Recovery mash?

Hackback

Hackback

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What is it? Is it a feed or a drink? On the website it's described as a mash but some reviewers say their horses drink it. A quick search on here turned up a post where someone strains off the water and gives it as a drink and uses the solids as a base for drugs/supplements.

Do most horses like it? I'm looking for something to encourage mine to drink when we're out on PRs or hunting, but not sure if the recovery mash is a feed that encourages them to drink (what if he eats it but still doesn't drink, will he be even more dehydrated?) or a drink in itself.
 
Hackback said:
What is it? Is it a feed or a drink? On the website it's described as a mash but some reviewers say their horses drink it. A quick search on here turned up a post where someone strains off the water and gives it as a drink and uses the solids as a base for drugs/supplements.

Do most horses like it? I'm looking for something to encourage mine to drink when we're out on PRs or hunting, but not sure if the recovery mash is a feed that encourages them to drink (what if he eats it but still doesn't drink, will he be even more dehydrated?) or a drink in itself.
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That was me. It is very useful stuff and enables me to get a mare that doesn't drink to consume 40 litres a day.

It is not a balanced feed and should not be viewed as a feed.
 
The Saracens one is flavoured with bananas and they love it. It does have oats etc in it so I wouldn't want to feed much but just use it to get electrolytes in
 
AdorableAlice said:
That was me. It is very useful stuff and enables me to get a mare that doesn't drink to consume 40 litres a day.

It is not a balanced feed and should not be viewed as a feed.
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That's useful to know, about it not being a balanced feed, thanks.

So, is that how most people use it or did you adapt to suit your needs?
 
blodwyn1 said:
The Saracens one is flavoured with bananas and they love it. It does have oats etc in it so I wouldn't want to feed much but just use it to get electrolytes in
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Thanks, so do you feed as a mash then? I don't get where the 'drink' reviews come from, unless they're doing the same as AdorableAlice.
 
If you want a mash consistency you would put one scoop of feed and 2 scoops of water in. If using cold water it will take a while to turn to mash, but if you use hot it will go in 20 minutes.

You can make it into any consistency you want, a mash or a gloopy slush or squash like I do. Either way you will get fluid into the horse and it also contains thirst drivers with salts etc.

As a mash it is useful for a tired hunter for instance that you might not want to throw a big bowl of food at. It is also useful for a sick off his food horse as it is very tasty and tempting.
 
Some people at the yard use it afrer travelling and events almost soup consistency to get fluids back in.

However my fussy one wouldn't touch it. He had colic and vet only allowed him a single slice of soaked hay overnight. After going through various options she said a little recovery mash would be best rather than the grass chaff he usually gets but even after not eating all night he wouldn't touch it. He loves bananas including the skin so that's not the issue.
 
My friend puts half a scoop in nearly a whole bucket of water and her horses will drink the bucket of water whilst eating the floating mash, she feeds it after exercise and at shows to keep them hydrated they love it don't stand near them while wearing show clothes though you will get covered in it ?
 
Pinkvboots said:
My friend puts half a scoop in nearly a whole bucket of water and her horses will drink the bucket of water whilst eating the floating mash, she feeds it after exercise and at shows to keep them hydrated they love it don't stand near them while wearing show clothes though you will get covered in it ?
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This is what I do too - either with pink mash or with Saracens recovery mash. The pink mash turns into gloop and the Saracens turns into soup. She loves both
 

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Pinkvboots said:
My friend puts half a scoop in nearly a whole bucket of water and her horses will drink the bucket of water whilst eating the floating mash, she feeds it after exercise and at shows to keep them hydrated they love it don't stand near them while wearing show clothes though you will get covered in it ?
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I tend to do similar. I put a scoop on to soak in a full bucket of water before I take horse off lorry at competition. After competing, I left him drink / slurp the water. Occasionally stirring it to encourage him. He is very funny, he tries to eat the mash that has sunk to the bottom and blows bubbles! When he has slurped about 1/2 the bucket, I normally top it up with more water and stir it again. I can get him drinking lots like this.

I do occasionally soak bailey's high fibre nuggets instead of recovery mash, if I want more hydration when out, though they dont work as well as recovery mash.

VERY messy (the recovery mash) - stand well back, and I normally have to rinse off headcollar and leadrope when I get home.

My horse is not at risk re the 10% starch / 6% sugar, or the grain in a scoop of feed when competing. I would use far less for a horse where that amount of sugar / starch was a risk.
 
Fieldlife said:
I tend to do similar. I put a scoop on to soak in a full bucket of water before I take horse off lorry at competition. After competing, I left him drink / slurp the water. Occasionally stirring it to encourage him. He is very funny, he tries to eat the mash that has sunk to the bottom and blows bubbles! When he has slurped about 1/2 the bucket, I normally top it up with more water and stir it again. I can get him drinking lots like this.

I do occasionally soak bailey's high fibre nuggets instead of recovery mash, if I want more hydration when out, though they dont work as well as recovery mash.

