Ted needs energy.

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SonnysHumanSlave

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So teds a good doer, he's on ad lib hay, and gets a scoop of chaff and 1/4 scoop of pony nuts twice a day.
He gets daily turnout.

I have started riding him 5x a week, and have been for about 2 months now. Slowly slowly he's energy just seems to be disappearing. You can see he is fully fit. But even hacking he is slow!!

I want him to have a bit more go, but not to be silly.... Which I don't think I will get anyways as he's being ridden 5x a week.

Now the question is.... It's coming into winter, he's fully clipped and lives in at night....

Shall I feed sugar beet?

Or can you suggest something else.

I really want to get him out doing things over winter but not sure he's got the energy.

Many thanks
 
Staypower museli = My saviour!! Snowy was like that and hes been on it 2 1/2 months now and is a different horse :). Has a lot more in the tank without causing any issues in his head/fizzyness. On comp mix he was a bit mental.
 
Sugar Beet is great for sustained energy - for hunting for example - but wouldn't recommend it for energy as such.

I would replace the pony nuts with a mix, I use Saracen Enduro for my laid-back mare. I think you are right in that if he is being ridden five times a week he shouldn't get silly if you feed him something with more calories.
 
Try feed changes first but if still no joy then you could try Red Cell. I find ours can be prone to being a little deficient at this time of year so add it to the plan when their get up and go wanes.
 
If he's a good doer then I'd be tempted to change the chaff to maybe half Alfa A Oil, it's slow release energy, if your riding 5 times a week then this won't give him the extra calories which would pile on a good doer that is only in light work or no work.

Probably make sure he's getting enough vitamins and minerals in his diet, so a field lick or add something into his feed if the grass and hay is not up to much, usually it's one or the other, so a horse doing lots of work will benefit from a vitmin supplement to the diet, or if you instroduce a another hard feed like a mix there should be enough in the feed without using a supplement, but you'd have to read the labels and see what offers what.

Also depending on the type of work your horse is doing, if its medium work load (lots of schooling, jumping, long, faster hacking) then something like Allan & Page Sustain or if its a little lighter work but on a regular basis, then an endurance mix like Bailey's no. 6, both are low starch, slow relase feeds but will give him that little bit more to cope with more work load without feeling 'over worked'.

Best thing to do is ring a few feed companies and get some good free advice, they will suggest a diet individually tailored to your horse. :)
 
Thanks for all replies, sorry for delay had to go to work.

Ok I'll do the muesli or sustain depending on which my feed merchants has in. Shall I feed it alongside the pony nuts.

I was also thinking about feeding a multi vit supplement I normally do in winter, and he probably does need that. Can't use licks as he just chews them up in one go.
 
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