Keeping condition going into winter - some noodlings

[PolarSkye]

Now that the GreyDonkey is working six days a week (and working quite hard too), he has fittened up and redistributed weight over his frame. You can just see and feel his ribs - which for his type (sport horse with quite a lot of TB in there) is correct. However, the temperature has dropped quite a lot, he's competing a couple of times a month now, and I don't want him going into winter on the leaner side.

So . . . rather than upping his feed now (he currently gets a full scoop each of Alfa A Molasses Free and Blue Chip - divided into two feeds with a splash of oil and some salt) I thought I'd up the oil and maybe think about giving him a little Speedibeet with his evening feed. In the depths of winter, I do give him Speedibeet to help stoke his engine and keep himself warm and I also increase his hay ration (he currently gets a medium, stuffed haynet along with a trug of loose hay just so he has something to do foraging for the hay in his straw bed). When he's not broken (he's a self harmer), he is turned out on reasonable grass for about 8 hours.

What do you guys think? His current feed regime works well for him - enough energy but not too heating (he can be sharp and quirky) and not too much sugar which sends him round the twist. I just want to give him a little extra without increasing his hard feed ration just yet . . . make sense?

P

 

[SmartieBean09]

I think that sounds ideal. I've done similar.

My Connie x gets 1 feed at the moment of Fast Fibre, topspec and low calorie chaff. As he is unrugged and dropped a little weight, I've added a small amount of beet to his feed.

As the temperature drops off, I shall add a higher calorie chaff and introduce a second feed.

Well that's the plan but this is my first winter with him so all a bit of trial and error at the moment.