VERY messy (the recovery mash) - stand well back, and I normally have to rinse off headcollar and leadrope when I get home.

My horse is not at risk re the 10% starch / 6% sugar, or the grain in a scoop of feed when competing. I would use far less for a horse where that amount of sugar / starch was a risk.
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It is very messy I often just soak I tiny handful if my horse on prascend gets fussy with his feed and he eats it all up, its very handy for a lot of things though and you can buy the small pouch rather than a big bag.
 
Pinkvboots said:
It is very messy I often just soak I tiny handful if my horse on prascend gets fussy with his feed and he eats it all up, its very handy for a lot of things though and you can buy the small pouch rather than a big bag.
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yes, though I’ve been doing a lot of outings in hot weather, plus I fed it sloppy at home when over 35 degrees. I’m 2/3rds of the way through a sack!!
 
Fieldlife said:
I tend to do similar. I put a scoop on to soak in a full bucket of water before I take horse off lorry at competition. After competing, I left him drink / slurp the water. Occasionally stirring it to encourage him. He is very funny, he tries to eat the mash that has sunk to the bottom and blows bubbles! When he has slurped about 1/2 the bucket, I normally top it up with more water and stir it again. I can get him drinking lots like this.
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I use about half a scoop in a full bucket - and mine does the stirring herself! She's hilarious - she swirls it all up with her nose, and then stands there waving her front legs in glee as she slurps it down.

However, she'll only drink the water. She refuses to touch the leftover mash.
 
Recovery mash has ingredients that 2 of mine are sensitive to :( However, it is entirely possible to use grass nuts soaked to a mash, a soup, squash or other consistency for the same effect so that is what I use instead. It is possible to add a bit of apple squash or other flavourings to that as well and grass nuts are (currently!) much, much cheaper.
 
palo1 said:
Recovery mash has ingredients that 2 of mine are sensitive to :( However, it is entirely possible to use grass nuts soaked to a mash, a soup, squash or other consistency for the same effect so that is what I use instead. It is possible to add a bit of apple squash or other flavourings to that as well and grass nuts are (currently!) much, much cheaper.
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Have you found a magic combination to make it super tasty even when add salt (like recovery mash has). Mine has grass nuts twice a day, but no way would he chose to drink multiple grass nut soup. Something in the recovery mash (banana flavouring maybe) makes mine very keen to drink buckets of slop.
 
I've a fussy, poor doer, arab and Recovery Mash is the only feed that he will consider before/during/after a competition. On an 80km he'll get through two stubbs scoops soaked as a mash (double water), so I'd guess that's 2-2.5kg. He isn't interested in it if it is made sloppy!

No adverse effects from it, not fizzy and no negative impact on feet (he is barefoot). However this is a horse that also eats over 5kgs Ease & Excel Cubes a day plus a kilo of sugar beet (dry weight) and a bit of alfa oil. What I, and my bank balance would give for him to be a good doer!
 
EnduroRider said:
I've a fussy, poor doer, arab and Recovery Mash is the only feed that he will consider before/during/after a competition. On an 80km he'll get through two stubbs scoops soaked as a mash (double water), so I'd guess that's 2-2.5kg. He isn't interested in it if it is made sloppy!

No adverse effects from it, not fizzy and no negative impact on feet (he is barefoot). However this is a horse that also eats over 5kgs Ease & Excel Cubes a day plus a kilo of sugar beet (dry weight) and a bit of alfa oil. What I, and my bank balance would give for him to be a good doer!
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Yes my horse isnt terribly food motivated. I do feed low sugar and starch day to day feed. But I think as a pick me up and encourage to drink after competing, the Recovery Mash is really good. And one sack probably lasts a summer.
 
Mine all love it, even Topaz who can be a fuss pot!

I only really feed it after eventing or fun rides, but it was great in the hot weather we had to get them drinking. Beryl had never had it before and did not quite understand she had to drink the soup to get to the mash lol there was a lot of blowing bubbles, had to give her less water in the end as I feared her greed might outweigh the risk of drowning lol.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=437389431669738
 
Fieldlife said:
Have you found a magic combination to make it super tasty even when add salt (like recovery mash has). Mine has grass nuts twice a day, but no way would he chose to drink multiple grass nut soup. Something in the recovery mash (banana flavouring maybe) makes mine very keen to drink buckets of slop.
Click to expand...

I have one horse that won't even consider any feed at all with salt in and one that will eat or drink anything so I haven't had to experiment much but apple squash is popular - not sure how you would add banana flavour but that should be possible; my one horse would be horrified though lol.
 
I think its great stuff. My mare loves it and I feed it to get fluid in to her when hot or after travelling. It's also useful to hide medication in. She'll drink it however sloppy.
 
I really rate it. Feed it after comps or hard lessons. I feed half scoop to a full bucket of water and it’s the only way my mare will drink away from home. I personally think the sugar and starch content is a good thing. Partly one of the reasons I feed it after exercise is to replenish glycogen stores. And she certainly seems to recover better than she used to!
 
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