What do you feed and why?

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_jetset_

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I was just wondering what everyone feeds their horses and why they feed it? I have noticed a trend of people feeding 'brands' or products because they see others feeding it and it started me thinking about this.

I have both my mares on Alfa A as I am keen on sticking to a high fibre diet, but they are also on TopSpec Comprehensive Balancer so I can ensure they have all their vits and mins as well as for the yeast in this product.
 
Spring is on a fibre only diet:

Happy Hoof - comprehensive feed, low sugar, extra biotin and she likes it!
Spillers High Fibre Cubes - High fibre cubes to put in her snackball
Equivite - as she gets no 'hard feed' and not the full recommended amount of HH
Oil - shiny coat and slow release energy
Carrots - I like her to have fresh fruit/veg and she likes them

She has daily turnout and as much hay as she can eat.
 
I am a great believer in not feeding unless absolutely necessary and not getting into the I "ought" to feed this when to be honest most of the time if you have the grass your horse can do medium work off just that. Luckily we have 7 acres at home so my 2 have the run of that for the winter and then just have small feed of sugar beet, chaff and carrots. In the summer they are on 1-1.5 acres 24/7and dont get anything! One is my old boy who is prone to laminitis though, my mare I do ride 3-4 times a week.
The kids pony gets hifi light and sugar beet and comes in at night all year round.
 
Ellie is on D&H pasture mix, D&H topline conditioning cubes, speedibeet 3 times a week and a handful of the cheapest mollichaff I can find!

I have her on the pasture mix because it seems to suit the amount of work she is doing at the moment; when she goes into harder work I switch her to D&H competition mix.

She's on the D&H conditioning cubes coz she has never had too much topline, and it makes more sense to me to feed her nuts which may assist her in building it up, than just simple plain pony nuts! Used to feed her the Bailey's equivalent; however after buying the D&H ones on offer a few weeks ago, I have found them to be far more visibly effective!

Cheap chaff because she doesnt really like it, but I like to try and bulk out her dinner a bit. She wont touch Alfa A, which we used to feed all the time, but can just about tolerate a handful of mollichaff!

Sugarbeet coz its one of her favourites, and good for keeping condition on!

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Spiller's Conditioning cubes
G is barley intolerant and of the (numerous) suitable cubes i've tried i've got the best results with these both in condition and temprement.

Mollichaff Show shine
Mainly to slow him down a bit as not much by way of nutritional value but also for extra fibre and the soya oil.

'Adlib' haylage and about 8hrs turnout per day.
 
Boo has mollichaff as its the only one he will eat, sugar beet, calm & condition and carrots. I switched him from hi-fibre nuts to calm & condition as he wasn't maintaining his condition as well as I wanted. He can get fizzy so I have to watch that I don't give him anything heating.
 
I am also a big believer in a high fibre diet. Dibbs gets hi-fi lite and loads of fruit/veg in his bucket, and spillers fibre cubes in his ball, just really to keep him occupied. The main reason he gets hi-fi lite is that the other horses on the yard get fed at the same times every day, and he gets upset if he doesn't get a feed. It's also useful to put his supplements (see below) in. Plus it tops up his fibre and gives him some energy.

He also gets a 'glug' of oil and some salt, I hope this helps to keep his joints healthy and replaces the minerals he loses when he sweats.
 
only got young horses at mo none in true work, just being backed they have
twice a day
HOOF KIND CHAFF
BAL STUD BAL
GARLIC once a day
cortaflex ( i know dont shout) just like to help young joints ect)
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For his one (evening) feed each day, Murphy has:

100g Happy Hoof because it's low cal, and he likes it
8 Dodson & Horrell Equibites - to make sure he gets all his vits and minerals (he's fed this on his nutritionist's advice)
1 tbsp (ish) cod liver oil to help speed up his metabolism - again, fed on nutritionist's advice
About 3 carrots - because he likes them!!

He also has 6kg of 24 hour soaked hay every night, and is out in the day.
 
Max has:
Hi-fi senior
Topspec comprehensive balancer, so he is nutritionally balanced
Topspec calm and condition cubes, as he struggles to keep weight on
Alpha beet
Linseed oil, for shiny coat, and slow relaese energy
Garlic, for his respiratory system, and to help against flies
Carrots and apples, cos he loves them

He is fed morning and night
Also has as much hay as he can eat at night, and is out on grass during the day
 
mine has a very low starch, high oil diet to keep energy levels, keep weight on but prevent a bout of lami after his stress lami episode last year, so far so good!

Alfa Oil - aids in keeping weight on him, helps his joints and makes his coat so shiny
Copra Meal - keeps weight on him, gives him energy and makes him shiny.
AlfaBeet - keeps weight on, will be removing this as spring grass comes through (have started reducing it)
Topspec Balancer - for vits and minerals etc
Cortaflex - to help joints.

