Mash for a young horse

[OrangeAndLemon]

I have a 3yo Suffolk gelding who has recently struggled with colitis. Now looks resolved again and has been on a course of ColicAid from the vet. Currently a little bum high.

He gets about 8hrs turnout on good grass per day. He gets two hard feeds a day made up of Forageplus Young Horse winter balancer and protexin gut balancer fed in a fibrebeet (1 dry mug soaked in 4 mugs of water). Its quite sandy here so had a Psyllium course back in Sept and this time it was the ColicAid.

EDT advised against a chaff and tbh, he's not a big fan (even Applechaff).

I'm looking for a better mash that will try and prevent future colitis and also help him recover by including prebiotic and probiotic. He won't be getting the full portion based on his weight because of the balancer which has everything he should need.

So far I'm thinking Dodson & Horrell Health mash which has the digestive support and a small amount of Psyllium. The other one I've considered is Spillers speedy mash.

Any other advice? Vet suggested speaking to feed companies so I've spoken to Spillers and Forageplus but both focused on his age rather than the colitis.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've fed the spillers mash the horses liked it but mine only got a very small amount so I have just switched them back onto unmolassed sugar beet, I feed all my supplements separately and it is much cheaper than the bag of mash.

I think because your feeding everything he needs separately anyway the mash is irrelevant especially if your not feeding the recommended amount, I would be tempted just to feed sugar beet as a lot of the mashes now are just ground up wheat feed or straw anyway and they work out much more expensive.

 

[Goldenstar]

unmolassed beet would be my choice as well .

 

[stangs]

Sorry can't be of much help but can I ask why your EDT advised against chaff?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Sorry can't be of much help but can I ask why your EDT advised against chaff?

Initially he said post wolf tooth extraction horse mustn't have chaff for 2 weeks while healing, but he says he advises all clients against chaff anyway. I'm afraid I didn't follow up as mine isn't a big fan of it anyway.

I used it simply to carry the balancer but I always add a mash in winter anyway. I'll just stick to a mash all year round and stop feeding the chaff.