What do you feed your arabs?

[Abbeygale]

Just wondering what other people feed their lovely arabs?

I took on a little 2yo arab gelding in october who was quite poor (so he is now rising 3yo). Over the winter he hasn't really lost any more, but I was hoping that he would have put a little more weight on.

We have pretty good grazing, and he has been on alfa a, mare & youngstock and pink powder. Last month I have kept the pink powder just for here and there, and put him on equilibra balancer.

The grass is really coming through in force now. The boy is looking fairly well covered over his ribs, but his bum is looking so bony - which I hate to see. You can feel his ribs - but they definitely aren't poking out or anything - just his hips

Do you think that this could just be a growth spurt making him looking a little gangly - he is bright and sparky and seems himself in every other way.

any ideas lovely people?

thx x

 

[Silverspring]

They can be quite boney over the hips until they are carry working muscle. It's the first place my Arab loses condition long before her ribs start to show in the winter

I feed ad lib haylage from the ground and shes out all day on good grass. For hard feed I give 1 scoop i-fi (we have alfa A issues, makes her loopy otherwise I'd feed that!) half scoop Barley rings with the linseed oil and just under a scoop of rolled oats twice a day. It's really kept the condition on her this winter

He will be getting ready for a spurt and personally I think Arab can look pretty hideous when they are going through the growing stage, all legs and sticky out bones etc! I'm sure good grass and lots of love will see him grow into a round little 3 year old

 

[Abbeygale]

Thanks for your reply

I was just thinking about barley rings - I'm not too concerned about loopyness at the moment - he can burn it of playing with my filly!!

I am just hoping he is growing - I was really frustrated as I had thought he was looking a bit better - and then all of a sudden he looked horrid over his bum again!!

I am hoping that he is going to grow a little more - he is about 14.3 at the moment I could do with with him making another inch for my long legs!!

I would put take some pics of him - but I am far to embarrased tbh!!

 

[Silverspring]

Don't be daft, post pics he's just a baby no one will expect show condition on him at that age!

I would definitely recommend oats too, they have lots of calories and seem to have tipped the scale with keeping weight on my girl. I think it was Tia who said she feeds straigh oats and none have went crazy on it so I thought I'd give it a bash and sure enough she's done really well this winter (almost chubby for once!)

PM me pics if you really don't want to post, I have a bit of an Arab fetish (in the none perverted way!)

 

[Abbeygale]

I will try and take some new pics of him on sat and stick them up - this is him in september when I first went to see him

And this was him a couple of months ago

I think he was looking loads better - will get some newer pics at the weekend. I don;t think it helps that my other baby looks like this!!

!!!

Please excuse the grubbiness of him - but he is so white!!!

 

[Silverspring]

Honestly he looks fine in all those pics, you might just not be used to see the angles of an Arab

they generally all look like that unless they are out the stockier type Arabs with little round bottoms that onyl grow to about 14.2! He'll be lovely when he's all grown up, do you know his breeding?

 

[Abbeygale]

He is by Ansata Qasim out of JMA moniette.

I love him to bits - he is just so quick witted - and I am sure you are right and I have just forgotten about arab shapes after having quite a few years of nothing but cobby types!!!

He wasn't really handled much before he came to me, so its taken from october for him to be happy to have a rug put on him without causing an absolute riot. In the last couple of weeks I have even been able to put his rug on in the middle of the field without a headcollar on - so I am dead chuffed with this. He really seems to have finally settled down to be a chilled out little dude!

Thanks for your reassurances xx

 

[nuffield]

Personally I'd like to see him with a bit more muscle. I am feeding my arabs 2kg of condition mix at present, split into 2 feeds with a little chaff added. they are doing ok on it along with the spring grass and adlib hay. They are older than your arab though , and arnt growing, so I think 2 1/2 kg (5 to 6 lb) of condition mix or cubes in 2 or 3 feeds per day would benefit your arab. Bild up the amount slowly ,over a week to 10 days. Dont forget to make sure your worming schedule is upto date too.

PS I love the rug investigation photo.

 

[Abbeygale]

Thanks for your reply

I was a bit wary of feeding too much at this time of year with the grass coming through - but it sounds as though I am feeding way less than you guys!!!

Yes worming is up to date.

What you can't see in the picture is that just the other side of the rug is one of my kittens - which is what Rupert (my little arab) is more interested in than the rug!!! He does like to give the cats a bit of a poke - although I have had to rescue one of them from his mouth before now!!! xx

 

[haras]

I feed my arabs bailey's balancer (Stud balancer for my mare and lo-cal for my gelding), alfa A oil, pasture mix and speedibeet twice a day.

They do well on this and I adjust the quantities as I need to increase or decrease their weight. They have ab lib hay overnight and good grass.

At present with the spring grass I have omitted the pasture mix and they are having hi fi instead of alfa.

Have you checked the obvious things like teeth, worm count etc.?

Are you able to increase the amount of feeds he has a day?

As he is just a baby, it may be that all his nutrients are going into growing.

Good luck with him, he's gorgeous.

 

[Tinypony]

I've had a few arabs over the years. I feed the same as all my other horses, I start with a basic feed of 1 mug of Top Spec balancer and about half a scoop of Alpha Oil chaff, see how they look after about 3 weeks, then add to that with the advice of Top Spec. Normally all I need to add is some Cool and Condition cubes. Oh yes, and ad lib hay overnight, if they come in. I expect to see a few shreds of hay left in the morning.
I must admit, I've never had an "angular" arab, they've all rounded up nicely, and then they turn into good doers.

 

[Silverspring]

Since everyone is sharing pics of their Arabs (and to reassure you that they do come in the slightly angular variety!)

The day after a 50 mile ride, peak fitness

A bit rounder pre season

but these are a fulyl matured horse, she loked very similar to your guy when she was a little one. She used to run off all the food you could give her

 

[Tinypony]

Nah, she's not angular now, I call that rounded.

She's lovely though isn't she?

 

[Abbeygale]

Oh they are all so beautiful! But definitely all so different.

princess sparkle - I will try and get some pics tom so you can see what he looks like now. I think that he isn't looking as bad as he was now, but worse than he was in these pics.....


Maybe I am just getting paranoid!!

Thanks for all your help and replies guys xxx