Need Feeding Tips!!!

[mollymurphy]

Hi there, we own 3 mares.

Molly - 15.2h, 8 year old Welsh D X TB.
Dolly - 12.2h, 8 year old welsh sec A X B.
Mo - 15.3h, 14 year old belgian warmblood X TB.

They're all pretty much doing the same amount of work - weekend hacks / schooling / lunging etc. whilst we're at uni. Worked most days during hols. They're all on Happy Hoof at the mo - just a handful a day. But they're fat!! They'll be muzzled during the day in the summer. They get a few leaves of hay at night now. I've heard Happy Hoof isn't totally sugar free. Is this right? I know a handful wont make much of a difference, but every little helps! Anyone tried Happy Dieter?

I want them to get enough vitamins and minerals, but not a lot of feed. They all have a salt lick, a scoop of garlic and a scoop of mint in their feeds.

Any tips greatly appreciated!

Lou. x

 

[pottamus]

I can't say about Happy Hoof but I give my Welsh D (who lives off air) a couple of handfuls of Hi Fi Lite and his supplement once a day.
I guess all you can do is exercise them more...plenty of trotting work to build up a sweat! As I increase my boy's work he drops weight nicely - he managed to put weight on over the start of the winter and got to 540kg and is now down to 513kg and will hopefully be down to 490kg before summer kicks in.

 

[fizz-tally]

my sec a gets a tiny handful of safe & sound

 

[Walder]

you could always try 2 coffee mugs of baileys low cal balancer a day split into two meals then you woulnt need to feed an extra supplement with hand ful of hi fi lite - has helped my section d lose weight

 

[custard]

If they live on fresh air why not, for the summer, switch them to a vitamin/mineral supplement that comes as a treat like pasture plus. I think youd have to feed quite a bit of happy hoof to supply the vits and mins. You will probably feel really mean but dont, its the feed companies that have conditioned us in to thinking the horses should have a proper 'meal'!