Old fashioned Bran Mashes, Boiled Linseed, Straights n Stuff.....Any Good?

[Elsbells]

Having read a few threads regarding colic, keeping in, snow and cold weather etc, I'm wondering if theres a valid case for going away from commercial mixes and back to concocting our own as we did in the old days?

I'm old and do mix my own to some degree, but I'm thinking more about the ancient alcamists that are all gone now and of their recipies. Are they still out there and are they still used?? Can you still get bran?

Recipes and stories please.

 

[Archangel]

I feed bran everyday and get it from here http://thunderbrook.co.uk/freshly-milled-organic-bran/ I also feed whole oats and their base mix and that is it.

I am in fact 100 years old and used to spend my weekends with the chaff cutter making chaff from hay.

We used to only ever feed molasses to shy feeders (great dollops in the feed ) but nowadays everything appears to be slathered in the stuff.

Makes me spit now, they put molasses free on bags and charge more money!

 

[Rowreach]

I feed straights, including bran, whole oats, barley, linseed and SB. Horses look and feel great. I've done such a good job converting people off compound feeds that my feed merchant is having to stock more straights

 

[eriskaydales]

I prefer to feed staights, never have like the compound feeds. Feeding straights mean i can tweek the feed to suit each horse according to their needs.

 

[ribbons]

Feeding straights is in my opinion the best way to go for an experienced horseman/woman.
It could be a disaster to the many
Inexperienced owners though, and unless these have the benefit of solid knowledgeable advice around them, probably better to stick with the ready Mixed feeds.
I think most problems are caused by the quantities fed.

 

[Overgrown Pony]

Hey guys.

My lad is on 1/2 scoop Copra, 1/2 scoop grass nuts and full rations Topspec balancer. This is the most copra I can feed him as it swells a huge amount an he struggles to finish it. I'd love to drop th expensive balancer. I'm keen to find something high in calories to add that won't add bulk and won't hurt th purse too much. His legs fill with barley.

Looking at th spec of conditioning cubes theyr full of rubbish. The 2nd main ingredient of Baileys No.4 is straw!

 

[oscarwild]

I feed barley to my mare. But this was recommended by my vet to help her liver.
Used to feed bran to my last horse but not with this mare. But that manly because she has lots of allergies and dodgy liver, so we have limited feeds to choose from.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Feeding straights is in my opinion the best way to go for an experienced horseman/woman.
It could be a disaster to the many
Inexperienced owners though, and unless these have the benefit of solid knowledgeable advice around them, probably better to stick with the ready Mixed feeds.
I think most problems are caused by the quantities fed.

I find it shocking at how the manufacturers of the ready mixed feeds advise on the quantities required. If owners followed the guidance they would be in A&E, the pony would have lami and the owners bank balance would be in shock.

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I find it shocking at how the manufacturers of the ready mixed feeds advise on the quantities required. If owners followed the guidance they would be in A&E, the pony would have lami and the owners bank balance would be in shock.

I know!! I was looking at veteran feeds a couple of years ago and one particular brand (how appear to have stopped doing compound feeds) suggested feeding her (16.2, retired) on 5kg of this feed a day, meaning a 20kg sack at £12rrp would last 4 days! I didn't feed her that much when she was competing!!!

I personally think there would be a lot less EMS, lami etc if horses were fed straights. I personally think there isn't enough research into the effects of the products that are used to replace molasses, and cannot believe that some compound feeds/mixes contains things like rice & milk!

 

[4x4]

Feed more hay/chaff, keeps the gut working which is what horses are designed to do. 1 am over 100 years old (well feel it most days) and searched high and low to find a molasses free chaff for my cob, which I feed by the scoopful, now that Akers has gone, he used to stand and chop the straw for days at a time when I was a girl...just watch out if feeding bran as I read somewhere many years ago it depletes the system of calcium so you should feed something else to counteract it which is why I feed the chaff instead.