Instant response mix and feeding?

[cheeryplatypus]

Hi
I have a laid back pony who is increasing his fitness well at the moment.
Anyway I had him at a small ODE last weekend and after doing a nice dressage test he basically died in the SJ, it was like he had absolutely no energy at all and we got eliminated. I was disappointed as he usually loves his jumping.
Anyway this used to happen last year too so I have bought some instant response mix by spillers to see if it will lift him a little for shows etc.
I'm just a bit confused as to when to feed it...(he's only getting a handful and I'll work up from there)
If I feed just before the ring then surely there is a risk of colic?
If I feed it too early will he just lard it onto his figure?

Otherwise he gets 24/7 grazing, small handful of happy hoof to carry his pink powder and super flex and some farriers nuggets. At shows he is allowed to graze a little with only hay before the ring and is given the odd banana and apple or carrot.

When would you give the response mix?

 

[Shay]

I'm not familiar with the Spillers feed - but looking at thier website this is a standard feed akin to any competition mix. It needs to be fed daily - not just before a class. NAF do make EnerG which comes in a syringe for immeidate use - although I've not used it that way. We do use the EnerG which you add to daily feed for about 3 days before competition and we find that very useful for the laid back cob.

ODEs require a fair amount of fitness. You don't say how often you ride each week and how often you compete. Or indeed what height you were at! But from my experience of ODEs the horse needs to be in moderate ridden work at the least or they simply can't cope with the energy requirements. Tired horses make mistakes XC and those mistakes can be fatal at any level.

Nothing you can feed or give at the ringside is going to help if his fitness isn't sufficient. I can only speak from personal experience but for us the ponies doing ODE are ridden 6 days a week and competed at some level and in some discipline most weekends. For the ones roughed off for a while we won't do any ODEs - although we will compete - until they are back at full fitness.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Thanks, you are right that our fitness needs to come up a bit. The pony is worked six days a week either schooled for an hour or hacked about 8km which includes a couple of long canters and a fair bit of trot work.
We are only doing 80cm classes.
I certainly wouldn't have considered xc given his energy during the SJ even if we hadn't been eliminated

Hadn't realised I'd need to feed it for a few days before, thank you.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have used Spillers for years. The fast and slow response feeds are meant to be fed as you would any other mix, ie competion/stud/leisure mix. Fed at amounts to suit the work level/body weight and attitude of the horse.

I used slow response on a show horse, that gave him sustained energy release without risk of unwanted airs above the ground.

It needs to be introduced slowly and then maintained at a level that suits.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Your horse needs to be fed to accomodate the amount of energy he will need for the work you are giving him. You are working him for an hour each day, either schooling or hacking him & giving him long canters. All this is being done on a handful of feed? You don't appear to be feeding him enough. You also mention that you are feeding happy hoof & farriers nuggets? each day & then onthe day of a show you want to give him a totally different feed just before he goes into the ring......this is a definate NO.

If you change a horse's feed it must be gradually, you can't just change the feed & expect them not to have digestive problems. Feeding immediately before exercise is a recipe for colic as well. You need to speak to the feed company & tell them what your needs are & they will be able to advise you on how to feed your horse.

We compete at a reasonable level & our horses are fed the same feed all the time, the only thing that changes is the amount. If they are going out competing or are to have a heavy training session then they will have an increased feed the evening before & also on the morning of the work. This way they will have enough energy to work as they should. They are fed a couple of hours at least before heavy work.

Feeding is not the only thing that will give your horses the ability to compete well, they have to be very fit & yoiu need to structure their work to ensure they have the required fitness.

Please stop giving your horse a totally different feed on the day of competition, it will do nothing but cause digestive problems. Horses need to eat, digest the feed & get it into their systems so they can use the feed.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Your horse needs to be fed to accomodate the amount of energy he will need for the work you are giving him. You are working him for an hour each day, either schooling or hacking him & giving him long canters. All this is being done on a handful of feed? You don't appear to be feeding him enough. You also mention that you are feeding happy hoof & farriers nuggets? each day & then onthe day of a show you want to give him a totally different feed just before he goes into the ring......this is a definate NO.

If you change a horse's feed it must be gradually, you can't just change the feed & expect them not to have digestive problems. Feeding immediately before exercise is a recipe for colic as well. You need to speak to the feed company & tell them what your needs are & they will be able to advise you on how to feed your horse.

We compete at a reasonable level & our horses are fed the same feed all the time, the only thing that changes is the amount. If they are going out competing or are to have a heavy training session then they will have an increased feed the evening before & also on the morning of the work. This way they will have enough energy to work as they should. They are fed a couple of hours at least before heavy work.

Feeding is not the only thing that will give your horses the ability to compete well, they have to be very fit & yoiu need to structure their work to ensure they have the required fitness.

Please stop giving your horse a totally different feed on the day of competition, it will do nothing but cause digestive problems. Horses need to eat, digest the feed & get it into their systems so they can use the feed.

Don't worry I wasn't going to be suddenly be giving a huge meal before competing. He's a highland which is why he doesn't get much the rest of the time. I will give him the response mix each day and try to find a level that suits. It's hard to get I'm enough energy without putting on weight!

 

[caberston]

Your horse needs to be fed to accomodate the amount of energy he will need for the work you are giving him. You are working him for an hour each day, either schooling or hacking him & giving him long canters. All this is being done on a handful of feed? You don't appear to be feeding him enough. You also mention that you are feeding happy hoof & farriers nuggets? each day & then onthe day of a show you want to give him a totally different feed just before he goes into the ring......this is a definate NO.

If you change a horse's feed it must be gradually, you can't just change the feed & expect them not to have digestive problems. Feeding immediately before exercise is a recipe for colic as well. You need to speak to the feed company & tell them what your needs are & they will be able to advise you on how to feed your horse.

We compete at a reasonable level & our horses are fed the same feed all the time, the only thing that changes is the amount. If they are going out competing or are to have a heavy training session then they will have an increased feed the evening before & also on the morning of the work. This way they will have enough energy to work as they should. They are fed a couple of hours at least before heavy work.

Feeding is not the only thing that will give your horses the ability to compete well, they have to be very fit & yoiu need to structure their work to ensure they have the required fitness.

Please stop giving your horse a totally different feed on the day of competition, it will do nothing but cause digestive problems. Horses need to eat, digest the feed & get it into their systems so they can use the feed.

^^^ this! if you decide you want to move him onto a competition mix, this needs to be done gradually and then this needs to be his consistent feed. the only thing that will change with regards to competing is the quantities in which you feed it, to provide an energy boost for competition.
also, be aware that your choice of feed is not going to miraculously make him into a super-fit speed demon! part of the problem may be that his fitness levels aren't what they could be, this is another issue that needs to be taken into consideration. as mentioned above, try one of the feed company helplines and they will able to advise you on the most suitable diet for your pony.

 

[Oberon]

Feeding a high grain mix at 28% starch is not something I would like to do.

You are increasing rapidly digested sources of glucose - but you are also increasing the starch and the likely hood of developing gastric ulcers....

I would be more inclined to feed at least 25g salt a day - more when sweating as loss of sodium and chloride will = a loss of performance as a start.

Is your copper level up to scratch?

Horse can be slightly anaemic if too low in copper.....