what do you think of this diet

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Brambridge04

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Scoop (one of those round bowl scoops) of Alfa A chaff, Half scoop of spillers conditioning nuts and hay out in field. Carrot or Apple as a treat.

She is 14.2 (just under) 5 year old Newfie
 
I'd be inclined to keep her slightly underweight throughout winter (obviously within reason) because when spring comes she'll pile on the weight with all of the fresh grass and it'll be more difficult to make her lose weight. As long as she is suitably rugged, has plenty of ad lib hay I think she'll be fine. Natives can cope well through winter and she certainly won't be underweight when the spring flush comes!
 
Starting to break her in at the moment. She is rugged. Im more starting to consider it as she is barefoot and i'd like to keep it that way and there seems to be a lot of "diet" debate on the barefoot threads.
 
Brambridge04 said:
as she is barefoot and i'd like to keep it that way and there seems to be a lot of "diet" debate on the barefoot threads.
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Both of mine are barefoot, both natives and neither of them have a special diet. Grass in the summer- some chaff with vits in it and hay in the winter- some chaff and vits in it is all they get. Both are good weights, never sick or sorry and have never had any problems with their hooves. Natives do tend to have quite strong hooves. Personally I'd be thinking of all the weight she'll put on once the spring grass arrives.
 
When the vet came out yesterday, she said that she for a 14.2 NF she weighed 300-320kg, and could do with a little more....i may go to feed shop and ask which feed they'd recommend....thanks :)
 
Sorry i am being stupid, she said she could do with a extra 20kg...which i worked out at about 3 stone.....i thought i'd typed that bit.....
 
Is she actually thin, or is she just still needing to mature and fill out, seeing as how she is only a baby? Typically I would expect a mature NF of that height to weigh 400kg plus, I am assuming she has good bone and is fairly solid? I have a 14.1 forester, now 10 years old, we've had him nearly 5 years. I feel I have really achieved something if I can get him 420kg or less on the weightape. Last winter he was in fab condition, real racing snake stuff as was super fit for the point to point and we got him down to 415kg. I haven't weighed him recently, but I bet he doesn't weigh that this year, more like 440-450 I would guess, but muscled rather than fat.

I'd be wary of her growing more and going over height if you feed her too much, it might happen, it might not... Certainly you can't be sure what height she will finish at till she's 7. Regarding quantities, I feed my ones 1/2 round scoop of Alfa A and 1/4 scoop of nuts once a day. Good grass and about 5-6kg hay per day. They are stabled over night on non edible bedding.
 
Vet said she was 14.1 and a half, and around the 320kg mark and she was 5 a few months back. She isnt broken as yet, im currently doing that :)
 
Re the feed, you're probably fine for the moment with what you're feeding her. On re-reading the thread I am guessing the foal has been weaned if you have had her for just a few weeks. I'd keep on with what you are doing for now, maybe more hay if you aren't feeding her ad lib hay already.

I'd just keep on until she's looking more the way you'd like her and then re-assess the feed quantities.
 
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