majorly confused now! (feed)

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SarahRicoh

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After reading the other thread below on balancers im very confused! I bought mine (ts lite) as my boy was only on grass & ad lib hay so i wanted him to get the min/vits he needed. He seems ok but hes eating mud which suggests hes lacking something and as hes very tense/nervous & a bolter i dont want to be feeding him something thatl make him worse.. & some people suggested top spec does :/

So what do you all think i should feed him? Hes a 14.3hh irish sports horse gelding, 11yrs old who holds weight reasonably well,has an ok coat,is hot to ride & currently has just front shoes but now hes mine i want him barefoot! :)

* thankyou *
 
If you want to go all out get the grazing and hay analysed and a bespoke feed plan formulated from that - try forage plus, OR start with the basics of either unmolassd beet / fast fibre and mag-ox, brewers yeast and yea-sacc are good for digestion although people do keep mentioning Pro-hoof and equimins meta balance as being pretty good.
Generally a hoof friendly feed is also good for hot heads as its low sugar and starch and high fibre.
You may need to restrict grazing or turnout over night instead and poss soak hay.
Is he barefoot now? doing any work? and how is he coping? :-)
 
I'm feeling confused about feeding at the moment too! Someone responded to one of my posts by suggesting pure feeds, I have checked them out on google and the fact it is just one bag of feed appeals hugely! I've been going back and forth thinking about balancers and suppliments and mixes and cubes etc!
 
A holistic vet I use feeds all hers on just plain chaff and micronized linseed and a general vit and mineral supplement and ad lib hay. If they need more condition she ups the linseed.

I think that is good advice and hers all look well on that diet. I feed grass nuts (soaked also).
 
Whats micronized linseed? If i dont want to go all out & test hay etc what should i feed? Is what im.feeding now bad?
He just had back shoes off (wed) but hes coping very well. So far i havent noticed any difference. Hes sound & happy in school/out hacking
 
Micronised linseed is linseed thats been processed to make it easier to digest (and easier to use than boiling!) its also supposed to be easier for the horse to utilise than oil as its still in plant form.
What you're feeding now may be fine you for you but lots of people have struggled to get hard working barefoot hooves on top spec.
 
Our horses have been on Top Spec Anti Lam for years. We have no behavioural issues and most are barefoot, have excellent feet and work at a decent level.

Have you actually tried the TS with your horse? Go by your own experience first, not other peoples from the internet. What suits one horse won't suit another.

Simple Systems feeds are good, be worth having a chat with them if you have found problems yourself with TS.
 
Charnwood milling are great for linseed. :)

Oberons better at explaining v&m than me, hopefully she'll pop up soon, but magnesium is great for growing feet!

With regards to Top Spec, some horses will be absolutely fine on it but if you're experiencing any footiness or the feet don't look as good they could it'd be the first thing I'd suggest removing from the diet. Lots of bare footers have reported problems with it.

Check out the uknhcp forum too for advice. :)
 
SarahRicoh said:
Thankyou maggies mum.. Do they sell micronized linseed in feed stores?
If i feed just that & chaff were will he get vits & minerals from?
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From the hay, the sunlight, bits of grass he will nibble at.

They make their own basically so unless your grass is massively deficient in something its unlikely he needs anything 'fancy' adding.

Micronised linseed order direct from charnwood. If he keeps weight easily half a cup a day will be fine, go up to a whole cup if you find he's dropping. A handful or two of a plain chaff and you're done!

The other benefit (Besides being cheaper!) is that the horse only gets a small meal which is what their tummies are designed to process. Massive bucket feeds not only often lead to impaction colic but also mean a lot of what you're feeding goes straight to the hind gut and then gets ejected rather than being used by the horse, so hes basically pooping out your pound notes :rolleyes:

Arent they great :D
 
Lol that made me laugh tiger tail! He only gets a small meal anyway but im going to look into this linseed. What chaff would you suggest? Will feeding just that help his feet or should i add something else?
 
If hes a good doer Honey Chop do a plain oat straw chaff which is what mines gone on to as shes a porky little horror. If not readigrass / just grass are more calorific.

I do feed pro hoof (find it on ebay) which is the only 'balancer' as such i would feed. Next year im doing forage anlysis so i can feed only the minerals needed.

His feet need stimulation over lots of different surfaces, the more stimulus applied the more they will grow :) The less sugar in his diet the tighter the bonds in his feet will be able to be.
 
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