how much should i be feeding?

[applestroodle]

ok my horse is at novice level eventing, i probably work him 5 days a week and have a lesson at least once a week, he is 16.3 and very difficult to put weight on gets run up very easily! he also is a very fussy eater and often wont eat all and sometimes none of his feed! he lives out 24/7 on ok grass and i feed him twice a day! at the moment all he is eating is a scoop of build up cubes, scoop of sugar beet and half a scoop of barley, twice a day! i use pink powder as a balancer and probiotic also soya oil! try and use alfa a oil but not keen is this enough? if u go by what the bags tell u he should be on four scoops at leats of build up! he still looks on the poor side? Yikes, very worryed and stressed out owner!

 

[TGM]

I would try and simplify your feeding regime. Either decide to feed a commercial complete conditioning feed such as 'build up' on its own OR feed straights with a balancer or vit/min supplement.

If you go down the first route, then ring the manufacturer's help line and give them your horse's details and they will tell you how much to feed a day. Because you aren't adding 'extra' feeds like barley, then you will probably end up feeding the recommended amount which will provide all the vits/mins he needs, so you don't have to feed a balancer with it.

If you go down the path of feeding straights, then you will find it best to combine alfafa with a grain feed such as barley or oats, and add a balancer or a vit/min supplement. The type of alfafa that you feed will depend on what he will eat - if he won't eat Alfa A oil, then try Alfa Beet as my horses seem to find that very palatable. Best type of barley to use is micronized as it undergoes a cooking process that makes it more easily digestible.

ETA: Is there a pattern to when he won't eat his feed? Some horses aren't interested in food when they are the only horse in and their mates are out in the field.

 

[shandy133]

fenugreek encourages fussy eaters.... crush the seeds up into his feed. there is a homeopathic tablet to encourage fussy eaters and help gain appetite... just cant remeber what its called at the moment. good luck!