Talk me through Winter feeding for the good doer?

[LadyRascasse]

For the first time in my horsey life I am facing the prospect of entering winter without a TB to feed. This is totally alien to me, its usually ad lib haylage and hard feed of sugarbeet, grass nuts and linseed. I am not ashamed to say I totally lost with what to feed my good doer 3yr old. He is welsh X TB and I think he will be a good doer, currently on good grass but won't be much longer before that dies away and will be replaced by hay. He came to me very skinny but picked up with grass very quickly.

He will be coming in at night as he would be the only one left out otherwise. I would say he currently on the heavier side of good but not obese. I would like him to lose a bit through winter and have no intention of rugging him until he really needs it. So suggestions on what to feed him hard feed wise as he is now out with a TB who is currently fed at night (not my horse) so I need to give him a little something so he doesn't try and shove his head in his field companions bowl (and regardless of who is boss my lad will give it a dam good try!!)

 

[PorkChop]

I wouldn't be giving any hard feed, mine would just be having grass and forage. If you really need to give him something in a bucket then just a little chaff to keep him amused

 

[LadyRascasse]

He hasn't had any hard feed all summer but now he is sharing his field and the other horse is fed I need to feed him something at least until they come in at night.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Grass, Hay (in a double holed net) and I really don't rug mine up toasty....warm so they use their own weight. if the others on the yard are in heavys mine is in a medium or lighter.

And that is my Warmblood!!! lol

 

[PorkChop]

Just chop up some carrots!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Just chop up some carrots!

carrots too much sugar for mine, she just gets a handful of chaff, unmolassed.

 

[budley95]

Balancer and as much hay as he fancies! Spillers do a "lite" balancer if that helps!

 

[_HP_]

My natives get a token feed of fast fibre (Allen &page) or speedibeet with linseed, salt and minerals (pro balance plus or T.E.N.S daily balancer ) plus hay over winter

 

[LadyRascasse]

carrots too much sugar for mine, she just gets a handful of chaff, unmolassed.

Carrots are a no no with him they send him hyper! Never know it but then I have always had tbs lol

 

[monkeybum13]

As much hay as you can give him without him piling on too many lbs, if he starts to look a bit dull I'd be tempted to give him a balancer, top spec lite, spillers lite or baileys lo cal for example.

 

[wattamus]

One of mine's a great doer the other is still good but not as good, the great doer gets a handful of hi-fi lite just to keep her happy and the other gets a proper feed. To be honest my horses are 17 and 18 and all the time I've had them, they've come in overnight in winter and always had feed so they expect it now. I couldn't feed one without the other.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

He hasn't had any hard feed all summer but now he is sharing his field and the other horse is fed I need to feed him something at least until they come in at night.

It would make more sense to bring the other horse outside the field gate to eat then put it back rather than feed the good do-er.

 

[Equi]

I gave mine a net of hay at night in stable and a handfull of local to give some vits in, other than that..nada..

 

[Queenbee]

I wouldn't be giving any hard feed, mine would just be having grass and forage. If you really need to give him something in a bucket then just a little chaff to keep him amused

This ^^^ grass and haylage with a handful of grass chaff with broad spec supplement, if needed I up the chaff and add speedie beet, if this doesn't work enough, I add linseed meal

 

[thatsmygirl]

One of mine's a great doer the other is still good but not as good, the great doer gets a handful of hi-fi lite just to keep her happy and the other gets a proper feed. To be honest my horses are 17 and 18 and all the time I've had them, they've come in overnight in winter and always had feed so they expect it now. I couldn't feed one without the other.

You see I'm the same, have 2 very good doers and couldn't feed the others while they wicker and get nothing so get a tiny bit of fast fibre with vit supplement. Not even a handful but enough to lick the bowl and not feel left out.

