No energy, what feed .?

[lbx18]

My cob is really lazy even just walking in hand, he looks like he has no energy at all and is just so slow. When ridden I barely ever get more tan a few steps of trot and still not been cantered. He has had all the usual checks, been in work nearly a year (although not consistent) and always been the same. He is out in the summer and in for winter with haylage. Was thinking of buying a balancer feed incase he is just lacking in some vitamins minerals only thing is I don't manage to get to the yard everyday and although the owner of the farm checks him on the days I can't he won't put feed out to him.So wondering if a balancer needs to be fed everyday..? or is there something else I could feed to him a few days a week before working with him for a bit of energy..??

 

[be positive]

First question how old is he, 2nd is he overweight, 3rd does he live on his own in the field, 4th when you say he is in for the winter do you mean he is shut in all the time, 5th how often do you exercise him each week?

The answers may help with the advice you get but my first thought would be he needs to be fitter, have some incentive to be more active and it is unlikely that feed will make much difference although it is possible he suffers from PSSM which could require a serious change to his management if he is going to improve.

 

[Daniel_Jack]

I've fed for energy in the past with little or no success and it's something I wouldn't do now - instead I'd look at other ways to improve forwardness.

All of the points Be positive makes above are valid - if the horse is overweight it could cause lethargy. If he's only in light, occassional work then he'll not be fit.

I too have a lazy cob. She has an amazing nature and is super chilled. I've owned her or about 7 months now and have seen an improvement in her way of going through lots of hilly summer hacking. Transitions are definately the way forward for us. And a legs off approach - so I've stopped nagging her with my leg and instead use a schooling whip to keep her forward.

She's never going to be a pocket rocket but she's definately improved in forwardness and fitness.

She's also on restricted grazing to keep her weight down so I feed a broad range supplement each day - no hard feed just some hay.

 

[lbx18]

He is 6 and a half. Got him as a yearling. Not overweight but wouldn't want anymore on him. He is in a field with about 10 others and in the winter, he is in for 4-6 months which he is actually not bothered about, think he would be happy to be in everyday. Probably 2 or 3 times, if that tbh so probably is due to being unfit i suppose but hoping to be more regularly but just having to constantly fight to keep him trotting does put me off.

 

[be positive]

He is 6 and a half. Got him as a yearling. Not overweight but wouldn't want anymore on him. He is in a field with about 10 others and in the winter, he is in for 4-6 months which he is actually not bothered about, think he would be happy to be in everyday. Probably 2 or 3 times, if that tbh so probably is due to being unfit i suppose but hoping to be more regularly but just having to constantly fight to keep him trotting does put me off.

It is a combination of total lack of fitness, he has never been really fit so has no real core strength for you to build up from, being shut in for up to 6 months at a time every winter will mean he loses any natural fitness he may have developed in the field wandering about for the summer, he may be happy but it is not good for him and may have an impact on him long term one way or another.

I suspect he also knows very little about what is expected from him when ridden, if you are the one who has backed him and ridden him then what he is doing is what you have trained him to do, I would recommend getting some help from a trainer/ instructor to get you started with some real education for him, if you want to do it alone then you need to go back to basics and teach him to walk forward when asked, this can be ridden, in hand or on long reins he must respond when told to go, he needs to learn that walk means march not slob along at any time, most of it comes down to the rider or handler being firm, clear and completely consistent, never accept anything other than a brisk walk, once he is listening and going forward in walk he should start to improve and be getting fitter, when you ask for trot it needs to be the same, he should not require fighting with if you get him to understand what you want, he sounds as if he really does not know what you want and your job as his trainer is to help him understand so he wants to work with you.

Feeding him for energy is highly unlikely to make any difference but do search for PSSM as many cobs suffer from it and with the way he is kept if he does have it then being in all winter will be the worst thing for him, he will find even walking actively uncomfortable and trotting probably painful, it is not likely to be picked up by a vet as many have very little knowledge or experience of the condition.

 

[scats]

He is 6 and a half. Got him as a yearling. Not overweight but wouldn't want anymore on him. He is in a field with about 10 others and in the winter, he is in for 4-6 months which he is actually not bothered about, think he would be happy to be in everyday. Probably 2 or 3 times, if that tbh so probably is due to being unfit i suppose but hoping to be more regularly but just having to constantly fight to keep him trotting does put me off.

I find that some cobs, particularly those who are prone to stuffiness, really do benefit from being ridden more and their energy levels massively improve once they are fitter and in more regular work. I don’t mean hammering in the school everyday, but perhaps 4 days of brisk hacking and 2 days in the school- doing a mixture of polework, transitions and even some jumping. Attempts to feed for energy with these types, particularly when they are not in much work, will just cause weight gain.

Once your cob is doing more, perhaps then consider adding a lite balancer in if you feel he needs it.

As for ridden work- switched off and lazy horses have a way of making riders nag with their leg. The more the rider nags, or feels the need to give a leg aid every few strides, the less reactive the horse becomes to the leg aid and you get stuck in this rut where you feel the horse doesn’t listen to you, they get lazier and harder to ride and you as a rider are worn out and disheartened. The leg aid becomes like white noise to them and they tune out, so you really have to re-train them to keep going even when the leg is off, so when a leg aid is applied, they will react to it. They must learn to keep going in whatever pace you put them in, until you say otherwise.

 

[lbx18]

Have had an instructor to ride him twice and she had him trotting and cantering around.Think I just need to be more consistent. He doesn't have any symptoms of pssm but will look into it, how do i find out if he has it?