more energy needed for my good doer???

[treena]

i have a 15.3 warmblood type mare. she is a very good doer and puts on weight at the sight of food. my problem is that she runs out of energy half way through an hours lesson or schooling session..so i need to find a feed that will give her more energy but not gain weight. she is currently fed on a level round scoop of dengie good doer chaff with a handful of chaff, garlic and pink powder, twice a day....she ridden 5/6 days a week for betwwen 45 mins to 1 1/2 hrs hacking or schooling. any ideas guys and girls...

 

[teddyt]

I posted this on another thread-

Quote:
Originally Posted by tormor
Could anyone recommend me a feed or suppliment that will give my good doer cob more energy but not gain weight?

There is no such thing!

Any extra energy fed to the horse that isnt used up through exercise and day to day living will end up as fat. Different feeds will release energy at different speeds following digestion but energy is energy- there is no such thing as an energy for oomph but not for weight gain.

Heavier breeds just arent genetically designed to go fast or have energy for quick bursts of power, such as for jumping. And if a horse isnt genetically able to do something nothing in the world will make it happen. You just have to make the best of what youve got, that is to make sure the horse isnt overweight, ensure fitness matches what you are asking the horse to do and likewise ability must match demands placed on the horse. Any hinderances, such as innappropriate diet or the balance and ability of the rider must also be considered.

If your horse is overweight now then you certainly shouldnt start feeding more energy, as the horse will just get fatter. if your horse is ok weight wise then you can introduce more energy in the diet as long as you use it up by exercise. What energy you feed and when depends on what you need more energy for- stamina or speed, as they involve different energy pathways and therefore different types of feed.

Supplements will only make a difference if the lack of energy is due to a deficiency that the supplement addresses.

 

[shark1]

on a practical note, i have a wb who is also an excellent doer, sounds like yours.
the nutritionist suggested a low calorie supplement, 3 mugfuls a day (i am using the baileys one) and then when i needed the extra energy when she was competing hard, to try an everyday cube as well.
its working really well for mine.

 

[Chumsmum]

One of the feed companies (can't remember which one), recommended that on top of their normal diet to add a small handful of oats in the feed everyday but up the ration when you need extra umph - I think you need to put the oats in everyday to get it in their system?

TBH I never tried it as I found just adding a lo cal balancer was enough for my boy.

 

[wizzlewoo]

It is difficult in a case such as this to suggest a simple answer, you would need to know the rest of the history such as has the horse suffered from laminitis, has it ever has problems with starch, what is the work load that the horse is in, what sort of work are you expecting the horse to undertake. It would be looking at more quick release energy sources such as oats as a form of energy as these are less calarific than low release energy such as oils. This obviously poses a problem though with being a potentially un balanced feed as you should never just add oats to a feed without considering the nutruitional elements that are also needed such as anti oxidans, vitamin A,E and selenium, you would also need a good probiotic in the feed aswell to ensure the best gut health.
I would sugest contacting a good independant nutritionalist to get a proper analysis of your horses diet and then going from there, but if you are going to try using oats then ensure you ahve a very good general mineral sup and plently of quality forage (not molly chaff).
Hope this helps a little as it is a tough one.
Oh also yes plenty of exersize and variation in the work to keep his mind active and enjoying his work.