New Feeding Regime - where to start?

[Dusty M Yeti]

So, I have decided to drag myself (and the horses along with me ) into this century when it comes to feeding. Hands up, I'll admit to buying a bog standard coarse mix and adding sugar beet if need condition, and adding oats if needing energy, I have done this for years! No chaff, no supplements (unless vet advised).

With the vast array of feeds now available, and the better understanding of equine digestion and potential issues, I know I can do better.

This summer all my horses have done well on grass, and ad lib hay when stabled. My grass is still good, I have plenty but obviously it isn't as rich through the winter and I would normally feed hay in the field from jan/feb. They are now stabled every night, roughly 12 hours in, 12 hours out in field. They always have a bit more hay than they will eat overnight.

Now is the time of year I normally start with the hard feed for my oldest boy - 15yrs, tb x, mw, 16.1 in light work. The last few winters he has dropped more condition than before (owned from 6months), doesn't tolerate haylage, it makes him scour - always presumed it was too acidic for him. No other issues with feed that I' ve come across.

I also have two 4 year olds, both alternating between light work and time off. One who is holding weight well when in work but the other drops condition fairly easily when working (she is a worrier by nature). She is 16.2 tb x, she's quite a leggy type anyway but runs lighter than I would like.

For me it would be easiest to have a basic feeding regime that could fit them all and be adjusted to the particular horse, rather than bags of different stuff for each one.

My local feed store is good and will normally order stuff in if they don't stock it, so good people of hho where do I start?

Tea and biscuits on offer if you got this far x

 

[JillA]

Where to start?
Oh yes, with your forage. It provides a very high proportion of the dry matter required in the daily diet, so if it is all from the same source it is well worth having it analysed by Forageplus for minerals, sugars and protein.
Then using unmolassed beet pulp (Equibeet or Speedibeet) as a base, add what they need accordingly - Forageplus are very good at giving advice if you ask.
I suspect the poor doer might need more protein, either as amino acids or as something else with a high protein %, micronised linseed is good for protein and oil for condition or spirulina is protein rich and good for skin.
Low sugars, so that's where most ready prepared mixes and pellets let you down, grass pellets are fine as a substitute and I add some grass chop such as Grazeon for more fibre etc. If they turn up their noses at it bran is good for palatability, does contain some sugars but in the overall scheme of things not enough to matter. Bucket feeds probably total no more that 3 or 4% of the daily diet at most but it isn't called concentrates for nothing! But with the beet as a base you can adjust the additives according to what they need.
Hope this all makes sense.
Are they digestives???

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

Where to start?
Oh yes, with your forage. It provides a very high proportion of the dry matter required in the daily diet, so if it is all from the same source it is well worth having it analysed by Forageplus for minerals, sugars and protein.
Then using unmolassed beet pulp (Equibeet or Speedibeet) as a base, add what they need accordingly - Forageplus are very good at giving advice if you ask.
I suspect the poor doer might need more protein, either as amino acids or as something else with a high protein %, micronised linseed is good for protein and oil for condition or spirulina is protein rich and good for skin.
Low sugars, so that's where most ready prepared mixes and pellets let you down, grass pellets are fine as a substitute and I add some grass chop such as Grazeon for more fibre etc. If they turn up their noses at it bran is good for palatability, does contain some sugars but in the overall scheme of things not enough to matter. Bucket feeds probably total no more that 3 or 4% of the daily diet at most but it isn't called concentrates for nothing! But with the beet as a base you can adjust the additives according to what they need.
Hope this all makes sense.
Are they digestives???

Digestives definitely, thank you for this excellent post! Hadn't even thought about having my hay analysed, we make it from half of our field. I'll look up forageplus and go from there I have heard the benefits of linseed and will consider it for the two that need a bit extra - local tack shop already stocks Charnwood, do you know if this is a good brand?

 

[JillA]

Yes, Charnwood is properly micronised and top quality