Views on feeding only a fibre diet, even when competing.

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Beth889

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I have recently moved yards and there is a lack of grass. Which I think a lot of people have the same problem. I have a 15:2hh, 5 year old, Irish Sports horse and a 9 month old foal who is 3/4 TB. I recently read an article on how it its better for horses to only eat fibre diet, helps digestion and horses can compete on only a fibre diet. When I first moved yards my 5 year old lost a lot of condition. They were on two feeds a day, very good quality haylage (all they can eat) and was giving conditioning mixes which costs a lot. Still not much weight gain, the 5 year very fussy! I was not worried about the fizz so much but had noticed behaviour changes in the 5 year old, not too bad but noticeable. So I changed both there hard feeds to Alfa A oil and sugarbeet, plus supplements garlic, brewers yeast and seaweed. Before I was giving sunflower oil and linseed as well as the mix. I have seen a big difference in both horses both put loads of weight on and looking really well. The 5 year old ridden work is back to normal. Is it being digested easier? I will be competing this summer and the work load will go up, do I keep them on this feed or should I give a mix or cubes? Would like to know your views? As a fibre diet for mine worked really well.
 
helloo
i was in the same position as you last year moved from the yard with poor grazing to a new yard with ok grazing although was the middle of september so it was trailing off. my horse had lost alot of condition so i went down the whole topline cubes etc route a slight difference but not alot and couldnt tell if it was the feed or abit of extra grass. Over the winter she had been fed on ad lib hay and i switched her diet to; fibre beet, sugar beet, chaff, micronised linseed, oats (for energy as she competes) and barley (helps with weight) i have to noticed a huge difference now she is off mix and chaff and on a more fibre based diet. Like another poster suggested just add oats for extra energy :)
 
We have our showjumpers on a fibre only diet and they are like puddings! :p my dutch warmblood is too crazy on other feeds as what people dont realise is most of the "calm and condition" type feeds are a load of rubbish! Its protien in the feeds that gives the horses energy, we feed redi grass, 1/4 scoop of fibre cubes, 1/4 scoop of course mix and sugarbeet. And of course good quality haylage. Plain and simple is the best way to feed them, and like someone else said just add a few oats if you need a spark! Barley is also a good weight gainer and what horses have coped on for years before all the fancy makes came out ;)
 
A large amount of the conditioning mixes are very high in starch, i try and avoid feeding mine anything with starch levels over 20% and actually don't get anywhere near that with what they are on now. Starch is quite tough for horses to digest, whereas fibre and oil is much more easily digested.
 
My cob hunts on a diet of haylage, sugar beet and chaff.

He is quite 'hot' for a cob so this diet suits him - he looks very well and has plenty of energy.

I think it depends on the horse tbh....
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one feeding just fibre. I think my boy will be fine at a good fitness level now. My foal is getting too fat now.
 
We've been on the fibre diet for a long time now with excellent results on all our horses. We keep banging on about how detrimental feeds with cereal or added sugar is for horses, but until people actually try it, they'll never know.:)
 
Most horses will cope absolutely fine on fibre only diet. My WB certainly does.
A good vit/min supplement or balancer will supply basics needed. I love alfabeet esp if they need a bit extra weight.
 
Fibre only is the best IMO. My horse gets Fast Fibre with supplements including micronised linseed and hay only and does brilliantly on it.
 
My vet advised me to just feed all mine on a high fibre diet and said as long as they are fit they shouldn't need all these high energy feeds. Have done this for several years now a long with a good exercise programme and plenty of turnout and mine are all happy and healthy:)
 
One of ours is on fibre and multi vit only and he is the same weight year round, my TB simply can't manage 100% on fibre summer he copes well but needs oats to keep the weight on over winter / when grass dries up. Some can some can't. Key is to reach for fibre first and add grains as necesscery (I won't feed processed feeds anymore).
 
