Saracen Shape-Up and EMS horses

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mustardsmum

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Just wondered if anyone out there feeds this balancer to their EMS natives? I am looking for something as one of our natives is on restricted turnout in the summer; he wears a muzzle and comes in each day and has soaked hay. He has a feed of fast fibre when he comes in with some Honeychop Free From. He looks a good weight (as in I can just see last three ribs), but he is really lacking energy and gets tired very easily. When I bought him he was very cresty and had established fat pads which in 18 months I have reduced but I don't think I will ever get rid of. He goes footy if he gets a whiff of too much grass, and my vet has advised that I feed him a balancer, rather than the FF. But I am completely overwhelmed (or overthinking?!) by all the different types! I have used Baileys No 14 before for another pony, but then someone suggested I looked at the Saracen feeds. Having never used them, I just wondered whether any one feeds the Shape-Up to their EMS types who are in work? Thank you!
 
saracenhorsefeeds.com

SHAPE-UP™ - Saracen Horse Feeds

A low starch, high fibre mix designed to provide a balanced diet even at low intake levels. It can be used as a calorie-controlled ration for ‘good-doers’ in work as a way to help maintain a normal, healthy metabolism and provide slow release energy.
saracenhorsefeeds.com saracenhorsefeeds.com

I looked at it a couple of years ago, but molasses is quite high on the list of ingredients and a lot of soya
 
I have found it easier to use a very basic feed (simple systems hay cobs) and add a powder balancer for my metabolic one.

I found to get the right level of nutrients from many of the ready made bags I was feeding a pretty large volume to an already fat horse.
 
Our EMS boy did fine on Shape Up but you can get lower sugar balancers. Also didn't agree with my mare at all in that is made her super sharp which was think was down to the Peas.

We feed Spillers lite&lean as Lower in Sugar, starch and soya but better Vitamin E. Also includes Lysine which i think is good addition. Both do really well on it.
 
A handful of grass nuts or sugar beet or similar and a powdered balancer. Add vitamin e if they arent eating fresh green grass.
 
My 2 are goid doers but won't eat most powdered balancers so I feed spillers daily balancer and they didn't gain weight and look good and love it.
 
Have a look at spillers lite and lean. It’s specifically designed to complement a soaked hay diet
 
I used to feed my EMS pony a couple of handfuls of Re-Leve. It was enough to give him a boost before rides. Beware, though, it's like crack for horses. 😆
 
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Shape up has 16.5% combined starch and sugar which is way above the 10% recommended for EMS horses. I feed my pony who has Cushings and probable controlled EMS a veteran powered balancer which has added protein - I had to introduce it very slowly as it's not very tasty. He used to lack energy and on the vets advice I fed him oil . What I think has helped him most though is working him at for at least 30 minutes 5 or more times each week.
 
Homey had blue chip native balancer but he also had I also tried feedmark slim aid. He did well on both but blue chip native has more protein and you feed more of it.

Bert is muzzled on good grass during the day does eat out the side of his ff muzzle. In at night on soaked hay 4.5 kilos doesn't always eat it all and in light work ridden 4 days a week for about 30 minutes and one ground work session a week. He has 1/3 scoop dengie molasses free twice a day plus feedmark super saver vitamins and minerals. He has plenty of energy.

This is a photo I took this evening so you can see his weight. He was not impressed with having his photo taken. He has a good shine on his coat and not fat at all.

He doesn't have EMS but I am careful.
 

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Another vote for Spillers Lite and Lean. It's in a pellet form and mine will just eat it from you hand - so no need to feed with anything else x
 
SO1 said:
Homey had blue chip native balancer but he also had I also tried feedmark slim aid. He did well on both but blue chip native has more protein and you feed more of it.

Bert is muzzled on good grass during the day does eat out the side of his ff muzzle. In at night on soaked hay 4.5 kilos doesn't always eat it all and in light work ridden 4 days a week for about 30 minutes and one ground work session a week. He has 1/3 scoop dengie molasses free twice a day plus feedmark super saver vitamins and minerals. He has plenty of energy.

This is a photo I took this evening so you can see his weight. He was not impressed with having his photo taken. He has a good shine on his coat and not fat at all.

He doesn't have EMS but I am careful.
Click to expand...
He is looking superb.
 
Another vote for Spillers Lite & Lean but currently my metabolically challenged lad is out overnight on a well grazed patch so no need for a muzzle (so far!) in during the day with soaked hay and a field block in his stable which he does actually lick. Never touches his salt lick or feed with added salt so I’m hoping this will work for him going forward as he has a tendency to get dehydrated when on soaked hay only. 🤞🏻

Edited to add this is early stages of a new routine so still monitoring
 
Mine is on a very small dose of Ertugliflozin daily which really helps keep his weight stable and due to other health issues (esophagus diverticulum) he can't have any hay at all so has to graze, also has 4 small hard feeds of very low starch/suger pellets and lucerne chaff spread throughout the day and I find he is doing really well. Still has energy to be ridden without worrying too much about weight gain. Is only in light work. Is not a native but a Morgan, I am in Australia so feeds are different and my grazing is not lush.
 
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