Oats or Rice Bran Pellets?

[xStephx]

Hi all,

As the title really, wanting to know which people think would be better to try feeding as I'm not sure....

I have two ex-racers, my 20 old is doing well and is on 1 and 1/2 scoops readigrass, 1/2 scoop sugar beet, and 1/4 Saracen vet mix with turmeric twice a day. I'm happy with his weight and wondering if he really needs the vet mix or not as not sure if only feeding 1/4 scoop twice a day is actually doing anything. He has a small amount of micronized linseed with his turmeric and thinking maybe I should switch the vet mix for a full mug of linseed to maintain weight?

My other boy is 13 and a very hard keeper through winter and I have tried various feeds in the past, he is currently on 1 and 1/2 scoops readigrass, 1/2 scoop sugar beet and 1/2 scoop Saracen re-leve with a digestive aid provita equigest. Considering he went into winter looking poorer than usual due to bad grazing this summer (he puts on weight with spring / summer grass easily) he doesn't look too bad but he is dropping weight slightly now, the girth has gone up another hole easily. They both get ad-lib good quality hay and since giving the digestive aid he is eating more than previous winters. At the moment he only works about 4 days a week, 2x schooling for up to an hour, 1x lunge and 1x hack with a good gallop. So he isn't doing a huge amount of work and although I do quite like the re-leve I don't really know if it is doing what it needs to. I would like to see him with a bit more weight on and bit more oomph, although I think this may just be him! take him for a hack and he'll go like the clappers if you let him but school him and he really could do with a rocket up his bum! Oats and Equijewel (Rice Bran) are two I haven't used and am struggling with whether I replace the re-leve with oats (possibly naked) or try Equijewel alongside the re-leve which would work out quite expensive, or Equijewel instead of re-leve? Any thoughts or other suggestions?

Have previously tried various conditioning mixes, two mugs of linseed a day, barley, balancers, conditioning chaff, and now high fibre, high oil and low starch (re-leve recommended by Saracen). I would say he doesn't have ulcers or any reactions to starch but I think he definitely needs the digestive supplement to help him get the best out of his feed. Changed the chaff to readigrass as he thrives off grass so thought this would be a good idea and also seeing as they both hate Alfalfa.

Any ideas or suggestions welcome!

 

[Scarlett]

I tried Releve with my exracers and I'll be honest I wasn't that impressed - they were ok, and it didn't heat them up, but I had to feed loads to get them holding weight and full of energy.

I've fed rice bran in varying forms over the years - I don't like Equijewel as it has a small amount of molasses in it so I feed Omega Rice which is also cheaper. Its always worked a treat and infact I started my older lad on it again last week and he has bulked up nicely already. I feed it with grass nuts - Simple Systems Red bag nuts are made from spring grass and give them condition and a nice amount of oomph, though you can get cheaper grass nuts than them.

I did feed rolled oats and rice bran once before to my mare who was in a decent amount of work. Worked a treat but I do think she was/is better on the grass nuts.

Would also suggest looking at Keyflow feeds - they all inc rice bran and the Maestro mix is aimed at giving them 'good' energy. I had great results on it previously.

 

[HorsesandParrots]

May not be much help

But equijewel worked fab on mine.. I would suggest adding soya oil and also adlib haylage?

Again may not be much help! X

 

[xStephx]

Thanks for those! I had come across Omega Rice and saw it was much cheaper so might give this a go will just need to get it ordered as no where near me stocks it. Think i'll have a go at feeding it instead of the re-leve, it works out way too expensive to keep feeding or up the amount for no result. I bought a bag of grass nuts once to use soaked and they hated them soaked but loved them in their pellet form, can't remember what else I was feeding at the time but didn't continue with them for some reason, may look at them again if needed. I did get advice from simple systems a year or so ago and was thinking about the red bag but they recommended the blue bag.

I've heard of key flow but never really had a look at their products so i'll go have a nosey now but think I may try the omega rice first.

We have haylage at our yard and am thinking of maybe putting him on this as the hay is giving them both a bit of a cough in the mornings and really don't want to go back to soaking hay!

Thanks!