No one gave my mare the memo for "Calm" and Condition...

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EquiGirl1

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I know there are lots of topics on feeding but wanted to ask some advice for my mares feeding.

The only thing I've found that really works is Allen & Page Calm & Condition, but she clearly didn't read the "calm" bit on the packet goes nutty on it, acts a madam on the ground and has gone from trying to brake into trot down the long side of the school to doing 4 laps on each rein whilst shouting weeeeeeeey :rolleyes:

At the moment she gets 2 feeds a day, 3 feeds when possible, she has good quality adlib hay at night and is turned out for about 6 hours a day.

She is fed at present:
1 mug micronised linseed
large handful chaff
3/4 scoop cool and collected (pre soaking)
1/3 scoop conditioning cubes
1/2 scoop sloppy unmollassed sugarbeet.

She is ridden 5 / 6 days a week, is physically fit and I'm planning to start hunting her occasionally next month so dont want her to drop any more weight.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to calm and condition that is non heating?

Thanks :)
 
I have swapped from Calm and Condition to fast fibre, horses seem less mental and are looking better on it than they did C&C also only take 2 mins to soak rather than 10, so bonus!
 
I found calm and condition awful on most I've seen it used on only brilliant once. Best thing we did was cut the feeds right back and up the forage. They simply weren't hungry with the amount of calm and condition we had to feed.
 
I found calm and condition awful on most I've seen it used on only brilliant once for conditioning. Best thing we did was cut the feeds right back and up the forage. They simply weren't hungry with the amount of calm and condition we had to feed.
Sorry no alternatives for non heating! Can't remember what was but Bailey's something was used on one and brilliant.
The others simply went back to one scoop (in total) of sugarbeet and Alfa-a. Oil in one.
 
EquiGirl1 said:
I know there are lots of topics on feeding but wanted to ask some advice for my mares feeding.

The only thing I've found that really works is Allen & Page Calm & Condition, but she clearly didn't read the "calm" bit on the packet goes nutty on it, acts a madam on the ground and has gone from trying to brake into trot down the long side of the school to doing 4 laps on each rein whilst shouting weeeeeeeey :rolleyes:

At the moment she gets 2 feeds a day, 3 feeds when possible, she has good quality adlib hay at night and is turned out for about 6 hours a day.

She is fed at present:
1 mug micronised linseed
large handful chaff
3/4 scoop cool and collected (pre soaking)
1/3 scoop conditioning cubes
1/2 scoop sloppy unmollassed sugarbeet.

She is ridden 5 / 6 days a week, is physically fit and I'm planning to start hunting her occasionally next month so dont want her to drop any more weight.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to calm and condition that is non heating?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

personally I would leave out the C&C and increase your linseed. Perhaps increase your conditioning cubes if you want.

Ours are hunting once a week and getting one or two hacks, plus living out most nights. They get ad lib haylage 24/7, plus one feed of fast fibre, alfa oil, and 6 mugs of linssed each, with pink powder for the vits and mins. One then gets endurance mix to keep him a bit sharper.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Kerrieberry - I thought fast fibre was suitable for good doer types? I have stayed away from anything like that as I assumed it wouldnt help our weight gain mission?!

Frumpoon - I'd like to switch but hay is pretty much included in my livery so it would be hassle and expensive to start buying it in. I will though if needs be.
 
I believe thats what they say about FF but my youngster has put on more weight just having a scoop of that a day! last winter he was on 2 feeds a day of C&C with Alpha A and was really skinny! this winter he's on one feed of FF and the molasses free hifi and he's looking really well! has ad lib hay and just turned out into a fresh field of grass but even before the grass field he was looking really good on it!
 
EquiGirl1 said:
I know there are lots of topics on feeding but wanted to ask some advice for my mares feeding.

The only thing I've found that really works is Allen & Page Calm & Condition, but she clearly didn't read the "calm" bit on the packet goes nutty on it, acts a madam on the ground and has gone from trying to brake into trot down the long side of the school to doing 4 laps on each rein whilst shouting weeeeeeeey :rolleyes:

At the moment she gets 2 feeds a day, 3 feeds when possible, she has good quality adlib hay at night and is turned out for about 6 hours a day.

She is fed at present:
1 mug micronised linseed
large handful chaff
3/4 scoop cool and collected (pre soaking)
1/3 scoop conditioning cubes
1/2 scoop sloppy unmollassed sugarbeet.

She is ridden 5 / 6 days a week, is physically fit and I'm planning to start hunting her occasionally next month so dont want her to drop any more weight.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to calm and condition that is non heating?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Calm and Condition is 18% combined starch and sugar. The conditioning cubes are also likely to be high in NSC and possibly cereals.

I would ask if the chaff is molassed too.

