Oats help please!!

[bmd]

I have a VERY lazy cob in this weather.. I know it’s the heat so not a lot I can do other than persever, but I’m finding it hard to get anything out of him. He has a salt lick and table salt in his diet, he is exercised 6 times a week, 3 times hacking, 1 lunge and 2 school sessions, so I know he is fit.

Oats is my last option, but they are a bit of a minefield.

How much do you feed and what are the best type to feed? Do you soak them or not?

Thanks

 

[AmyMay]

Have you thought about feeding electrolytes? That's preferable than salt.

 

[tda]

I tried oats with a very laid back dales mare, it made her a little bit more spooky, eyes on stalks kind of thing 🙄
Never really got her that hyped up tho sorry

 

[pippixox]

I’ve never found oats have made my variety of horses at all lively,
Just make sure they are hydrated in this heat. Even if they are fit, no one feels lively in this heat!

 

[Gloi]

I tried oats with a very laid back dales mare, it made her a little bit more spooky, eyes on stalks kind of thing ��
Never really got her that hyped up tho sorry

I've found similar with lazy ponies. Feed up for energy and end up with a spooky lazy pony

 

[Dulcie]

I feed oats - helped me no-end and got her a salt lick too. Salt lick made her less sleepy and down but oats helped the laziness

 

[SEL]

I feel pretty lethargic in the heat too. What time of day are you riding? Grass nuts can give them some added quick release sugar and you can feed before riding for a boost.

 

[Bernster]

Oats helped to give my boy s bit more stamina and oomph bit didn’t make him sharper or more spooky.

 

[Shay]

Oats are effective in only about 30% or horses. No harm in trying them - but the odds are not with you. Make sure you get bruised - or otherwise broken in some way - oats or the horse can't digest them.

Cob coats grow year round - you could try re clipping. Getting even a small amount of coat off can make a huge difference. Electrolytes rather than salt - and I offer one bucket with juice in and one plain bucket to encourage drinking. Feed to workload - but not so much he gains weight. There is little in the grass right now, everything is so scorched. He might benefit from more hay or haylage; or a slightly higher concentrate ration. For my competition cob when he was in hard work we used NAF EnerG for extra push.

 

[AmyMay]

Oats just made my cob mare fat. A small handful of race horse cubes did pep her up however.