New horse owner - feeding advice please!

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hestopforth

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Hello guys!
I’m currently looking fr a new horse, Id like some advice and guidance on what feed is good for a horse in daily exercise at a moderate weight. I’m not keen on sugarbeet, but I’d like to encorperate some chaff into the horses feed and I’d like it to not be too expensive. Please could someone help with some options for what could go with chaff or any good feeding options!
 
Generally it's best to feed a new horse whatever it's old owners fed it and gradually introduce any changes you require. Until you have the horse it's hard to say what feed they would need as some are good doers, some are poor doers, some have intolerances to certain feeds such as alfalfa or grains.
 
If you're looking for a cheap source of fibre, you'd be better off feeding unmolassed sugarbeet than chaff. Most chaffs, other than the more expensive ones, are coated in molasses to varying degrees, including the ones that say they are low sugar/lite. Sugarbeet is an excellent source of fibre, and it's very cost effective
 
Auslander said:
If you're looking for a cheap source of fibre, you'd be better off feeding unmolassed sugarbeet than chaff. Most chaffs, other than the more expensive ones, are coated in molasses to varying degrees, including the ones that say they are low sugar/lite. Sugarbeet is an excellent source of fibre, and it's very cost effective
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I'd agree ref the sugarbeet, as long as you buy unmolassed. Sugarbeet is fairly cheep anyway and goes a long way, I reckon a bag of speedibeet has lasted me a year. I feed it with unmolassed chaff and a balancer.
 
Wait until you buy the Horse and feed what it is used too. Best not to get feed before the Horse arrives as they all have different needs and you won't know what your Horses needs are until you know the Horse.
 
If you don’t know what it was fed before I don’t think you can go far wrong with an unmolassed chaff and a basic vitamin and mineral supplement. Plus adequate hay. You can then add or change gradually to match the horses needs based on weight, behaviour and workload.

I prefer Thunderbrooks healthy herbal chaff now as it’s free from a lot of things like Alfalfa and soya that can cause unwanted issues. It’s tasty and horses like it. It’s a bit more expensive than other chaffs but seems to last longer.
 
The rule of thumb for most horses is high fibre/low starch/low sugar. Introduce any change in diet gradually whenever possible. I wouldn't worry about supplements at this stage, as you have no idea what your potential horse may need, if any.
 
SussexbytheChristmasTree said:
If you don’t know what it was fed before I don’t think you can go far wrong with an unmolassed chaff and a basic vitamin and mineral supplement. Plus adequate hay. You can then add or change gradually to match the horses needs based on weight, behaviour and workload.

I prefer Thunderbrooks healthy herbal chaff now as it’s free from a lot of things like Alfalfa and soya that can cause unwanted issues. It’s tasty and horses like it. It’s a bit more expensive than other chaffs but seems to last longer.
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This. Its enough for most horses but can always be tweaked as you go if you find its not for some reason.
 
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