OATS give collic :S ?

DressageQueen11

DressageQueen11

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 August 2009
Messages
62
Visit site
okay os im looking to put my pony on some sort of energy enhancer, he is currently on the dobson and horrle competition mix but it just doesn't work! ive been told by my hair dresser (who had horses) to try oats but asked my yard owner today and she said it would give him collic as she said he is 'prone' to it even though she has only has it 3 time in 2 years :S anyway she said it could also give him lami so overall awfully confused anyone shed any light on the situation?! thanks guys! x
 
Somebody asked the other day how to make her pony "mad" with oats, it is not a good idea: regular work to increase fitness, and feed according to work done, a balanced diet is what is required. I base my diet on fibre as this is what horses are designed to eat and rich feeds can cause hind-gut imbalance, colics and laminitis.
Competition mix is for horses in hard work, though I suspect most mix is fed to horse who do little more than an hour a day.
You can't make a cob into a racehorse and you have to work with the ability, agility and temperament of the horse you have.
Colic three times is three times too many for a potentially fatal condition,
Regular schooling with an instructor to get her to come off the leg is the way to go.
Your YO knows the pony better than the hairdresser.
 
Last edited:
I think for one horse to have colic three times in the space of two years is quite a lot, so your YO is right to feel that your horse is 'prone to colic' and be cautious about changing the diet.

Oats CAN be a very good feed for some horses, but, on the other hand, some horses seem not to tolerate grains (which includes oats) well. Grains/cereals (ie oats, barley, wheat, maize) contain a lot of starch and when fed in significant quantities can result in problems like laminitis, tying-up etc, in susceptible animals.

However, that said, the competition mix you are already feeding is pretty high in cereals, although they are micronised to improve the digestibility of the starch.

As others have said, you may have to look at other factors beside feed to boost an animal's energy. Undiagnosed soundess problems such as mild spavins, bilateral front feet problems, etc., can result in a horse seeming lazy without showing obvious lameness. A too-tight saddle can have the same effect. Schooling is also important, as is variety of work.

All things to consider before tinkering with the diet!
 
Tbh im not 100% sure about them causeing colic but I HIGHLY doubt it as the comp mix already has oats and barley in it. I feed my tb ex racer on coarse mix and oats and she is totally fine and good off the leg
 
ex racer rider said:
Tbh im not 100% sure about them causeing colic but I HIGHLY doubt it as the comp mix already has oats and barley in it. I feed my tb ex racer on coarse mix and oats and she is totally fine and good off the leg
Click to expand...
I assumed the oats would be in addition to the comp mix, otherwise it is not going to make a lot of difference as the comp mix and oats will be similar in starch etc, but the mix is balanced so really a better feed.
 
I feed whole oats. I pour boiling water over them, put a plate on top and in 5 mins all oats are cracked. Of all the cereals oats are the lowest on the GI index.

I feed mostly fibre too. Alfalfa, speedie beet and oats added as needed. A balancer and rice bran as needed. I have had one minor colic in 10 years. It was not an oats issue. That's many many different horses of varying ages.

Also if horse is not on a balancer than I add D&H Surelimb. I have the most beautiful coats year round and horses look awesome. I'm always amazed at how bad a rap oats get. They are a nice feed.

Terri
 
Your yard manager is correct.

Oats can make a colic prone horse have a colic episode. If your horse is prone to colic a high fibre diet is best. Oats contain starch which is broken down in the small intestine but food only spends a short while in this body part and then eventually goes into the large intestine which breaks down fibre and struggles with breaking down starch. If large amounts of starch goes into the large intestine the body cant break it down as the micro fermintation cant do it and thus can cause colic.

To be honest a comp mix will be high in starch and is not the most suitable option for colic prone. Try using a feed which uses energy from fibre and oil rather than starch.
 
Oats are a good feed especially for horses in HARD work (hunting hard twice a week ) but the management of horses working that hard needs to be full on.

However ponies can work that hard on very little hard feed. A Vet I know who breeds Connemaras warned me not to feed them to my Connie and he has plenty of energy on forage, 1/4 scoop Alfabeet and a handful of Cool and Cooked X2 per day .

As others have said check hes not in pain anywhere , up his fitness level and make sure he gets lots of variety in his work as ponies in particular seem to get bored with doing the same thing especially if its always in the school.
Get decent lessons to get him sharper off your leg and when out hacking keep him guessing whats coming next
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top