He gets three big haynets of hay a day aswell, and is turned out twice a week for 3 hours.
 
Another vote for high fibre/low sugar diet.

The two big heavies get ad lib hay plus high fibre cubes, graze on gold chaff, unmolassed sugarbeet plus Extraflex HA for their joints.
Icelandic with Cushings gets high fibre haylage (he has COPD), high fibre cubes & graze on gold.
Mini pony has small net of hay plus tiny handful of high fibre cubes & graze on gold as a token gesture!
 
Dolly has half a handfull of Hi-Fi, which she never eats as it is too boring, but the act of me sticking it in the stable means that she won't sit and kick the walls while everything else gets fed.

She is a naturally fat over active big horse.
 
Alfa A Oil, apples, carrots and pears, and a scoop of Naf General Vit supplement. And of course as much hay has he can stuff in.

That’s it for Bodey as that gives him everything he needs, why make it complicated?
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The Appy has ad-lib hay and two apples, one grated and one chopped, with garlic. She is a monster if fed any sort of hard feed and deff. no molasses. The big girl has speedi-beet aand apple with ad-lib hay. The retired cob lady has ad-lib hay, Alfafa oil, D&H old faithfuls special blend apple and carrot. They get about 12 hours turn out each day, none are clipped and all in good nick, the Appy will need watching as the grass comes through as she is prone to being fat!
 
buster has dried grass, dodson and horrell ride and relax as it is good for allergies and it doesnt have to much energy in it. he also has high fibre nuts, ultimate balancer, a foot supplement, a magnesium calmer and if his recent behavior is anything to go by i will be introducing strong sedatives!
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the others have chaff, a few nuts and suger beet! they are not insane so dont need much else!
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She doesn't hold weight (although she is NF, through the winter if I don't supplement her she loses condition quite badly)

Summer - she's out 24/7, does well on the grass & has a mineral lick. If I start doing harder work, RC events etc then she goes onto D&H pasture mix.

Winter - D&H build up, mineral lick, 'adlib' hay morning & night plus turn out 24/7 unless weather is really bad. Then she will come in overnight but she's never stabled permanently. She has a generous scoop of conditioning mix so I bulk it up with sugar beat.

I was reluctant to start her on feed during the winter but it wasn't working with just hay & she was losing topline. Find that now we have the right balance & she is much better for it.

When we had the Shetties they lived on fresh air but they'd have hay through the winter on an adlib basis.

MizElz; I also had mine on Baileys but didn't find them nearly so good as D&H either
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My tb gets adlib hay in winter with a handful of chaff and some chopped carrots when she comes in for tea (more of a treat really) and bed for the night. If the grazing is poor then she'll get hay chukced out in the field for her. She has a salt lick in her stable that she rarely touches! In the summer she lives out 24/7 on good grazing so will only have a chopped carrot in a bucket following work as a treat. She has a salt lick in the field too.

She has a beautiful shiney coat, is bright, happy and healthy in herself, is a good weight but doesn't get fat and imo is perfectly conditioned.

I believe that as long as there is good forage and a salt/mineral lick available then that is all a horse in light or medium work needs. Mine does PC, RC unaffliated ODEs, dressage, jumping etc., hunts in the winter, gets hacked atleast 4 times a week, is schooled or competed atleast once a week and has one day off a week so is hardly in light work either.
 
Minnie is fed Winergy Equilibrium growth. It is high in fibre, very low in Starch (5%), high in oils it contains all vit and mins etc.

I put her on this in order for her to gain weight, she is gaining the weight slowly, her coat is like glass - very smooth and shiny, cos its low in starch we have no fizz it also encouages good hoof growth.

Since she has been on this feed it is the best she has ever looked and behaved.

Minnie is a Welsh Section D
 
Tinker gets a scoop of D & H safe and sound plus garlic twice a day, gives him everything he needs and he has a nice shiny coat!

planning on adding something to help build up his condition once i start riding him again but at the moment he only toddles about with kids on him and isnt doing any work for muscle building etc!
 
PARKER
Backround - Five year old ISH (But some one forgot the Irish draught!!) He came to me in poor condition, very weak, and like a mule to ride; I wanted condition and energy (Quite a nice combination) I have found in the past I've spent stupid amounts of topline mixs that cost the Earth to see no difference. Thought I'd try spending the money on condition chop which last for ages and surely better then heaps of mix? He is worked at least 5/6 days - lunging, loose schooling, flatwork, hacking, gallops, cross country, showjumping.

Alfa-A Oil - Huge fan of Soya oil
Speedibeat - I still manage to forget to soak it 10mins pre feeding - can't begin to image being on the tradional stuff. Once I've finished the bag he won't get sugar beat anymore as hopfuly spring grass is coming and he's got the condition now, just need muscle!
SPR Maintance mix - Part because he wouldn't eat the feed without a mix and of course for the vitamins and minerals etc so just get local stores own brand.
Barely - Just a handful for a bit of VA VA ZOOM when needed.

