nutrition advice please

[polyphonic]

As you now Flint came back yesterday and he is pretty poor.
Can you advice on the best feed to start giving him to put on some weight so I can start building him back up.
He used to have calm and condition- but I dont know if this feed would be right for him as he wont be in hard work for a while, yet I would like to see an improvement without having to shovel feeds down him. thanks peeps

 

[CastleMouse]

I'd recommend giving him plenty of hay/haylage. If you access to good quality grazing then make the most of it as well. I'd also feed him Fibre Beet and something like Baileys Top-Line Conditioning Mix - http://www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk/whatproduct/condition/no17.htm

 

[LouHardwick]

Hi

I would go down the straight fibre route (mine and all my firends have been on this for 3 years and look great all year round)
ours just get high fibre cubes and chaff with plently of extra vitimins. i think its a really safe way to feed, particulary if a horses is poor- you dont want to overload the stomach with coarse mixes IMO. get the gut working effectivly again then start with the calm and condition as the work increases. Ad lib hay/ hayledge

Good look

 

[horsegirl]

I would go down the route of forage, forage and more forage. I use alfa a oil you can feed upto 3kg a day (6 round scoops roughly) plus alfa beet or speedi beet (something like that) and as much hay as he will eat. Pink powder is a good pick me up/balancer for horses that have been under stress. It will be a tough job getting weight on in the winter and I don't envy you that but best of luck!

 

[MillionDollar]

Best thing I have ever fed (and it doesn't break the bank) is boiled barley, sugarbeet and 2 tablespoons of oil. Feed plenty and you'll see a HUGE improvement within 2 weeks.

 

[wizoz]

Echo others, fibre and plenty of it, we feed calm and condition, speedy beet, and a chaff of some sort and very important is the oil, it will help with his skin and coat condition. Also salt if he needs it.

 

[archoak]

An alternative to boiled barley is barley rings, I've just bought some on someone elses recommendation.

 

[moneypit1]

Just be sensible. Sugar beet is good BUT in moderation, it will in nature just add instant energy, after all it is SUGAR. A good fibre like HiFi and a conditioning mix is all you need. Supplements of apples and carrots at this time of year add vitimins that are lacking in the grass. A feed balancer like equilibrium is good. Its not rocket science, although many would make it seem this way.

 

[_jetset_]

I would also think about feeding Alfa Oil, and if just this is not having the desired effect, try adding some Alfa Beat to the feed too...

 

[carthorse]

There is alfa oil ,sarcens herb mix and sugar beet at the stables so little and often and plenty of hay[ he loves his hay ,you would think he had never been fed the way he scoffs it down]Also filling him up with mollichop