What fibre do you feed?

Rudey

Rudey

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I want to feed my horses some sort of fibre in their hard feeds over winter. I have looked at various brands of fibre nuggets, and have also seen soaked fibre. There are so many different brands, I'm not really convinced which I would prefer to use. I want something that is going to be the best for my horses, easy to feed, readily available and cost effective.

What fibre do you feed? What do you recommend? Anything to avoid? Thanks in advance. :) xx
 
In the winter they get allan and page fast fibre, great stuff, soaks really quick and in the summer they have pegasus hi fibre nuts in their dehrahedron balls in the fields!
 
I hadn't appreciated that Speedi-beet was a form of fibre. Just had a google, (as you do), and right you are, high in fibre. It then led me to Fibre-beet....

The A&P fast fibre - that's the soaked version I referred to bumblelion. I read a leaflet saying it soaked in a matter of a few minutes. xx
 
I use the speedibeet in conjunction with hi-fi lite. I was advised by the vet for a lami pony and I've just stuck with it for all since as I believe high fibre is good for all horses :)

I think fast fibre, fibre-beet, speedibeet are pretty much the same thing, although I stand to be corrected as not 100% certain.
 
Yeah the fast fibre is really good. I'v used speedibeet too on a laminitic and really liked it! I prefer to make feeds as I need them, to avoid mice etc, plus when it's really cold I make it warm for them and find fast fibre suits me as it takes 30 seconds to soak!
 
I must say I am swaying towards the soaked version. I love giving them warm feeds in the winter. The only reason I was unsure on the soaked version initially, was just the thought of the faff of it - thinking it would be a 24 hour job.

Totally agree Mike. Our place we have great hay included in our livery price. We are restricted to two haynets per horse per day, bearing in mind the hay shortage (we are down by 50% in comparison to our good years). Hence my initial question as I would prefer to give them plenty of fibre, even sourced through hard feed. xx
 
The soaked version is no hassle Rudey, sling a hanful or scoop in food skip and add water. I do it when I arrive, then go see to pony, so never any waiting. You quickly learn how much water, and how much beet.

Mine have it for breakfast in winter, puts something in their belly before being turned out onto winter grazing that's just a nibble. They get as much hay then as they want when back in at 3.

Works for my two anyway and they gobble it up and try to lick out their tubs :D
 
Fair point Missy, even if you were just bringing in at night time and were in a rush, you could soak as you go fetch in, and it would be ready just to feed. That's what I want - faff-free feeding!

Does it go off quickly if you were to make a batch - perhaps to cover morning and night feed - or even for a couple of days worth? Presumably summer is more likely to go off with the heat? xx
 
Yes that's exactly how I do it sometimes, its so quick and easy.

I think its fine to do days worth, I do with no problems. Never done more than that though, so can't say how long it keeps.

Sure someone else will tell you though :D
 
tallyho! said:
I thought hay was fibre ???????

Do people know what fibre actually is?
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It is :) As is hifi (the clue is in the name there) or whatever chaff you put in feed. Which leads one to think OP is either feeding it already and doesn't realise or is just feeding some kind of mix or nuts with nothing else in it :confused: :o
 
I feed Happy Hoof all year, then when winter comes she gets a small amount of speedi-beet. I take a flask of hot water and it takes 3minutes :)
 
missyme10 said:
I think fast fibre, fibre-beet, speedibeet are pretty much the same thing, although I stand to be corrected as not 100% certain.
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Speedibeet is unmolassed micronised beet - advertised soaking time is 10 minutes although often needs longerin cold weather. Quite a high calorie fibre feed at 12.5 MJDE/kg. Not supplemented with vit/mins.

Fast Fibre is a compound feed containing cereal straw, oat fibre, unmolassed sugar beet, grass, linseed, limestone flour, soya oil, salt, vitamins and minerals, mint, yeast, fenugreek and garlic. It is relatively low in calories at 8 MJDE/kg. Advertised soaking time about 1 minute.

Fibrebeet is a mixture of alfalfa and unmolassed beet. Calorie count of 11 MJDE/kg and advertised soaking time of 45mins in cold water and 15mins in hot water. Not supplemented with vit/mins.

You do have to think about why you want to feed fibre though. If because your horse is on limited hay (which is not ideal and personally I would be trying to buy extra hay from the YO or externally) then feeding a chaff type fibre will give more chewing time and keep the horse more occupied than feeding the soaked fibre feeds.
 
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All I've ever fed my horses is sugar beet and cool mix, plus pretty much as much hay as they need to keep them occupied. The vet has always complimented me on their condition, being "just the right weight" so I must be doing something right!
 
speedy beet is a lot more expensive than the molassed 24 hour soak stuff though. 2 bags of sugar beet last me all winter - it keeps for ages as long as you keep it dry.
 
Ad lib hay as main fibre source but just tried fast fibre insread of chaff to add in supplements ie pink powder and oestress. It looks revolting but horse loves it, soaks in 30-60 seconds, and is very low in energy (see above post).
 
Hay - soaked in spring/summer, now not soaked. He'll have hay in stable over winter and might have a bit of haylage out in the field if his fieldmates get it.

Feedwise, a handful of D&H High Fibre Nuts plus pure alfalfa (SS Luci-Cob) as a soaked pellet.
 
I started feeding a sloppy quick beet mash to my boy. and I have to say his urine is now a nice clear pale colour, so he must be getting enough water, also he seems to love it.
I have asked D&H about nutrients of Quick beet, have had no reply so will change over to Speedy beet or alpha beet next time.
 
Double_choc_lab said:
Ad lib hay as main fibre source but just tried fast fibre insread of chaff to add in supplements ie pink powder and oestress. It looks revolting but horse loves it, soaks in 30-60 seconds, and is very low in energy (see above post).
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This (same horse!). We swapped from chaff as we fed it in such small amounts it would go mouldy before we reached the bottom of the bag. Fast fibre is in pellet form so hoping it will last better.

Said horse has plenty of grass in her field and then ad lib hay when stabled. Her ad lib hay is double netted to slow her down (she has 2 big nets with 3/4 slices in each).
 
Ugh sodding phone! I was saying I have a huge net for my TB which would hold a small bale of hay in. Surely two of those would give your horse enough hay?
 
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