Adlib hay and good turnout in the day.

YOUNGSTERS - JESSE AND TOLLAR
Backround - Both New Forests. Jesses a yearling and Tollars two although both thier Birthdays are in May so will be two and three. Turned away and Tollars just starting doing the odd bit and will soon be coming back into more education. Plan to show them this season and back Tollar over summer.

YEARLING MIX - Will be changed once finish this bag but basicly I didnt want them missed out on any thing and to encourage full grown ponies.
ALFA A - Heard alfa was good for growning - Come on 14.2HH ponies!!
LIMESTONE POWER - Always feed younsters limestone for calcuim - strong growning bones etc like you would childern.

RAMBO
Backround - 36" sheltand stallion! Not a fatty type but typical pot belly. Ridden once a week + lives out 24/7.

HAPPYHOOF - Don't need worry about it being too much but he needs something.

Feed hay too as the grass is poor.
 
J has Alfa Oil, Alfa Beet, Topspec balancer, Tobspec conditioning cubes, cooked linseed and corn oil.

He is on all this as he is impossible to keep wieght on in the winter, but has had gastric ulcers so cannot feed any cereals really, so he has a high fibre diet, with as much oil as he is allowed!
 
Aleeta 16.3hh 3 1/2 yr old WB mare

When in work got falcon feed biocare as its a good non heating conditioning mix plus Alfa A oil as normal Alfa A has too much molasses in it and it makes her fizzy and Top Spec balancer to ensure she gets all her vits and minerals

Now she is out a grass turned away she is getting her daily ration of D and H equi-bites to ensure she gets all her vits and minerals
 
The three year old and four year old are both on a heaped scoop of Alfa Oil, the recommended amount of Bailey's Stud Balancer, and extra biotin. Both are looking ok for this time of year, and neither will eat any more! All their food is just to keep condition on and help them grow (and to try and improve Libby's feet, Darcy only gets the biotin as she likes to swap feed bowls lol)
Maiden is overweight and unridden and is on less than the recommended amount of Bailey's Lo Cal for her vits and mins, and a handful of Dengie Hi Fi Lite literally just to put her Superflex liquid in as she doesn't like it poured straight over the balancer. She's currently losing weight each week (I weigh her every week) so it must be ok as she still looks in good condition as well!
 
Spooks gets Baileys Lo Cal balancer , 1/3 scoop of Hi Fi Light and 1/3 scoop of Speedi Beet - topped off with a Tbsp of Garlic and a Tbsp of Salf and a good slug of Cod liver oil. Unlimited haylage over night and good grazing during the day as well.

If he struggles for energy as the endurance season gets going he may get something extra, but he certainly seems full of beans at the moment!
 
I changed to chestnut horse feeds last November , I have never seen them look so good .At first I was worried as Rafis hind legs filled but it turned out he had a bit of infection in his mudfever.
It is delivered in a beautiful large bin which hold about 9 sacks full and I get through that in about a month . It is alfalfa, grains and oil, I just add unmollassed sugar beet and that is it. I have the alfa plus as both horses are in hard work. Penfold is difficult to put weight on and now has a topline ,amazing.
 
George is a pretty good doer and he gets turnout and adlib hay, he is then fed 2 feeds a day, for each feed:
1.5 scoops hi-fi lite
1.5 cups local balancer
glucosamine
 
19yo TB - 3 handfuls of D & H Sixteen +, 1 scoop speedibeet, probiotics and vit/min supplement
3yo Shire x TB and 2yo Bavarian x TB - - 2 handfuls Spillers Meadowherb blend, 1/4 scoop speedibeet, vit & min supplement.

All three also get a bit of Graze on (dried grass) as chaff, soaked hay, and a slice of Horsehage Blue.

This is all twice a day, and they live out 24/7 although there's no real grass yet.
S
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My lad gets one meal of 2/3 handfuls of Dengie Hi Fi Lite to put his all round vit/min supplement into. That's it and is all I have ever fed him because he is a good doer and has plenty of energy without feed. His diet is 100% grass and hay all year.
 
A scoop of D&H pasture mix, scoop of chop, scoop of readigrass and about 2/3rd scoop of speedibeet split into 2 feeds per day. I'll be completely honest and say I don't know why I feed this other than it's what he was having when I bought him (5 years ago) and he's always done well on it so why change? Occassionally I'll stick some veg oil if he look a bit dull in the coat, but apart from the some apples/carrotts (a bag of carrotts can last us 3 weeks!) that's it. This winter loads of dapples appeared on his bum after clipping (supposedly a sign of good health) and he's very shiny in the coat.
 
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