What do you feed your veteran ponies?

[sparky1981]

We have recently brought a new pony who is 18 and a fairly fine boned welsh. He drops off weight and topline a little in the winter. He came to me on CoolStance copra and Alfa A. He’s in light/medium work and looks great. However he really doesn’t like the CoolStance so is leaving at least half of it!can anyone suggest an alternative that he may enjoy more but doesn’t create any fizz as he’s a little ones pony?my horse is on top spec coolbalancer and Alfa oil so I was maybe contemplating this maybe without the Alfa a oil incase it fizzed him up

 

[SaddlepadHoarder]

I use Pure Feed Veteran as one of mine is super picky and will only eat that.
Have used Allen and page Veteran and got good results from those that are it!

Pure feeds gives him a good amount of energy and helps him maintain muscle and the Allen and page helped maintain condition but didn't really give much energy IMO

 

[sparky1981]

Thankyou we don’t need any extra energy

 

[windand rain]

Switch the copra for micronised linseed and veteran vitality from A&P.
My oldies have pink mash, linseed, alfalfa chaff, soaked grass nuts and fast fibre. Small amounts of hay as they are not very good on hay it goes straight through causing diarrrhoea

 

[SaddlepadHoarder]

Thankyou we don’t need any extra energy

Sorry, read post wrong.
Would probably put your pony on fast fibre or maybe calm and condition with some linseed.

 

[Britestar]

My 2 x 23 year olds are on gain opticare balancer, graze on dried grass and sugar beet. They both look great, and one is in full work. Plus of course plenty haylage. One is full TB the other 3/4 TB.

 

[MrsNorris]

Unmollassed sugar beet, I use Equibeet, and linseed, both quite high calorie but non heating.

 

[Berpisc]

My 27 year old pony has enjoyed a Spillers mash this winter plus alfa a. Looks good on it.

 

[holeymoley]

Check out Simple Systems, they're bound to have something and it's free from mollasses, grains and other junk.

 

[HashRouge]

My 27 yr old is on Allen and Page Veteran Vitality and looks really well on it

 

[ester]

As little as possible.

In your case though I’d consider switching then copra to unmolassed beet +micronised linseed and make sure I fed a good no iron vit/min

 

[conniegirl]

My 18yr old welshie is currently on box rest with controlled exercise of 40mins walk per day.
He gets 2 identical feeds per day. 1 round scoop of safe and sound, 1 cup (225g) Baileys outshine, 1/2 cup topspec conditioning balancer, 1 spoon global herbs tendoneze.

topsec rep saw him last week and said apart from a but of muscle on his bum (understandable as on box rest) he was in perfect condition.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Micronised linseed and unmolassed sugar beet

 

[be positive]

As little as possible.

In your case though I’d consider switching then copra to unmolassed beet +micronised linseed and make sure I fed a good no iron vit/min

I don't consider an 18 year old pony to be a veteran, the 24 year old welsh b here shows his age through having a fairly tough life before he came here but apart from being careful to warm up and exercise regularly so he does not get stiff he was treated as if he was a pony with no real thought to his age, he gets very little to eat, he does drop off a bit in the winter but soon picks up and has to be carefully watched to ensure he does not gain too much once the grass comes through.
The first winter I was a little concerned and fed him more but soon learned that he was better off being allowed to drop and gain in a natural way, he had plenty of energy and was generally very well so the next winter I didn't feed him other than a token amount and ad lib hay, he didn't look great in the March but by April he had picked up and then spent the summer on grass 24/7 with less need to restrict him.

 

[ester]

nope me neither TBF.

We have now reached an equilibrium in retirement (27 this time round) where I think he quids enough grass that weight management is more easily maintained. Gets on better with hay, weirdly.

It's hard to tell what everyones drop off a bit is really, I only ever managed any by hunting really.

 

[Hollychops]

I have 2 oldies (27 and 39 years young) both are fed ad lib hay and a scoop of Emerald Green grass nuts am and pm at the mo and look really good and have energy without being silly. I dont add anything else apart from some grated carrot or chopped up apple.

I used to feed A&P Veteran Vitality or fast fibre when we had the others as they were more complete feeds and they all did really well on them.

 

[pansymouse]

I feed my rising 27 yo Pure Easy and micronised linseed; she a hot good doer so doesn't need more. Her pony friend who is a poor doer is on Pure Veteran and is holding weight nicely. Pure Veteran is a very palatable feed but heating if the horse doesn't need the energy to maintain weight.

 

[Spotherisk]

Love these threads as they’re so very interesting and generally we all feed something different!
My 28 year old retired cob has Rowan Barbary Ready Mash Extra and a dollop of oil, he got a gut infection a year ago and dropped weight very fast, he was only in a 100g rug as he has a good thick coat but he was cold and I’ve learnt from that.