Thoroughbred + spring grass = bucked off!!!! Feed advice needed

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FaldingwoodLivery

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I ate dust today :-(

My 18yo TB (who is usually a dobbin) decided that cos he wanted to canter......sideways.....when I wanted him to trot he'd put in a huge flying buck followed by a couple of cat leaps, causing me to hit the deck. It's the first time I've come off him at standing at 17.1hh it's a looooong way down!

He's been fresh for a couple of weeks, I'm assuming it's down to spring grass and have cut his hard feed, just now wondering wether to drop it completely. Problem is I worry bout his weight, need you lot to tell me not to be silly and that I worry boot him too much, this is the first summer I've had him and so am a bit unsure what to do bout feeding.

He came to me august last year very underweight. So he was turned out 24/7 and came in twice a day to a feed and a small haynet. He was on 2 kg of baileys no 4 ( along with alfalfa and sugar beet, soya oil, garlic and devils relief) twice a day all through winter and we've eventually got him to a nice weight with some good muscle tone, I recently halfed the amount of baileys but he's still got mountains and mountains of unrequired energy :-)

So......I'm going to cut the conditioning cubes out altogether and just give him the alfalfa and sugar beet to have his supplements in. Do you think I should get a vit and mineral supplement to make sure good still gets everything he needs or will he get enough from the grass? He's out on good grass all day everyday.

Also when I decide to leave him
Out 24/7 do you think he'll be ok without a fees or should I still feed him?

I know a lot of you will probably think I'm being stupid and want to tell me to get a grip, but it's tool me so long to get him looking right, plus he's knocking on a bit, I just like to know I'm doing the best I can for him :-)
 
What a monkey !!! But you're obviously looking after him well if he is 18 and still feels he can do acrobatics :)

I would give a vit and min supplement with the chaff and beet just in case your grass is deficient in something. I would also try him out 24x7 if you can, then he can burn off some of that excess energy. You can always feed hay out there if he needs a little bit more. I would always try more forage before increasing hard feed.

Good luck.
 
I'd cut out all feed other than a handful of chaff with his multivit. There is plenty in the grass at the moment (if yours is good) and a lot of sugar!

Just taken my TB off his conditioning feed that he's been having over the winter and reduced his feed right down.

I'd only feed a token feed after hes' worked.
 
Thanks guys, that's what I thought. He'll be going out 24/7 in the next couple of weeks, think I'll just give him chop and his supplements, what general but and mineral supplement does everyone recommend?
 
I would certainly cut his feed down, I'd probably cut out one thing at a time rather than going from a huge feed to just a handful of chaff.

If you want to go for a general vit supplement I'd go for NAF or Equivit. Benevit is good and cheaper but has a strong smell and alot of horses won't eat it.
 
Cutting down his feed is a start. Perhaps you could change his feed to the Mollichaff Calmer by HorseHage

My mum switched her 4 yr old TB's feed to the calmer and he's never been so calm (for a 4 yr old TB that is XD)
 
Try this mix - I got the recipe from an old NZ stockman

While grass is growing strongly feed this twice daily

1 level tablespoon each Epsom Salts, Baking Soda, Yeast & Dried Thyme.

Once settled back down feed once daily preferably 1½-2 hrs before working. Magnesium is metabolised fast so feeding it the night before won't have any effect on the horse when you ride the next day.

You can replace the Epsom Salts with a commercial Magnesium.

I have recommended this mix to many people since using it on my own youngster some years ago - I have had many positive responses.
 
I recently tried no 4 with my young tb and it sent him absolutely crackers - like a horse possesed, so much so he managed to tweak his back with all the galloping around! I rang baileys as he came to me 3 months ago a bit ribby and we're now on the no 14 lo cal balancer which is giving him a balanced diet and baileys outshine. It's not a cheap combination but in 2 weeks he's looking so much better!

Baileys were really helpful on the phone so could be worth a call!
 
deicinmerlyn said:
I'd cut out all feed other than a handful of chaff with his multivit. There is plenty in the grass at the moment (if yours is good) and a lot of sugar!
Just taken my TB off his conditioning feed that he's been having over the winter and reduced his feed right down.
I'd only feed a token feed after hes' worked.
Click to expand...

Same as this ... my TB is out 24/7 now and is like a dope on a rope :rolleyes:

I only feed her (conditioning mix and fast fibre) after she is ridden, we have good grass at the mo.
 
Agree with the above but to stick a different spin on it, where did you get him from......he might have been kept under condition, because when he is feeling well he turns into a bit of a monster...not saying it's the case but another way of looking at it.

My TB is out 24/7 with a mug of high fibre nuts, mug of outshine (farrier reccommended for her feet) and seaweed.
They have a field lick which contains everything that grass may be lacking, cheaper than feeding loads of supplements. Grazing is good and she looks fab.
 
Bug2007 said:
They have a field lick which contains everything that grass may be lacking, cheaper than feeding loads of supplements./QUOTE]

Sorry to high jack but which field lick is this? I am looking to buy one but I don't want one of the molasses one, maybe a magnesium one? - I have found a sheep one - does anyone know if I can I use that?
Click to expand...
 
I use the type for dairy cows - the block is huge but lasts my three a year. They do give it a hiding when the grass is growing fast. They also have a multi mineral lick as well.
 
Another vote for magnesium here! My boy goes nuts with spring grass (or even grass after heavy rain). I feed him Calmag. You can get it off ebay for a couple of quid for 900g but I now buy the 25kg sack from my local sheep and cattle feed merchant for £13. He gets a heaped 10ml scoop a day and I occasionally double it up if he starts getting loopy again.

Magnesium is the most common ingredient in most commercial calmers but its much cheaper to feed this way (thats whats in the Epsom Salts).

If you give him too much, his droppings will get a bit loose but any extra is excreted that way - apart from giving him the runs you cant overdose him on it.
 
Lollii said:
Bug2007 said:
They have a field lick which contains everything that grass may be lacking, cheaper than feeding loads of supplements./QUOTE]

Sorry to high jack but which field lick is this? I am looking to buy one but I don't want one of the molasses one, maybe a magnesium one? - I have found a sheep one - does anyone know if I can I use that?
Click to expand...

They have a Sacrcen one, they love it and lasts for ages. Doesn't send them loopy either.
Click to expand...
 
Yet another vote for magnesium. I feed it to my TB all year round, adjusting the amount to suit the season. At the moment he is having a full scoop per day added to a tiny amount of hifi lite and hifi cubes to hide it in. He also has garlic and Pink powder. The first spring I had him he went completely loopy on the spring grass to the point where he was actually dangerous to handle :( Since feeding the mag (calcined mag)he has been absolutely fine and I think it helps to keep him sane and rational all the time, he is a bit of a worrier and along with a settled routine and the right diet (absolutely no sugar in his hard feed) he is pretty chilled and relaxed. Occasionally something will upset him and he has a bit of a paddy but this is now the exception rather than the norm.
 
I posted a thread the other day about my TB loosing the plot, who as yours is normally a dobbin.

I've completely removed his feed and gone from haylage to hay, he's got plenty of condition currently, glad it's not just me!
 
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