 

[Greylegs]

My good doer (a highland) lives with others too, so has to have a token feed. He gets a handful of chaff with a measure of Baileys Lo Cal balancer, and the odd carrot or two. He thinks its a feed, but not compared to what some of the others get!! (Oh ... and lots of haulage fed in a small hole net).

 

[Tess Love]

I give my Welsh D a token feed of A&P Fast Fibre and Baileys Lo Cal balancer with a little bit of Hi Fi Lite in mid winter if necessary. She is fed because all her stable mates are, she doesn't put on any extra pounds with this but psychologically she feels included, which makes her very happy and content.

 

[JennBags]

I wouldn't be giving any hard feed, mine would just be having grass and forage. If you really need to give him something in a bucket then just a little chaff to keep him amused

This ^^^^^

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Carrots are a no no with him they send him hyper! Never know it but then I have always had tbs lol

My friends horse is like a child with ADHD and too much E number s on carrots!

 

[MissJessica]

I feed my good doer, Simple Systems total eclipse and noticed improved feet, coat etc... last winter, it's a powder format and therefore one large bag lasts me all Winter, I mix it with unmolassed chaff and dampen down with water, my boy is a native, good doer and really sensitive and this is the only thing I can feed without his eyes being on stalks. I tried a calming mix and he barrelled! So this feed ticks a lot of boxes for us.
Yes I understand he would survive on hay at night, grass in the day but I feel Simple Systems does his insides good. But every horse is different. xx

 

[PollyP99]

I give my Welsh D a token feed of A&P Fast Fibre and Baileys Lo Cal balancer with a little bit of Hi Fi Lite in mid winter if necessary. She is fed because all her stable mates are, she doesn't put on any extra pounds with this but psychologically she feels included, which makes her very happy and content.

I'm the same with my d she has fast fibre now with her supplements, she loves it and all accounts I've read put it at very local suitable for lami's

Compared to her skinny mates it's nothing but she thinks she gets fed!

 

[catkin]

My natives get soaked grass nuts, linseed and a broad vit&min powder - just in very small quantities!!

(eg For Sec D weighing approx 450kg, in light but consistent daily work: 200g dry-weight grass nuts and 100g linseed daily, split into 3 tiny feeds, plus ad-lib forage and restricted grazing).

 

[Orson Cart]

My natives get a token feed of fast fibre (Allen &page) or speedibeet with linseed, salt and minerals (pro balance plus or T.E.N.S daily balancer ) plus hay over winter

As above.

 

[Jnhuk]

Mine are very similar to what others have said.

Fast Fibre, vit/mins supplement and oat straw plus as much turnout as possible and hay (double netted) as needed

I don't over rug as well. One of mine didn't wear a rug at all last winter as was so mild.

 

[maccachic]

Mine gets as scoop of alfalfa and her multi vit / mins 30g scoop and adlib hay when there is insufficient grass. I barely rug as well.

 

[windand rain]

My natives get soaked grass nuts, linseed and a broad vit&min powder - just in very small quantities!!

(eg For Sec D weighing approx 450kg, in light but consistent daily work: 200g dry-weight grass nuts and 100g linseed daily, split into 3 tiny feeds, plus ad-lib forage and restricted grazing).

Mine get almost the same as this with a little grass chaff if it is very cold or the feed it too sloppy all unmollassed and pretty much natural but I do not feed huge amounts of hay as it gives mine the runs

 

[LadyRascasse]

Thanks I went for fast fibre in the end, might add a small amount of linseed in a few weeks as I think its really good for any horse. Still unrugged too

 

[maisie06]

Hay, mineral lick....that's it.

 

[TigerTail]

alfalfa pellets, linseed salt and pro hoof. No hay yet as still got a fair amount of grass. Also unrugged and will remain so unless anyone gets shivery.

 

[Ceriann]

my little coloured cobby type mare gets a token handful of chaff and hay in the field if out or in the stable overnight. Ive just taken my two off my greener paddock (baled and not been grazed much since) as its making them balloon so currently back on mean paddock with hay! They're not happy!