shall i try feeding oats?

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alfirules

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well, my pony just seems to get lazier and lazier and he just doesnt seem to have any life in him when i hack him out alone. but when i hack with other horses he is completely different and quite whizzy.

as i hack out alone most of the time do you think i shall try feeding oats? i was also thinking of giving him some oats when he goes to shows cos he often has to hack to the shows and i thought it might give him a bit more energy. my pony club instructor advised me once to give him some oats for pony club camp as he was so lazy.

so shall i try him with a few oats? the other problem is that he is prone to weight gain, so i dont want to feed him anything that will make him get fat. but am i right that barley is more for weight gain and oats just gives them energy?

can i have your opinions please? or can you suggest any other feeds?

thanks for reading.
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Hi
Don't do anything! Grass is so rich, he is almost certainly well fat and well fed. His laziness could be something else - have you checked him out with a vet? Could be he is taking the mick or needs schooling/fittening or even his saddle is hurting him. Being frisky with others is just horse psychology.

Phone a feed helpline for advice before doing anything drastic. Need to know more about him: age/type/condition?
Soph
 
Ypu are right that generally barley is more for weight gain and oats for energy although some horses can get very fizzy on barley and be less affected by oats. There is no harm in trying giving him oats to see what happens, just introduce them gradually and watch his weight, though oats don't tend to be fattening so are safer than barley. My old horse was very lazy and I found Propell Plus was very good for increasing his energy levels.
 
he has his saddle checked regularly and he has always been lazy, i woukd just like a bit more of a spark in him. he is a lot less lazy when he jumps as well.

he is a 14.2hh welsh cob and is 11 YO.

he is very fit at the moment as i have finished college and he is getting ridden 6 days a week and doing a lot of trotting up hills! however he is still a bit fat and he is on restricted grazing.
 
If it was me, I'd work on the horse's mind and body before changing his diet. Maybe this would help: lots of transitions to sharpen him to your leg. Give him a clear but gentle leg aid then use your schooling whip to ensure he knows your leg means go first time without resorting to constant kicking/squeezing. Some horses get a bit deaf to the aids, I'd rather see a quick flick of the whip used rather than see rider's booting the belly. Add variety to his schooling by using poles and varied movements to keep his interest. Feeding oats might mean silliness and that won't go down well in the showring. Good luck. S
 
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If it was me, I'd work on the horse's mind and body before changing his diet.

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Ditto above - he sounds like he has plenty of energy if he can manage to muster it when you are out with others. Oats wont change his personality! You would be better off working on his schooling and getting him sharper off your leg before trying to fix the issue with feed. If he was genuinely lacking in energy he wouldn't be so f/ward going when out with others.
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If he is slightly overweight he will find it harder anyway, so get the weight off first and then re-evaluate
 
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