There is the explanation as to why she isn't so calm :D

I would up the amount of unmolassed beet (50% of the calorie yield is from fermenting fibre in the hind gut - beet is rapidly fermented fibre).

Fast Fibre is basically the same as the C&C less the peas and high NSC level.

Spiller's High Fibre Cubes are also safe to use.

I would add a decent mineral balancer (I can pm you a list of good ones) and consider a gut aid to encourage the gut flora (such as Yea-sacc).
 
Oberon said:
Calm and Condition is 18% combined starch and sugar. The conditioning cubes are also likely to be high in NSC and possibly cereals.

I would ask if the chaff is molassed too.

There is the explanation as to why she isn't so calm :D

I would up the amount of unmolassed beet (50% of the calorie yield is from fermenting fibre in the hind gut - beet is rapidly fermented fibre).

Fast Fibre is basically the same as the C&C less the peas and high NSC level.

Spiller's High Fibre Cubes are also safe to use.

I would add a decent mineral balancer (I can pm you a list of good ones) and consider a gut aid to encourage the gut flora (such as Yea-sacc).
Click to expand...

Thanks, thats really helpful.

The chaff is just grass chop basically, she has been on it since I've had her (7 months) and is only getting it to add some bulk to all the slop she gets (I get paranoid about not adding enough water so she usually ends up with some kind of thick soup ;))

I think my next step will be to cut out c&c, increase the conditioning cubes (she was on a full scoop of these prior to me putting her back on calm and condition for a month) and didnt effect her energy and to up her beet.
 
Freeze dried grass is usually high in sugar too ;)

Regarding conditioning cubes - be wary of the marketing hype on the bag and really look at the ingredients and nutritional specs.

'Conditioning feeds' are often high in cereal, sugar and starch which can encourage an acidic gut and less efficient digestion - leading to the owner with the mindset of, "Oh my horse is difficult to keep weight on and NEEDS conditioning feeds."

You often find such horses pile the weight on when switched to low starch/sugar and high fibre feeds.

Feed companies have a lot to answer for :mad:
 
Oberon said:
You often find such horses pile the weight on when switched to low starch/sugar and high fibre feeds.

Feed companies have a lot to answer for :mad:
Click to expand...

quite agree Oberon!

there's a lot to be said for cutting cereals out of most horses feeds IMO. Ron hasn't had any cereal for 6 years now, nor molassed feeds/chaffs. He hunts all winter on a fibre and oil diet.... last year he did 24 days and looked the best I've ever seen him look.
 
EquiGirl1 said:
I know there are lots of topics on feeding but wanted to ask some advice for my mares feeding.

The only thing I've found that really works is Allen & Page Calm & Condition, but she clearly didn't read the "calm" bit on the packet goes nutty on it, acts a madam on the ground and has gone from trying to brake into trot down the long side of the school to doing 4 laps on each rein whilst shouting weeeeeeeey :rolleyes:

At the moment she gets 2 feeds a day, 3 feeds when possible, she has good quality adlib hay at night and is turned out for about 6 hours a day.

She is fed at present:
1 mug micronised linseed
large handful chaff
3/4 scoop cool and collected (pre soaking)
1/3 scoop conditioning cubes
1/2 scoop sloppy unmollassed sugarbeet.

She is ridden 5 / 6 days a week, is physically fit and I'm planning to start hunting her occasionally next month so dont want her to drop any more weight.

Can anyone recommend an alternative to calm and condition that is non heating?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...


I would give Dodson and Horrell a ring Teresa Hoylands is a senior nutrition and will give you a tailored diet.
 
C&C sent my TB through the roof, as did veteran feed... Bless him. He was totally insane, didn;t know what to do with himself :D

We like Omega Rice as a fattening feed, works well on our 3.
 
EquiGirl1 said:
So basically the moral of the story is Allen & Page need to rename their feed "conditioned and crazy"...!
Click to expand...

I really don't know what it is that causes the problem though :confused:

Fast Fibre is well tolerated and C&C is basically FF with added peas :o

But then - Spiller's High Fibre cubes SHOULD be on my banned and naughty list....but they have been found well tolerated by even metabolically challenged barefoot horses, and my Cushing's horse too :o

Sometimes horses are the best judges of what is good and what isn't, no matter what we think :rolleyes:
 
I've recently moved darcy onto pure feeds easy and condition( was on calm & cond molichaf) and the difference is clear getting rid of all the sugar,more relaxed and responsive. Not a miracle cure as she can still be a pleb but then she is a Tb.x
 
Calm and Condition does exactly what it says for mine all are calm and in excellent condition. added to grass chaff and speedibeet it works a treat what doent is alfa of any kind it makes them very tense especially alfa oil
 
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