maccachic
Well-Known Member
Mine gets a scoop of alfalfa, fortevite extra, salt and yeast. Hay when there isn't enough grass and oats if she needs more condition. She is just starting hunting.
Mine and my sisters ex racers are both barefoot and both on a completely commercial diet.
Mine is best on a fibre/oil diet; he is a very poor doer and is also sharp/hot to ride. He is fed Winergy Condition, Mollichaff Calmer, soaked rolled oats and micronised linseed. He is supplemented with mag ox, powdered fenugreek, DMG and Suppleaze Gold. He is currently training Advanced and competing Medium.
My sisters boy, although suffering ulcers gets on well with a high starch/protein cereal based diet. He is also a poor doer, but lazy by nature (they couldn't be more opposite if they tried!). He is on Winergy High Energy, Havens Slobbermash, soaked rolled oats, Alfa-a and micronised linseed. He is supplemented with Egusin SLH, Alcar and Suppleaze Gold. He is training GP and competing PSG.
Both are fed ad lib haylage and are out all day every day on ex dairy pasture.
We are true believers that the harder the feet work, the more you can 'get away with' in terms of sugar and starch etc (severe metabolic issues aside and of course I am sure there are exceptions, this is just our experience).
can I just ask how long you soak you oats for and if you feed them straight after soaking or leave them to drain for sometime?
thanks
My WB is fed a combination of copra, um beet, Alfa pellets a and I add oats if he needs more. He is currently on pro bal although I am changing to equivita until the grass is through enough for me to do a bespoke mineral plan. I also add in extra mag ox, brewers yeast, salt and bicarb as well as linseed.
He is in full work, competing (dressage, SJ and will be eventing) and is a good weight.
In my (limited) understanding, minerals need to be balanced to what the horse is eating so forages ie. grass and hay/haylage not soil profile.Creating a balancer product for every soil type in the UK would set a challenge indeed! Not that we're scared of challenges
That sounds well balanced. When you do a bespoke mineral plan do you match it to the pasture or do you look at levels in blood, or both? (Or neither?)
In my (limited) understanding, minerals need to be balanced to what the horse is eating so forages ie. grass and hay/haylage not soil profile.
I have varied hay supplies so have to feed a balancer based on averages.
Given the substantial variation in most peoples hay/forage supplies feeding for averages is a good approach with the occasional blood test if any deficiencies are suspected
Good question! Sometimes leaving some minerals out is very important!But which averages?
Many balancers contain average quantities of ALL minerals. Companies doing the forage analyses are finding that some minerals are consistently too high such as iron, manganese and calcium.
So I I was looking for an off the peg balancer I would be looking for one that did not contain these but had good levels of Copper Zinc and Magnesium.
My barefoot TB is fed cool stance copra, micronised linseed, oats, plain straw chaff, plus magnesium, pro hoof, and salt. He was very underweight and had no topline due to kissing spines. Over the winter he has put on weight and topline and is now a decent weight. He has been barefoot for a year following a diagnosis of navicular syndrome and his back was operated on in june 2013 where he had 4 processes removed.
These is xrays from a 1 and 2 year horse does it really have navicular? Or have you posted the wrong ones?
We are true believers that the harder the feet work, the more you can 'get away with' in terms of sugar and starch etc (severe metabolic issues aside and of course I am sure there are exceptions, this is just our experience).
Thanks for the feedback, it sounds like a well balanced diet.
For navicular, vets in Germany have had very good results using our bioavailable vit K1 product BoneKare - http://keyflowfeeds.com/product/bonekare/
Here's some before and after xrays - let us know if you would like more info on it.
Thanks for the feedback, it sounds like a well balanced diet.
For navicular, vets in Germany have had very good results using our bioavailable vit K1 product BoneKare - http://keyflowfeeds.com/product/bonekare/
Here's some before and after xrays - let us know if you would like more info on it.
These is xrays from a 1 and 2 year horse does it really have navicular? Or have you posted the wrong ones?
Further info on these radiographs as follows:
The two radiographs are of the same horse, taken on the dates listed below each image. They are of a younger German horse that shows on the first (LH) radiograph the location of the nutrient foramina is not only centrally situated but can also be found further to the outside of the distal border. On the second (RH) radiograph after treatment with BoneKare™ the number of them has clearly reduced, the few that are there are located centrally and the overall appearance of the border or contour of the bone is round and not irregular.
If graded under the German system this navicular pre BoneKare™ would’ve been graded 2-3, post treatment it would be graded 1-2.
Was this horse shod or barefoot? What are the ingredients in BoneKare?
