Readigrass - rocket fuel or just dried grass?

Ludi-doodi

Ludi-doodi

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Today talking to a friend on the yard mentioned that I needed to buy some readigrass. She whistles through her teeth and says it's full of sugar. Instructor turn round and pulls face, throws hands up and says "Readigrass is "whhhwheehwi" (the sort of noise/word that you just can't write down!
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).

Anyhoo as I've been given this to my boy for the last 6 years without noticable impact I bought another bag and studied the bag intently and just couldn't see what the ingredients were. It does say that's more nutrious than hay, and it does have 15% protein.

So long question short - what do they do to it that makes it "whhhwheehwi"? I don't feed like my friend does in great big bucket fulls, the max Ludo ever gets is a scoop a day spread over 2 feeds as filler.

I'm a great believer in "if it ain't broke don't fix it" when it comes to feed, but just curious as to what can actually be in it other than dried grass?
 
I have found that 99% of the time I don't have any issue with it but on the odd occasion(don't know if it is when the grass was cut ,time of day etc) I do have a slightly sprightly TB on my hands
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He loves it tho and it means I get a bit more firbre in him mores the better
 
I tried my boy on it years ago & it most definately was rocket fuel to him.
Ended up throwing it away as no one on yard fancied trying their horses on it after the effect it had on mine.
However he is very easily hotted up & i do know people who've used it without incident.
 
I feed it to mine in winter and never had any problems.
I think it is more nutritious than hay because it is cut and then quickly dried by machine so all the goodness is kept in if that makes sense.
The only other ingredient that is ever in it apart from grass is rabbit droppings that I find on many occasions
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[ QUOTE ]
The only other ingredient that is ever in it apart from grass is rabbit droppings that I find on many occasions
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[/ QUOTE ]

In the 6+ years I've used Readigrass I don't believe I've ever found your 'additional ingredient' LOL. Unlike the shavings I've had when I've often found ear plugs - presumably used - urgh!
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Yes had about 3 bales last year, couldnt understand what it was at first, it was in the horses' corner mangers along with the dusty bits, at least they dont eat it I suppose. Maybe thats what yours is missing!
Urgh earplugs - not nice at all.
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A friend of mine fed it years ago and it sent her horse loopy, she mentioned it in passing next time she went to feed merchants and he asked what else she fed. She was feeding haylage, feed man was like nooooooooooo mustnt do that, no wonder etc etc.
I fed it to my box rested horse as a treat, hoping for him to put his head to the floor to munch it (as he was cross tied for 12 weeks) and after a couple of days he wouldnt touch it????
 
I have a TB mare that mid winter, I feed oats and redigrass too. She has always been fine tbh. On the days that she stands in for the restricted grazing I give her a bucket of redigrass at lunchtime. I have never had a problem, it all depends on the horse I would presume.
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Voguey has a couple of medium trugs of it overnight and I've never had any problems....mind you she's been on it nearly all of the time I've had her...maybe I would notice if I left it out??
Mind you, you could stick a rocket up her ar*e and I doubt she'd attempt more than her sedate paces lol
 
i always feed it in the winter and ive never have any probs ...think i buy it for about a tenner but it lasts me ages!
 
It's dried spring grass - pony I ride turns into a fruit loop when the first flush of grass comes through so I assume the same thing can happen with readygrass, some horses can handle it, some can't.
 
Looking at its website it does contain 12-13 MJ/kg of digestable energy, considering your 'average' quiet mix contains about 10 Mj/kg im guessing it might send some critters loopy! But the theory nowerdays that that 'energy' should be looked at as calories, so the more you feed the fatter your pony would become as opposed to the more hyper it would become. Either way I have heard that it makes quite alot of ponies wizzy!
 
This is interesting. i started my gelding on this about 3 months ago, and he has, steadily, getting a bit more spooky and sharp and bouncy.

It hadn't even entered my mind that it could be the readigrass!!!

I think i will remove it and see what happens.
 
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