I know there have been lots but....

[lauren&genie]

I need hep with my mares feed. She is a 16hh tbx that is spooky and sometimes hard to focus when schooling. I need to level her ouut as it is knocking my confidence.

She has recently moved yards but has settled in nicely with daily turnout unless weather is terrible which is been terrible as I live on west coast of scotland and its extreme weather here last few days. She has 2 days off a week and school, hack and lunge the other 5 days mixing it up to keep her brain going.

She was on oestress when I first got her a year ago but took her off it when I moved 3 months back. Currently on small scoop of each chaff, barley and sugar beet. Hay is also fed morning and night. She is a quite a good doer but prefer to feed her something as she bangs the door with her leg if not got something!

Please help, I have been on all the feed websites and need advice that doesnt make me buy everything the brands "advise me to".

Thanks for ready this far, your comments are appreciated very much!!
x

 

[Frumpoon]

Maybe it's not a food issue but something that could be solved with a different training aid?

Would a standing martingale help - you'd have the neckstrap to hold onto when she 'goes' but there's still enough freedom for her to move...??

I use draw reins on my big lad if he's having one of those days...but I daresay I will be lynched for saying that...

You could maybe change the chaff for somthing like alfa oil? the molasses in the chaff might be a source of short release sugar carb which makes her buzzy

 

[lauren&genie]

Thanks, I ride her in a running martingale attached to a breastplate so I do have something to steady myself with, if I think she is fresh I usually lunge her with side reins for first 10-15mins to take the edge off but recently she just doesnt listen and she spooks at silly stuff.
I can be quite nervous and I do try and control myself but if she just had the edge off her and a more trainable attitude I think we would come on faster!

 

[be positive]

I would cut out the barley, if she is a good doer give her unmolassed sugar beet and chaff or a low sugar/starch feed that is non heating like Allen and Page Fast Fibre, it is a complete feed that will fill them up without giving too much energy.

 

[Bikerchickone]

I would cut out the barley, if she is a good doer give her unmolassed sugar beet and chaff or a low sugar/starch feed that is non heating like Allen and Page Fast Fibre, it is a complete feed that will fill them up without giving too much energy.

This! Exactly what I was going to say!

 

[welshcobmad]

Winergy medium energy does wonders for my boy - increased concentration ten fold!

 

[lauren&genie]

I know this will come across stupid but would I just feed this fast fibre with chaff and thats it? I was looking at adding a magnesium supplement would this help too?

 

[TigerTail]

I agree with those saying just give her some fast fibre. Also have your hay analysed to see if its deficient in any minerals, this can often cause the sort of behaviour you describe. This is far more accurate than just blanket supplementing and then not knowing what the issue is to begin with.

I think there is also some rider/horse issues going on, have you got kelly marks perfect confidence book? Thats quite helpful. Also resuce remedy for both of you and some ground work/in hand stuff to back up the schooling

 

[TigerTail]

I woudlnt bother with th chaff if she doesnt need it weight wise.

Magnesium supplements only work if they are deficient in it, at which point they return the balance to normal.

You could also try 24.7 turn out, kicking at th door is the sort of vice u get with those living in and unhappy with the routine.

 

[madeleine1]

i could be wrong but that seems like a complicated set of feed. my mare who does what you describe yours does is on equivalant of about 10 handfuls of pasture mix cut into two feeds a day and maybe an apple or carrot. she gets four sections of hay or about 5 kg of hay a day and has around 5 hours of turn out on a feild with some grass in.

she is a sport horse and weighs about 520kg

she lost a lot of weigh just before christmas as she moved yard and was stressed in season and we had bad wheather. on what she is given she has gained weigh again and is now looking quite happy and healthy. she also doesnt spook as much as she used to on more hard feed and haylege

 

[lauren&genie]

I will look into the book, I have heard of Kelly Marks. I think I am not the leader of our relationship all the time and do need to work on this, we have joined up as such and she is very well mannered on the ground. I just lose confidence when riding her when she spooks and spins I get tense and cant relax myself nevermind her lol!

I have tried rescue remedy but didnt really work TBH.

 

[be positive]

You can feed FF with chaff or on its own, as tigertail said without an analysis of your forage there is no point in giving supplements without knowing why. I would do one thing at a time, change the feed, see how you get on then if needed take further steps into testing.

 

[TigerTail]

The leadership/relationship thing is all based on consistancy down to the tiniest little detail like when you're leading her and you stop, she should stop instantly etc

Below are some details, it might be worth having a couple of sessions with an RA - an educated pair of eyes can often spot so many things we are too close to notice ourselves

Intelligent Horsemanship for Scotland

Val Pape
based in Invernesshire

Contact:
01463 783833
07712 627958
valihra@hotmail.co.uk