Weight on a TB

[kdoug]

So, the age old question! I’ve had my TB mare for coming on 3 years now, and seemed to have got the formula for just about maintaining her through winter (we have some days I totally panic at the ribs, other days it’s not too embarrassing) and at the first opportunity in spring, we volunteer her to eat down the paddocks for those in fat camp, and we make it through (much to the detriment of my bank account). But I’d like to know thoughts on anything to help her maintain better, she currently gets large feeds (weighs 445kg at 15.3h for ref) : 1 Stubbs scoop of Baileys Ease & Excel 21, 1 Alfafa, 1/2 speedibeet, mug of linseed and gut balancer, twice daily (sometimes gets a 3rd feed of Ease & Excel if someone happens to be around) Ad-lib forage. She is not ulcery, before we go down that route.

Top spec recently weighed her and suggested their comprehensive balancer, which should in their theory, mean I could reduce quantity, as she will ‘use it’ better. But I’m intrigued to know others thoughts / experience on this approach, has the balancer but less feed worked for others (obviously I am aware that’s coming from their brand representative) or is there a better complete feed I ought to try..? Just open to reason and would like something that enables us to actually build some good top line, rather than fighting to keep weight on! Thanks

 

[Barton Bounty]

Is it micronised cooked linseed? I give 1/4 or 1/3 of a scoop twice a day of micronised linseed
1/3 scoop of copra or veteran light
1 heap scoop of honeychop
1 heap scoop of fibre nuts

Great weight all year round.

I only give 1 feed during summer though

 

[teddy_]

I used to have a fine and sensitive warmblood gelding who absolutely was not a good doer. I swapped him from a more conventional diet of Alfa A and a conditioning cube onto TopSpec Comprehensive, TopChop Grass, TopSpec Linseed Mash. He looked like a different horse in about a month.

Happy to PM you some before and after photos.

 

[magicmoments]

I have a TB mare who had trouble keeping weight on for 2 years. Ease and and excell is good, as is linseed and speedibeet. You could increase linseed providing you balance it with limestone flour. I wasn't able to do that as my mare didn't like the limestone floor, so I added sooth and gain which worked well. This winter she has eaten more hay, so haven't needed the sooth and gain, and less linessed too.

 

[ycbm]

Vitamin E from December until the grass grows is worth a try.
.

 

[spacefaer]

Mine is on holiday at the moment and is looking good on Equerry conditioning mash, ad-lib hay and Bettalife Pharmaplast

 

[Squeak]

I’ve really struggled in the past with my tb over winter and got stuck in feeding bigger and more feeds but this year I took him back to basics and ditched the mixes etc. He’s been on hardly any feed and looked far better through winter than he ever has. He’s been on the following twice a day

3/4 scoop unmollassed sugarbeet
Handful grass chop
balancer
1/6 scoop (cup) micronised linseed
Yeasaac

Also as much hay as he would eat and in the middle of winter he also got 1/3 scoop grass nuts soaked for lunch.

 

[SantaVera]

Micronised linseed and fibre beet contain non heating calories and essential amino acids. Excellent when fed together for putting on weight without excitability and giving them the correct proteins to build muscle.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Mu boy had done really well on grass nuts and grass chaff over winter. Had to change quickly as neither are available at the moment. I'm currently adding oil to his feed and its helping.

 

[J_sarahd]

My mare came to me in really poor condition and the Topspec lady recommended comprehensive balancer for us too. It worked really well and within a few months she looked a lot better and healthier. I would definitely recommend but then do remember that all horses are different and react differently to things. She’s not on it now as she’s just came back into work after 3 months holiday and doesn’t need such a conditioning feed as she’s looking quite good. But happy to show before and afters of her on it

 

[Identityincrisis]

Vitamin E transformed my skinny Arab!

 

[xxcharlottexx]

Topspec senior balancer and Linseed helps for us (he's 24). I've tried swapping to cheaper balancers a few times but he always drops weight even in the summer. Put him back on the topspec and he's looks better again.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Best feed for putting on weight is Equijewel its never failed and it doesn't take long to work either.

 

[Dasher66]

We had a TB who did just ok until his companion had ulcers - he blossomed when I put both of them on to the ulcer friendly diet. Feet and coat improved and they looked great on very little hard feed.