How to Feed an M&M Pony for Extra Oomph

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Boots*McGruber

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Hi, just wondering what you might feed a native pony whose workload is increasing to give him a bit of extra energy? Conscious of the risk of laminitis, though I don't think he has ever suffered from it. All advice welcome. Thanks :)
 
what are you feeding him currently? and how much work is he in?

I feed oats to my sec D who is in fairly hard work (competing medium/advanced medium most weeks) training 4 days a week/hack 2 days.

She's really quite fit and is stabled overnight and turned out by day. I find the biggest help for her is to really pay attention to her fitness first though.
 
Hello, thanks for the reply & advice : ) Both your horses look lovely.

He is working 5 days a week at the moment, maybe 2x days schooling (though not anywhere near the level yours is working at) 2x days loose schooling over jumps/ lunging and 1x hack. He just gets a handful of chaff when he comes in at the moment and the rest of the time he lives out on grass.

What sort of work do you think is the best way to build fitness up? I have read that a decent amount of hacking is a good place to start.
 
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As milliepops says getting them fit will increase their ability to cope with the work, with mine I prefer to see some weightloss before I feed as they are good doers and unless the work is seriously increasing they tend to just store it up and get fatter, your exercise regime is fairly low key, I would be hacking at least twice a week, I am not keen on lunging or loose schooling too much as part of a fitness plan although it can be time saving I would not do it twice a week if they were only ridden 3 times, I would cut out one and get out for a hack, even just a good 30 mins marching would be useful with a good long hack or two at the weekend.

The two here get a mix of hacking, schooling, jumping, competing and one is lunging as part of a rehab plan but will gradually do less lunging more riding, the rehab gets no feed as he is on a diet plan along with the rehab, the other is working harder and competing regularly he gets a token feed to carry his supplements and linseed to give him a bit of extra condition as he had dropped a little when the work became more serious, if he requires more energy he may get oats, if the weight drops he will get hay to supplement the grazing, they are out 24/7.
 
100% agree with bp :)

I think natives take a bit more work to get them feeling really fit than horses with TB blood etc, and until they are fairly fit they can feel a bit sluggish.
 
milliepops said:
100% agree with bp :)

I think natives take a bit more work to get them feeling really fit than horses with TB blood etc, and until they are fairly fit they can feel a bit sluggish.
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I agree with that, a tb is so easy in comparison they get fit, stay fit and even the good doers are nothing like as hard to get really fit as a native, I have just ridden the Dales and was sweating as much as he was even though he is fairly fit and very forward going you just have to put in more to get the best out of them.
 
Thanks both for the advice:) We have put our names down for a fun ride in a months time, so hopefully that will give us something to aim for as we are working on our fitness. I say our because I'm in need of some work too. Time to dig out the Lycra & trainersI think!
 
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