Very fussy eater - alfalfa and speedibeet alternitives please

Saxon_Jasmine

Saxon_Jasmine

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Hi,

Does anyone know of a good alternitive to alfalfa chaff and speedibeet?

My very fussy TB goes off feeds really quickly and now refuses to eat alfalfa chaff, and any wet feeds. This is very annoying as she needs the alfalfa for it's high protein and conditioning factor, and ideally I like to feed a sort of wet feed to aid daily water in take. I also like to feed chaff to slow down the eating time.

Any suggestions need to be un mollased, cereal free, and low in starch and sugar.

She's currently fed:
1/2 scoop Top Spec Cool Condition Cubes
1 scoop of alfalfa chaff (tried Dengie and Mollichaff)
2 handfuls (measured unsoaked) of Speedi Beet
Reccomended amount of Top Spec Leisure Time Balancer
3 handfuls of micronized linseed

2 times a day.

I've calculated her needed daily intake, etc, and she is getting exactly what she needs and in the correct amounts, it's annoying now that she won't actually eat it!

She also gets ad lib haylage at night (stabled), and is on ok grazing for about 5 hours a day.

Any reccomendations or suggestions greatfully recieved. Thank you!
 
Gave up years ago trying to feed my fussy TB alfalfa!
She is now on the cherry oil chaff, its soya oil based and very palatable.

However when in work (currently on materity leave) i have her on saracens Re-leave, which is a complete feed and super conditioning you can feed without chaff.

Good luck!
 
What about apple chaff? I know lots who are fussy but really like it!

Dengie do a hi-fi apple - more straw than alfa-alfa?

not sure what to replace the speedi-beet with though... could you just soak his cubes maybe? or just add plenty of water to his feed in advance of feding it?
 
dianchi said:
Gave up years ago trying to feed my fussy TB alfalfa!
She is now on the cherry oil chaff, its soya oil based and very palatable.

However when in work (currently on materity leave) i have her on saracens Re-leave, which is a complete feed and super conditioning you can feed without chaff.

Good luck!
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Thank you. She likes yummy chaffs (eg. sugary, flavoured ones), but they don't have a great conditioning factor, and the sugar content makes her very stressy.

I've looked are Re-Leve before and it looks like a very good feed, though it is very expensive. I don't really want to change her main feed component (cool condition cubes), but may have to.
 
I agree, Graze-On or Readigrass instead of Alfalfa (very bitter apparently, my TB informs me! :eek:) For a speedibeet alternative? Fast Fibre maybe if you want a wet component - or just add more water or dilute apple juice to the feed? :confused:
 
I use fast fibre (Allen&Page) instead of speedibeet, its much quicker to soak (1min) high fibre, low sugar and low starch. I have also used their calm and condition for my spotty which is similar takes longer to soak but my spotty did prefer it. And i much prefer them to speedibeet.
However cant really help you with an alternative to alfafa - i feed Alfa-A oil and mine have never refused it.
 
MistletoeMegan said:
Graze-On is a good replacement for Alfalfa.
Click to expand...

Agree with that. Failing that get some grass pellets which you soak, Northern Crop Driers (same firm that does Graze On chop) do some as do Dengie (theirs are Alfalfa based) then you don't need to feed a chaff at all.

Chaff is a bit like NZ rugs according to my vet; in many cases, only needed for the owner, not the horse although he appreciates it can slow down bolting the food but many horses, particularly youngsters, don't like chaff of any type anyway however it's dressed up.

OP, remember your horse hasn't read your book of dietary requirements and might not agree with it anyway (as it's showing you already), they're all individual, have individual likes, dislikes and needs.:)
 
Saxon_Jasmine said:
Cool Stance looks really good, though I'm looking for an alternitive to alfalfa, and an alternitive to speedi beet.

Thank you though, and I'll definatly bare that in mind if I do cahnge her main feed component.
Click to expand...

Had to check the website as I've always known it as "Copra Meal" but I believe it can be used a chaff replacement. I used to feed our fussy TB this with conditioning cubes and it worked excellently.
 
Maesfen said:
OP, remember your horse hasn't read your book of dietary requirements and might not agree with it anyway (as it's showing you already), they're all individual, have individual likes, dislikes and needs.:)
Click to expand...

:D I really wish she had! Yes, I know that they all have individual requirements, and I've tried to take this into account when designing her feeding programme. She doesn't like to eat what she needs though, so a difficult situation.

I think I might feed a small amount of soaked alfalfa pellets (or similar) with a handfull of yummy chaff instead and just hope she doesn't loose condition/weight.
 
I am watching this post with interest as my good doer has just decided he doesn't like alfalfa either. He is refusing his once-favoured topspec lite AND the new bag of hifi molasses free. He won't eat garlic, or anything 'sloppy' so allen and page feeds are out. I don't want him having lots of molasses as he gains weight and gets stressy. But he is currently lacking 'oomph' when ridden so need something.

I just got a bag of mollichaff calmer to try on recommendation from the feed shop. He will eat spillers cool fibre as well, though it's a bit too molassey, but I may have to go back to it if he doesn't go for the mollichaff.

Don't get applechaff tho, it is just as mollasey as the original, too much for a sharp horse.
Would grass nuts be too calorific for a good doer?
 
Have you tried the Alfa-A Molasses Free? A lady on my yard changed to it when her horse wouldnt eat the Alfa-A Oil and she has been really pleased. It has got added herbs which might make it more palatable.
 
Alfabeet or fiberbeet ?

Fiberbeet is an alfa/ speedibeet mix I fed it to mine over winter however I have read some bad things about Alfa recently and will not be feeding it again.

Lucie grass and nuts ( which you serve soaked) from simple systems may also be worth a look, I know a lot of people who swear by them

http://www.simplesystemhorsefeeds.co.uk/products/feeds.asp?id=31&name=Thoroughbreds

Edit : I have just seen they do a beet pulp too
 
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