My horse was diagnosed with navicular and pedal oestitis in Sept 2012 and after a barefoot rehab he was xrayed again in Aug 13. He went barefoot in Nov 12 and was sound again in Jan 13. Pictures are on the link below but there was a marked improvement on both films.
http://buddysbarefootadventure.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/no-news-is-good-news-huge-update.html
I have a WB and two TBs, all barefoot.
I look for molasses free, alfalfa free and soya free feed!
I also avoid supplementing iron, as we are in an iron rich area.
I won't buy something that doesn't have a full analysis available, and I like to have it recommended to me - trust is important
I feed copra and unmolassed sugar beet, with rolled oats when working enough to need it. It all gets soaked for 12 hours.
I add micronised linseed, a joint supplement, and progressive earths pro hoof.
They are out all day, in at night with ad lib hay. In the summer they will be out 24/7, and fed the same, but less!
Last winter as a rising four year old, working five days a week hacking and schooling, with a month off to be a baby then back in work. 2 scoops Alfa oil, 2-3 cups of linseed soya oil, tip top equimins supplement and 2 scoops speedie beet split into am and pm feeds throughout this time.
Turnout day all day, in at night and ad lib hay
Throughout this winter so rising five, he had a winter break of about four months during which time he had a level scoop of baileys ultra grass (coated in Soya oil) and 2/3 scoop of speedie beet twice a day with equimins tip top supplement. Turnout during the day and in at night, adlib hay. He has now come back into work, and will be doing on average six days a week consisting of a mix of hacking, schooling and jumping. However, he's not fussed about his feed now he's working, he is carrying more weight than last year and tbh probably needs to lose some. So he's now just on grazing and ad lib hay with a small handful of ultra grass with his supplement and doing really well. Currently I think there's a lot more goodness in the grass than we realise.
Mine and my sisters ex racers are both barefoot and both on a completely commercial diet.
Mine is best on a fibre/oil diet; he is a very poor doer and is also sharp/hot to ride. He is fed Winergy Condition, Mollichaff Calmer, soaked rolled oats and micronised linseed. He is supplemented with mag ox, powdered fenugreek, DMG and Suppleaze Gold. He is currently training Advanced and competing Medium.
My sisters boy, although suffering ulcers gets on well with a high starch/protein cereal based diet. He is also a poor doer, but lazy by nature (they couldn't be more opposite if they tried!). He is on Winergy High Energy, Havens Slobbermash, soaked rolled oats, Alfa-a and micronised linseed. He is supplemented with Egusin SLH, Alcar and Suppleaze Gold. He is training GP and competing PSG.
Both are fed ad lib haylage and are out all day every day on ex dairy pasture.
We are true believers that the harder the feet work, the more you can 'get away with' in terms of sugar and starch etc (severe metabolic issues aside and of course I am sure there are exceptions, this is just our experience).
Both horses are on Simple Systems horse feeds with some adaptions and additions.
No molasses, soya and all low sugar/starch with no cereals (was treating the TB as if he had an ulcer when he arrived and have kept that way ever since).
My 6 yr old ex-racer is on total eclipse (but going to be making my own mix as it only contains micro linseed, seaweed and brew yeast), red grass nuts, added micro linseed (500g) for increase in body weight he has lost recently, 60ml red cell, 50ml Cider Vinegar, small handful of SS grass.
He has thin soles, been barefoot with boots for 3 years, but in/out of work a lot due to injuries and accidents so not had a proper time of work to transition to total barefoot, although i hold out hope for this we are more than happy to remain partly booted dependent on terrain such as stoney forest tracks etc. Not a good doer and struggles to hold weight on, esp in winter (adlib hay and large access of grazing).
He is very lazy and laid back and have yet to find anything to give him a little boost!
Tried whole soaked oats for energy and weight gain - no difference at all.
My arab is on total eclipse, lucie nuts (lucerne), and 300g SS grass.
Just turned 5 yr old, feet like rocks. Only started getting a little footy at the end of a 20km ride at the weekend when passing over a very stoney gravel track.
Forward going, on his toes but calm natured.
Mine is a TB and has 1 scoop speedibeet, 2 mugs micronised linseed and up to 1.5 scoops of whole soaked oats if in work and dependent on what level of work. She also gets benevit advance (though not sure I am impressed with this!) plus mag ox and salt. Also ad lib haylage.
I look for low starch/sugar, free from alfalfa/molasses/soya/fillers/GM products etc. As close to the natural diet as possible with added vits/minerals.
I'm in the market for a new feed as my cob had gone footy this week. He was on d&h leisure mix and alfalfa with ad lib hay and grass although rather sparse. Was thinking of trying happy hoof or something similar but open to suggestions. He is only fed when ridden
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