TB Management Advice

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PercyMum

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Hi All

I have just bought a little TB mare. She is an ex-racer and such a poppet. I absolutely adore her but I have a couple of small concerns. Just hoping someone might be able to give me some pointers to make sure I am doing the right things for her! I have 2 main probs with her:

1 - Her stable is REVOLTING in the morning. She doesn't box walk, she just produces the most vast amount of poo and wee I have ever seen from a horse (and most of my horses previous to this have been 17hh+ monsters!!). Anyway, I have her on mats with 1/4 bale of shavings which i take out every day but she does like to lie down and she is just getting soaked in pee. I can't afford to give her a whole bale a day so is there anything else I can put her on that's absorbent, cheap and comfy to lie on!?

2 - I am a little worried by the amount of dung she is producing. She is on as much haylage as she wants, a Stubbs scoop of Spillers Conditioning chaff and a mug of Top Spec Feed Balancer twice a day and good turnout. She needs weight putting on and I am concerned that the goodies I am shoveling in one end are coming straight out the other end (and I am shoveling alot of that too!!! ) and its not doing its job in the middle. Is there a way to slow her digestion down so she gets the benefit of what is going in? Her poo isn't particularly loose, and she has been wormed and teeth are fine.

Thanks in advance! (Posted in Stable Yard too as I really need peoples thoughts!)
 
Sounds as though the food is too rich, can you get some good horse hay, see how that helps, you can soak haylage [is it rich?] to remove sugars and proteins.
In order to have a variety of fibre sources, I feed non molassed sugar beet [Speedi-beet] and add minerals, feed a level pet scoop once or twice a day, soak for 10 mins add minerals AND pro-biotic and pre biotic.
I feed Feedmark Steady-up, and find it helps nervy types, I get good droppings, which change colour with the forage.
You can also try Fast Fibre, which is from Allan & Page as you need to feed low sugar high fibre plus minerals and vitamins.
TB's can often be "skinny" can you post a photo, you can't stuff them full of grub, just work away to build condition over three months or so.
Can she get daily turnout with her new friends, is she getting enough daily exercise, lots of questions, really might be best to ask knowledgeable friend / instructor for advice.
Wood pellets might be cheaper. You need to bed down with 10 x15kg bags though.
She may need wormed, ask vet for advice, I think five day Panacur might be kind [less traumatic to gut], but wait till gut has settled with the pre and pro biotic, and less haylage, avoid Alfalfa at the moment, keep the diet plain.
She may need a light rug on overnight, the kind you can put in washing machine [eeks]
 
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Sounds as if much more bedding is needed - I've always put a full bed on mats tbh.

As for the poo - is it nice solid poo - or runny?

And can you split her hard feed ration in to three perhaps???
 
Miss L Toe said:
Sounds as though the food is too rich, can you get some good horse hay, see how that helps, you can soak haylage [is it rich?] to remove sugars and proteins.
I would get some non molassed sugar beet [Speedi-beet] and add minerals, feed a level pet scoop once or twice a day, soak for 10 mins add minerals AND pro-biotic and pre biotic.
I feed Feedmark Steady-up, and find it helps nervy types, I get good droppings, which change colour with the forage.
You can also try Fast Fibre, which is from Allan & Page as you need to feed low sugar high fibre plus minerals and vitamins.
TB's can often be "skinny" can you post a photo, you can't stuff them full of grub, just work away to build condition over three months or so.
Can she get daily turnout with her new friends, is she getting enough daily exercise, lots of questions, really might be best to ask knowledgeable friend / instructor for advice.
Wood pellets might be cheaper. You need to bed down with 10 x15kg bags though.
Click to expand...

Thanks. To answer:

- I don't think that the haylage isn't too rich as my other horse has a delicate tummy and is fine. Also, its included in our livery and we can't have hay so I'm a bit stuck with this.

- I'll try the pre/pro biotic and some Speedibeet. She isn't nervy at all so I don't think the Steady Up would help

- Happy that TB's are skinny types and that she needs lots of work (she gets 6 hours t/o min and I am gently working her everyday doing lots of suppling and muscle building exercises). I think I am just slightly anxious as she is only 4 and I want to make sure that I am doing the best for her. Rest of yard thinks what I am doing is fine but then they all have WB monsters!!

thanks for the pointers though - will def. look at getting some dietary support.
 
amymay said:
Sounds as if much more bedding is needed - I've always put a full bed on mats tbh.

As for the poo - is it nice solid poo - or runny?

And can you split her hard feed ration in to three perhaps???
Click to expand...

Agree with much more bedding but not sure my pockets run that deep!! I started her on a full bed and had to throw the lot away. Tried it for 3 days and then went to this new 'minimal bedding' routine. I hate it but I cannot afford £30+ a week for bedding. Delighted to hear an alternative? I'd like straw but we can't get it here.

Poo is solid-ish. Definitely not runny or splatty but not as firm as I'd like.

Feed could be split in three but she doesn't have a huge amount as I was trying to fill her up with good forage as I thought that would pu weight on her and improve her digestion more?
 
amymay said:
Sounds as if much more bedding is needed - I've always put a full bed on mats tbh
Click to expand...

This ^^
I'd have a nice thick bed of straw for her.
Otherwise she sounds like a typical young TB to me - most i've known (after working on a racing yard) are messy beggers & loads and poop loads!
Once you've got the weight back on and her feed is cut down she'll settle :)
 
Reg is the messiest horse going. He not only produces vast amounts of crap, but also trashes his stable nightly (he hates being in for long periods, so it's only when the grass is really poor that he does come in at night- we think he's claustrophobic or something?). He's now on woodchips and they're taking less than a barrow out each day. Considering on straw you'd take out at least 1 big barrow, more usually 2 or 3, that's impressive!

Feed wise, I don't know. All I know is he gets a vast quantity of food twice a day which is mostly chaff with pony nuts and some form of beet (speedi beet/ alpha beet?) and a Blue Chip balancer and ad lib haylege. He's so picky though, he does tend to get fed whatever he'll eat...
 
PercyMum said:
Thanks. To answer:

- I don't think that the haylage isn't too rich as my other horse has a delicate tummy and is fine. Also, its included in our livery and we can't have hay so I'm a bit stuck with this.

- I'll try the pre/pro biotic and some Speedibeet. She isn't nervy at all so I don't think the Steady Up would help

- Happy that TB's are skinny types and that she needs lots of work (she gets 6 hours t/o min and I am gently working her everyday doing lots of suppling and muscle building exercises). I think I am just slightly anxious as she is only 4 and I want to make sure that I am doing the best for her. Rest of yard thinks what I am doing is fine but then they all have WB monsters!!

thanks for the pointers though - will def. look at getting some dietary support.
Click to expand...
The Steady up has magnesium, which is lacking in many UK soils, and has pre and pro biotics, just because your other TB is OK on this haylage does not mean this mare one will be OK, so I would cut back ad lib haylage , add two good fibre feeds feeds of quick beet type forage.
The chaff has for good fibre, should have oat straw, maybe hay, minimal molasses. I really think you need to radically alter proportion of haylage to plain fibre.
PS can she nuzzle up to a neighbour?
PPS my boy would not be viewed as nervy, but he botles it up inside
 
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My TB yearling is a stable trasher too! I buy shavings from the local saw mill - £13 for a half tonne bag so I don't feel so bad putting more in every day - she can turn a clean bed completely brown overnight argh!
 
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