New Horse - Feed

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janeydoll

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I am looking at my first horse this week and am looking for advice.
They are currently feeding him Molichop, but I'm not sure what the advantages/disadvantages of this is.
Can anyone help?

Mx
 
Molichop is just mollased straw. Very lttle nutritional value and generally just a token. What is the horse? Breed, height etc etc, would suggest he/she maybe a very good doer if looks well on just molichop. Personally hate the stuff because hate highly molassed feeds.
 
I use it when i want to give a fat horse some food because another is getting some or other reason. You may as well not use it. If he's doing well on this i wouldn't start him on any hard food until you've had some advice because if he's not used to it he could get a little fizzy. we loan our horses every winter and always get a couple of phone calls saying our horse has become "unmanageable" and it's always because they are feeding fat cobs hard grub and they get fizzy.
 
He's a 7 year old middle weight cob. He's getting nuts, molichop and hay. He was having beet aswell but this was making him a bit fizzy. He is proving too much for his current owner, who just wants a plod.
This is my first horse and I have someone with great experience to come with me, but I don't want to look daft. I have already asked lots of questions on the phone, so I'm looking forward to seeing him. I need to see more I know, and the experience will come, I just don't want to feel like an idiot!
Mx
 
Hmm, well tbh I would change his ffed to a lower sugar high fibre feed, something like HIFI with a supplement such as Clop to make surehe is getting everything he needs. Then if you find he is lacking, or lethergic, can then look at adding something with a bit more too it.
 
If you don't know you don't know. Personally if he's going on light work, grass & hay with a mineral lick should suffice. You need to keep an eye on the weight. Of course if he is not living out & you have to use hard feeds....mine field
 
Im with Breeze on this one, grass and hay with a token chaff and mineral feed. Its much easier to add things later. Better to start off simple (plus its cheaper!).
 
Whenever I get a new horse I never feed them any hard food until I feel completly in control etc. You don't need to added complication of hard food when the horse has just moved to a new home and is settling in.
 
MillyMoo, you're doing the right thing by asking the questions
laugh.gif

Cob types generally don't need much by way of hard feed(ie the nuts/beet that he's getting now)....most do very well on forage and a vit/mineral supplement(as Breezesbenefactor already mentioned!)
 
[ QUOTE ]
What do you mean by hard food?

[/ QUOTE ] People tend to use this term in two slightly different ways - some use it to refer to any feed you give in a bucket (so can include short chop fibre), whilst other use it to describe foods with a cereal content - usually mixes, cubes and straight grains.
 
I personally would just give him a chaff like Hi-Fi just so I could add an all round vit & min supplement. IMO I wouldnt just trust he'd get his vits from a lick as some horses dont even like them much - I bought one for my lot and they very very rarely touch it, so I have always added a supplement to their balanced diet.
 
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