More like a Cob than a TB...

[Emma S]

So my handsome chap has been away on holidays since completing Aston in April as he seemed to be in need of a break!
He has managed to transform in to some form of Draught horse with skinny legs in the last few months... think it's safe to say there is plenty of grass this year

I hoping some of you may have some advice to keep the SOME of the weight on when I start getting him fit again.
He is a fizzy horse but food doesn't affect his behaviour, he is quite a poor doer and despite being off the track for a fair while tends to keep a racing frame, well muscled but lacking topline (naturally this shape!) and a light covering over his ribs.

Would like him to go in to winter carrying a fair amount of weight this year.

As an indication, here is a pic of him from March. He was quite light coming out the winter this year but doesnt usually carry much more all summer.

And one from yesterday ... hippo...

Any food advice welcomed..

He is/will be worked everyday - schooled 5 days, hacked once and competed one day.
Was on 1 scoop Alfa A, 1 scoop Barley, 1 1/2 scoop sugar beet and oil pretty much all winter.
Tried Pure Feeds condition for a while but didn't seem to do more than what he was on!

Dominos pizza for all

 

[wench]

Is all that in one feed or split into two or more? Think that amount of feed in one go will take you over 2kg feed limit.

A feed balancer would probably be of more use to you than the barley...

 

[Mince Pie]

Is all that in one feed or split into two or more? Think that amount of feed in one go will take you over 2kg feed limit.

A feed balancer would probably be of more use to you than the barley...

Not by much though as Alpha A is about 500g and the sugar beet will only be about 300 dry weight going on the 5:1 ratio

 

[Emma S]

It was in 2 feeds not just one!

I have looked at balancers before but haven't found anything that aids weight gain, most seem to be 'light' and low calorie... any thoughts?

 

[wench]

They are not designed for weight gain, but will provide horse with all his daily vits and mins. Most will also have pre and pro biotics in which will help his digestion

 

[Scarlett]

Rice bran works a treat on my TB's. You can get it either as Omega Rice from Falcon feeds or as Equi-Jewel from Saracen feeds... 1-2 cups a day added to feed, 20kg lasts ages.

 

[amage]

A full scoop of barley is not going to be really helping him as it is not the easiest to digest so he is utilising energy for digestion which would be seriously diminishing your feed efficiency. Bluegrass stamm 30 balancer is excellent we use it in all the tbs and ours hold excellent top line while racing. What forage is he getting? If he was mine I'd be using alfa a as you are, sugar beet 1scoop (less than one scoop ideally) blue grass stamm 30 1 cup, and half scoop to a scoop of blue grass prep 14, depending on work/condition. If you really want the barley in there then a cup of boiled barley but with the prep 14 and stamm he should carry more than enough condition for his workload.

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig came off the track Oct 11, came to me Dec 23 11. This is him about the second week of Jan 12:

This is him yesterday:

He is fed (over 2 feeds): 2 1/2 scoops winergy conditioning, 2 mugs of micronised linseed and 1/4 scoop grass nuts (dry weight). He also gets ad lib haylage (with a 1/2 slice of alfalfa hage per day) and is out at least 6 hours a day.

Roughly, he is schooled 2/3 days a week, hacked once and at the moment is competing one day at the weekend.

FWIW, we tried our 2 TBs on the Pure Conditioning and it made them lose weight, quickly.

Would it possible for you to sub the sugar beet for grass nuts? The oil for linseed oil? How much hay/haylage/turnout is he getting?

 

[Emma S]

Rice bran works a treat on my TB's. You can get it either as Omega Rice from Falcon feeds or as Equi-Jewel from Saracen feeds... 1-2 cups a day added to feed, 20kg lasts ages.

Thanks, do you feed this alongside anything else??

A full scoop of barley is not going to be really helping him as it is not the easiest to digest so he is utilising energy for digestion which would be seriously diminishing your feed efficiency. Bluegrass stamm 30 balancer is excellent we use it in all the tbs and ours hold excellent top line while racing. What forage is he getting? If he was mine I'd be using alfa a as you are, sugar beet 1scoop (less than one scoop ideally) blue grass stamm 30 1 cup, and half scoop to a scoop of blue grass prep 14, depending on work/condition. If you really want the barley in there then a cup of boiled barley but with the prep 14 and stamm he should carry more than enough condition for his workload.

When he comes back he will be on hay until about september then haylage, always ad lib.
I'm not too fussed whether he gets barley or not, it was the only thing that seemed to work-ish and didnt cost the earth! We have tried Baileys topline, Spillers conditioning cubes, D&H conditioning cubes .. the list goes on!

FWIW, we tried our 2 TBs on the Pure Conditioning and it made them lose weight, quickly.

Would it possible for you to sub the sugar beet for grass nuts? The oil for linseed oil? How much hay/haylage/turnout is he getting?

Interesting about Pure feeds, I had only heard good things about there conditioning feed!

At the moment he is only on grass but will be on ad lib hay over night and out all day. He won't be fed for the first couple of weeks while he starts his walk work.
Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[JessandCharlie]

I second what nmt said about the pure feeds. Ozz was on 4 scoops a day and looked awful. He's now on one scoop winergy condition (plus ad lib haylage, as always) and is actually fat! I'm moving him down to low energy

J&C

 

[kezimac]

well i am the opposite - mine was on pure condition over winter and i have had to cut it right down to pure working as she put so much weight on! - and now had to cut that right down to a small amount! and mine is 7/8th TB poor do-er