Oats vs Comp Mix or the like?

[Christmas Crumpet]

I've spent the last 3 months just feeding pasture mix, mollichaff and conditioning cubes to my TB who came out of racing in March. I made sure he didn't have anything heating until I found out what he was like being ridden and if anything hotted him up at all which it doesn't.

I'd like to feed him something extra to give him a bit more sparkle for the hunting season and was advised that because he used to have oats when in training to feed them. I haven't feed oats on their own for ages and can't remember what is best i.e. bruised, rolled etc.

Or would I be best to swap from pasture mix to comp. mix and forget about the oats. He will def. still get conditioning cubes all winter because I get the feeling he might run up rather light and would like to keep some weight on him. He will be hunting 3 days a fortnight.

Any ideas?

 

[Joss]

I think probably these days it is as well to stick to the likes of Competition Mixes. A lot of people put a lot of work into balancing these mixes so that your horse gets everything its needs. There really are a huge range, stamina (slow release energy) or Instant Energy. A great way of adding calories is to add a little Oil to his feed (Supermarket stuff is fine)
If you decide to go down the Oats route then bruised is best as these have just been 'cracked' open where as rolled have been totally flattened & sometimes they dont provide a great deal of goodness.

 

[flyingfeet]

As you already have a balanced ration with the cubes, I would chuck in a handfull of bruised oats to see what happens!

I've gone back to straights after feeding mixes for years. To be fair though I am feeding micronised oats and peas in an effort to make my horse less laid back!

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Fab. He gets vegetable oil from the supermarket in his feed as well as NAF pink powder and suppliment for his feet. Think you're probably right about comp. mix. I've always fed comp mix during hunting season and pasture mix during the summer with mollichaff, sugarbeet or pony nuts/conditioning cubes depending on what they are like and what work they are doing.

Thanks for advice.