My daughter competes her horse on a high fibre diet he is fed simple systems lucie nuts with a natural balancer from natura horse & tiger oats during the eventing season alongside his haylage . This diet works really well for both him & the yard owners competition horse, they look great & get good results.
 
Mine has been on a high fibre diet since I got him. He's a 16.1hh TB. He does fine on it. At the moment he gets adlib haylage, a bucket full of hifi lite, pink powder and about 1/2 a scoop of fibre cubes mostly which go in his play ball.
He had a balancer at one point which he did well on and he's had alfa and sugarbeet in the past. Thats it though. I always come back to the same thing when feeding!
 
Forage does not have the correct nutrients in it for muscle growth and support of the ligaments etc for a horse in hard work, so a feed which supports hard work would contain these nutrients, hence why there are so many different products available e.g. Pasture mix, competition mix, leisure mix, racehorse mix
 
Re: above post. Alfalfa is a brilliant source of protein. This would be more than appropriate to build/maintain muscle and connective tissue.
Fed alongside other straights such as speedibeet, chaff and oats and good hay/hayledge is a good feed for a competition horse/hunter.
Yes, the mixes do contain protein, but it has other 'stuff' in it, such as mollasses and fillers that some people are trying to steer clear of now and go back to basics.
 
Forage alone doesn't usually contain everything. Hence a vitamin and mineral suppliment is required.
Horses can work hard from a fibre based diet. Indeed it reduces the risk of colic laminitis etc.
 
The reason there are so many different "mixes" is because feed companies target market them to the owners. Horses don't need them; as so many people have said above, the vast majority of horses are better off on just fibre. I have NEVER fed any form of grain to any of my horses, some of whom are now entering their teens hale and hearty after a lifetime of work, just hay, a vit/min balancer and the odd bit of unmolassed beetpulp.
 
Do it.

We have 2 18yo horses. Ron is ID x and Tom is Welsh x Hanoverian.

They are hunting once or twice a week on a fibre diet. Fast fibre, spoilers conditioning chaff and linseed meal, and ad lib haylage. Works out pretty cheap and they both look fab.
 
Another one who hunts 3 times a fortnight with horse on unmolassed sugar beet, molasses free chaff, oats, linseed and veg. oil as well as ad lib hay and turnout although grass pretty dire!!

Does us very well.
 
I have been feeding a high fibre, high oil ,high protein diet to my youngsters for forty years and have done every equestrian sport to a fair level with them with success. I tailor the protein levels to the age of the horse reducing it as they reach their teens as too much protein for oldies can put a strain on their kidneys. I have always used a vitamin and mineral supplement too. Even at grass mine get equibites to give them their vitamins and minerals. Feeding gets more and more scientific and you can now have all your forage analysed and field/forage specific balancer made for your animals
 
Both of mine only get fibre, shortfeed is just hifi mollasses free and pura beet which is also unmollassed, they get worked most days and one will be showing this summer,I will start adding some micronised linseed about now for extra condtion and to improve his coat.
 
My 4 get grass, hay (weighed, because they'll all turn into spacehoppers if they get a strand of hay extra), and a field sized Horslyx each in their stable for all the vits and mins. These last for a month - 2 months depending on the size of the horses - I've got 2 pure bred arabs 14.2/14.3, 1 part bred 15.1 and a 16.3 TB ex-racehorse. None of them is short of energy, and they always look really well. I feed the hay in small mesh haynets (made from fishing net - they are fantastic - no-one has managed to chew through them, and a single section of hay lasts the greediest 2 hours from these nets rather than the 20 minutes it was lasting using a Shires fine mesh net - and that was double netted into a haylage net to try to stop the vandalism....), so they are never hungry or bored.
 
My mare is now on Alfalfa pellets, speedi beet, and linseed with brewers yeast. She looks fantastic, and has plenty of energy! My pockets are happy too :D :D I will add a high spec vit and min supplement too, but currently I am pleased with how she is looking without it.
 
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