This sound ok feedwise at the moment?

[Sparkles]

Bringing the two big lads into work [Well, not BIG, but just as opposed to the cobs], and they're just about covered at the moment as been out all summer, but I wouldn't want them any lighter than they are currently going into winter. 16.3hh 15y/o TB, 17.2hh 6y/o warmblood.

They're both out 24/7 on about 10 acres of 'ok' grass plus hay sometimes on colder days. Both returning into work, currently just doing hourly hacking in walk and a bit of trot now. Both can be a bit poor doers over winter. Warmblood I'm gearing towards getting started on dressage with him over winter. TB, he'll just be hacking but fit enough for the odd days hunting. Both just been wormed and MOT'd so to speak.

So currently I've just started them on hard feed, they're getting 1 1/2 scoops conditioning nuts plus a scoop of maize and a little bit of oil, twice daily. Plus either an hour grazing in the real lush grass I can let them on for a little while in the evening, or a net of haylage.

Sound ok? Neither are terribly skinny nor overweight, but obviously are lacking muscle from no work [but this is increasing now].

 

[TGM]

Is it just the two of them in the field at the moment, or are there other horses in with them? Are they staying out all winter? If the grazing is only 'OK' and they are poor doers then really they need extra hay/haylage in the field, but this might not be possible if other horses are out with them. If they are staying out all winter can the two of them being in a separate field (by division with electric tape if necessary) so they can have ad lib hay/haylage?

As regards bucket feed, any particular reason why you are feeding a conditioning cubes PLUS maize? Personally I wouldn't feed maize anyway as it is one of the starchiest feeds. You can either drop the maize and increase the conditioning cubes proportionally, or opt entirely down the 'straights' route (but preferably using oats instead of maize and incorporating high calorie fibre/oil straights, such as grass pellets, grass chaff, linseed, beet etc).

 

[Sparkles]

Just always have fed maize to them, normally do a daily mix of oats, maize and barley for anything out in the fields not in work, bought the extra conditioning cubes for them now but need to use the maize up anyway as nothing else in the field needs it at the moment. Oats are a no-go for the warmblood, though fine for the TB.

They'll go back on Alpha Plus mix [and micronised linseed] and ad-lib haylage end of October time when they come back in stabled, as have found that a lovely feed with incredible results last year and suits them well, but just need something a bit extra to keep them ticking over at the moment.

They're currently out with the cob youngstock on the hill, until end of October when I shall bring them in. I'm bringing them in for haylage each day now though at the moment, they do have ad-lib hay out in the field with them.