weight gain for veteran?

savvyblue

savvyblue

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hi I'm looking for ideas on what to feed my Tb x ( more tb tbh) 16.3 gelding 22yo.

he is currently living out 24/7 with a large round bale of hay in field
well rugged up

when comes in for work feed etc has access to hay as well
recently went barefoot behind so had decided to go for a higher fibre route to help prevent him being footy, so far so good.

currently being fed:
1 stubbs scoop: pony nuts
1 stubbs scoop: spedi beet (ready made)
oil

I wouldn't say he is underweight, but could do with building up more on the hindquarters and top line region. (I no top line comes with work)

I am a bit reluctant to try chaff ( has had slight choke symptoms, with molli chaff show shine but was before speedi beet was added)

Have also previously tried conditioning feeds and veteran feeds and didn't really see much improvement.

16 + sent him bit wired.
had worm count done this week as well

thinking possibly barley?
suggestions welcome
 
Last edited:
How is his teeth?

My barefoot Arab is 25 years old and his teeth aren't great.

He gets grazing/haylage and to supplement:

Fast Fibre
Speedibeet
half a scoop of bran (for taste)
micronised linseed (150g - great for joints, coat, gut etc)
minerals in accordance to forage analysis (copper, zinc, magnesium, lysine, salt)
1 tbsp yea-sacc (for gut health)
mug of oats (for energy)
mixture of herbs depending on time of year
2000iu vitamin e capsules squeezed into feed (to replace the vit e he doesn't get from the forage due to his teeth).

He also has plain hay chaff/readigrass as a side dish (he doesn't like it mixed in his dinner).

I am very fond of micronised linseed. IMO it's a horsey superfood!
 
he is parrot mouthed (slightly) but they are regularly checked.
how do you feed linseed?
hopefully getting someone to share/loan him for a few months as I'm unable to ride due to op soon so don't want anything too fussy or complicated to make up.
 
tbh if the fields stay the way they are with the weather they will be in overnight soon so was thinking about giving him ready grass or something similar just so I know he has got plenty to eat overnight
 
If you swap the pony nuts for a conditioning cube, it should help him to hold his weight better, as they have more energy in.

Working in a correct manner will help with topline.
 
I have no experience feeding the barefoot horse but to help aid his top line, you need to increase his protein.

I would do this by perhaps feeding soaked grass nuts if you want to avoid chaff and conditioning/veteran feeds.

I would also add micronised linseed to help with his weight and continue with the Sugar beet.

I personally would swap the pony nuts with the grass nuts and add a balancer or vit/min supplement. I highly recommend adding some Pink Powder. This made a huge difference to my veteran.
 
savvyblue said:
he is parrot mouthed (slightly) but they are regularly checked.
how do you feed linseed?
hopefully getting someone to share/loan him for a few months as I'm unable to ride due to op soon so don't want anything too fussy or complicated to make up.
Click to expand...

I only mention teeth as my old boy was still being checked annually and I was shocked at the changes all of a sudden. He ended up with salivary gland infections and looked poor just from nowhere! Haylage was getting wrapped around the gaps etc. I'm not a stupid horse owner but it all snuck up on me
slap.gif


According to the nutrition geeks, linseed is fed best when micronised.

I buy a year's supply from Charnwood Milling for my two
http://www.charnwood-milling.co.uk/mail-order/Horse_Food.html

Or you can buy it in smaller bags
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LINSEED-M...r_Equipment&hash=item3f07e4085d#ht_1075wt_952

For added protein - plain old oats will do (especially fed after exercise).
 
have tried some conditioning feeds previously and tbh didnt really feel like they made much of a difference if any.

He used to be on pink powder but will introduce that again, have been told about veteran vitality and think i might give that a go, having looked on the website and seen the results of the trial.

storage at the yard am on is a bit of an issue ( have bins etc for feed but just no where to store excess feed bags etc sop couldnt really bulk buy)
 
I moved over hubby's DVDs and keep stuff in his room or on top of our fridge
lol.gif


I like Allen and Page's stuff. If I were to feed commercial mixes again I'd try that.
 
I know you said not chaff but i stuck my old boy on Spillers Conditioning Fibre and have had fab results. I cant feed it to him dry so have to make sure i wet it down loads! Also he had great results A&P Veteran Vitality so definately well worth giving that a go!
 
I think that was part of the problem with chaff before, was fed dry as in not with speedi beet, so hoping if i get some he will be fine.

hoping feed merchant has vv in stock did a quick check and they a stockist and already sell a load of spillers stuff, as off to buy feed today.
 
I would recommend trying Dengie Alfa Beet!

I swear by if for my old boy (21 year old Arab) We tried everything, barley rings, conditioning feed, build up mixes, readi grass, extra buckets of chaff etc. You name it I tried it and he was really thin at one point a few winters ago. After I moved him to Alfa beet he put on weight.

All I do is have him on speedi beet through the summer then in winter move him onto Alfa beet and he keeps his weight on and keeps his muscle tone.

I would look maybe at the Alfalfa pellets aswell as they might be better than normal high fibre/pony cubes. I would feed them to my boy but he refuses to eat cubes! Fussy boy hehe.

:)
 
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