to suggest otherwise.

I'm quite aware how to make speedibeet in hot weather and as a non-professional I would expect a professional to know too.

I would be much more worried about making a feed change for a short period of holiday.
 

Surbie

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I’m going away on holiday for a week in June and I want to prepare my horses diet in advance.
...
I don’t want to continue the speedibeet whilst I’m away on holiday as I need to be reliant on it being soaked and I think it’s too risky in case the staff soak it the night before and it ferments in the heat, or its not soaked sufficiently. She’s not been on chaff for a few months now as she had teeth trouble with a fractured tooth and then started getting food trapped in between her front teeth which was starting inflammation of the gums, so I brush her teeth once a day to get rid of the food build up.

Could you bag up the speedibeet amounts + supplements etc per meal (not per day) before you go? I do 2 weeks' worth in advance in reuseable freezer bags - it just makes it easier & quicker for me. Then all the staff have to do is add the water you want per meal. If you specify in advance and perhaps ask for a bit more water than normal so it's sloppier surely that would sort it?
 

HorsesRule2009

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For the last time I am not doubting their ability to make soaked feeds safely, I never said I did. You obviously haven't taken the time to read the post fully Ester. The reason I want to swap over is because speedi beet ferments easier in warm weather and I want her to have her supplements and bute whilst I am away. She won't touch her feed if it has 'gone off'.

So do you mean you aren't going to feed speedibeet once you are back from your holiday?
 

Ellietotz

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Hi @hopscotch bandit

Instead of changing feeds as your horse is doing well on it plus Speedibeet is probably more cost effective and you are used to feeding it, could you measure it out?
By that I mean, leave a little list to say for example "1 cup Speedibeet, 3 cups water to be added between 3-4pm for morning feed". Then that way you know exactly when it's started to soak so that it won't ferment and you'll know that they have used exactly the right amount of water needed. Would that be a possibility? A lot of things will go off in warm weather so I don't think that'll be something you can guarantee, it'll just be hoping the staff will be able to tell that it's gone a bit funny before adding supplements.
 

dogatemysalad

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Goodness, this thread has turned sour. Am I missing something ? My YO is brilliant and offers a first class holiday livery service, but I still bag up my horses feeds and medication for a friend on the yard to feed on the odd occasion I go away. It gives me peace of mind that nothing gets forgotten due to an emergency happening on our 60 horse yard. I don't think this means I don't trust the staff, it's more of a recognition, that staff are extremely busy and temporary special instructions can get overlooked.
 

supsup

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Same here. I think it's perfectly sensible to try and simplify the feeding regime to make life easier for other people, whether that is paid staff of friends doing favours. My "recipes" can get a bit out of hand over time, often because I'm trying to use up something that my horse was never particularly keen on, so I end up adding a bit of this and that to make it all a bit more tasty. When I go away, I like to just bring it back to the basics and make sure the bucket is palatable. Easier on everyone. Given the small feed amounts, I really don't think that is particularly risky in terms of a diet change.
 
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