TB lacking energy!? (what feed)

W

welshied

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 March 2009
Messages
2,119
Visit site
My TB currently lives out 24/7 and is in a field with a bale of haylage (poor quality) he also gets 2 feeds a day and he gets (per feed) -
1 scoop of baileys topline NO4
1 scoop of chaff
He really lacks energy and you have to give him huge kicks to get him to even move he has had a heavier workload than usual as he was out on loan getting ridden nearly every day but now hes home i am keeping up his ridden work but he just seems to have no energy what so ever.
He is sensitive to changes in his feed so anyone have any ideas of what i can feed him without making him whacko
 
What you describe is not usual for a TB in my experience, even my first TB when skin and bone and overworked (before I got her) still did not huge kicks to get her to move. Have you considered a blood test. My second TB went like this and it was due to a virus.

Try a bit of red cell - great stuff but take care as it can be rocket fuel. Did my old girl the world of good and she used to have it at the end of every winter as she needed a tonic by then to boost her up.

Is he holding his weight ok?
 
my TB ex racer is the laziest horse ever, very tiring to ride, he's also overweight at the mo due to lack of work (me ill) so that doesn't help

I don't have any tips for you (mine is not being fed at the moment and out most of the time) but would be interested in what others may advise
 
When you say the haylage is 'poor quality' what do you mean exactly? Do you mean it has a low calorie level, or do you mean it is not particularly nice stuff, perhaps with mould in it?

Was the horse lazy before it went out on loan, or is this quite a new development? If he wasn't lazy originally then I would considering whether there is a medical problem such as a virus, compromised respiratory system (from poor quality haylage?), or could be sub-clinical lameness, arthritic changes, feeling feet on hard ground etc.
 
No haylage isn't mouldy just not very rich, he has always been lazy but the more he is worked the lazier he gets he was like this even when coming off race track and he had his back and everything checked
 
Maybe he's just a 'quiet' sort. You can't essentially change a horses nature, and some are more sluggish than others. If you are happy that there are no underlying issues, lessons will help you to get him to be quicker off the leg.

I say a photo of him in your other thread - what a lovely chap he is!
 
I have a very similar problem - though mine doesn't even have the excuse of poor quality haylage or living out most of the time. He currently gets a bowl scoop of racehorse mix every day along with some hi-fi - condition wise he is looking great at a good weight for him and with a real shine in his coat. He has plenty of energy when he gets out with his friends in the field but absolutely no fizz at all when I sit on him. Had the usual checks with back, teeth and blood tests etc - nowt showed up. He is just "ridden" lazy. Someone did suggest barley nuggets - anyone tried these?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks i should just appreciate i have a quiet one opposed to a manic cob lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, perhaps something in the middle would be nice, LOL
 
If he has been in racing, he may suffer from stomach ulcers which will exasperate the "quiet" nature. I would put him on a high fibre/oil diet and got from there. Something like Alfa Oil and topspec balancer, topped up with a high fibre/high oil cube or mix? I have known horses with ulcers actually get more "Buzzy" on slow release feed as their tummy settles.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If he has been in racing, he may suffer from stomach ulcers which will exasperate the "quiet" nature. I would put him on a high fibre/oil diet and got from there. Something like Alfa Oil and topspec balancer, topped up with a high fibre/high oil cube or mix? I have known horses with ulcers actually get more "Buzzy" on slow release feed as their tummy settles.

[/ QUOTE ]

I` d certainly be looking for some kind of physical problem as KatB suggest or maybe a blood test to rule out virus etc. Is he sound too, perhaps he has a pain somewhere and is reluctant to go forward. He may just be the laid back type but more often than not utter lazyiness relates to some discomfort pain or unwellness somewhere.
These animals are designed to be willing movers as a minimum, I would say!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top