What food shall I buy my 2 yr old!

Devonshire dumpling

Devonshire dumpling

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I have nearly 2 yr old (28th May) med/hw Cob who has come out of winter unrugged looking mighty fine, he has wintered out on a little haylage, anyway he is now going to be a big boy and learn to be a big grown up boy in his new digs in 2 weeks time.

This will involve teaching him to lead in from the field and into a stable ( never been in a stable), so would like to encourage him with some tasty food in a bucket, only a handful of course, but what do I buy?

He needs no condition, is growing at a good rate, and is nervous, so I don't want any grub altering his character:rolleyes:

Is there a nice non fattening, non heating, calming grub for 14-15hh 2 yr olds ??

thanks in advance you lovely people!
 
You probably want something that will occupy him for a while, so a chaff of some type, although he may find that boring, speedibeet or fast fibre could be more interesting, they should not heat him up and do take time to eat, plenty of bowl licking required.
 
I have a 2 year old (a tame one!) who looks very well on just grass and hay,but her feet tell a slightly different story which is most likely due to mineral imbalances. I feed Pure easy as a carrier for a mineral supplement from forage plus.http://shop.forageplus.com/products
Here is a link to the pure feed company diet plan page. Horses love the stuff so it would be a good place for you to start.
http://www.thepurefeedcompany.com/diet-plan
 
How about mollichaff calmer? Unmollassed chaff with a few nuts mixed in, and has extra magnesium and chamomile.
 
He doesn't sound as if he needs any feeds at all. However, if you're bringing him - just give him a small handful of high fibre nuts as a reward for 'work'.
 
i use a mollychaff calmer! its working a treat cheap to buy and encourages them to come inside, they have no change in behaviour... smells so good i would consider eating it but thats just me ! ha
 
amymay said:
He doesn't sound as if he needs any feeds at all. However, if you're bringing him - just give him a small handful of high fibre nuts as a reward for 'work'.
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This is my problem he is a good doer, he has come out of winter in a high location, so very cold and windy with fat on him..... He will live on fresh air. He is currently 14.2ish at the withers and 15.1ish at the arse...... he is growing nicely, just want to reward him, currently he is having extra strong mints!!!!!!
 
Mine would do anything for a small handful of grass from her field :rolleyes:

I also use a small handful of nuts, or alfa with water or carrots - these are useful as will take a whole one out and if she's not behaving I'll start eating it and she soon settles! Also makes me eat far more veg :D

I don't feed apples and sugarbeet is a major treat (to hide wormers)

Mine is a TB who thrives off air all year round :o Some of the other youngsters prefer different rewards, one has no interest in food, chews very untrustingly, then spits it out when she thinks you aren't watching but will do anything for a scratch lol

Pan
 
PandorasJar said:
Mine would do anything for a small handful of grass from her field :rolleyes:

I also use a small handful of nuts, or alfa with water or carrots - these are useful as will take a whole one out and if she's not behaving I'll start eating it and she soon settles! Also makes me eat far more veg :D

I don't feed apples and sugarbeet is a major treat (to hide wormers)

Mine is a TB who thrives off air all year round :o Some of the other youngsters prefer different rewards, one has no interest in food, chews very untrustingly, then spits it out when she thinks you aren't watching but will do anything for a scratch lol

Pan
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You really made me chuckle with your carrot munching

patterdale said:
Won't carrots do?

Yeah he does like carrots...
Cheap, tasty, low cal and non heating?
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RolyPolyPony said:
He doesnt need hard feed by sounds of things, if to reward him coming into stable ... a carrot will do! why feed him if he doesnt NEED it! :-)
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I suppose I was wondering if there was anything available I could keep in a bin as will be a daily treat, hard feed sounded easier than buying carrots, and them going mank! Could buy a net I guess :-)
 
I would go for a bit of low calorie balancer and some chaff of some sort. My 2yo shetland is on baileys lo-cal balancer and a handful or two of molasses-free hi-fi- very low in sugar and I know he is getting everything he needs without the fat! I find all mine love the molasses free hi-fi even on its own, think there's mint and similar in there! It certainly convinced him that the stable is a good place- can't persuade him to come out if the weathers bad! :)
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
hard feed sounded easier than buying carrots, and them going mank! Could buy a net I guess :-)
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I tried this once and worked out that the net from feed store cost just as much as several bags from supermarkets and went off faster. I open the bags, stick them up high (they seem to go off quickly on the ground) or find paper bags, or loose in a bucket works, they go off when piled up too.

OH now buys me bags of carrots on the way home instead of wine :eek: So careful not to train OH's too well!

Pan
 
I am getting a bit confused reading this thread. Lots of advice saying feed nothing or low value feeds.

Surely a young horse with a skeleton that is still forming and developing needs the correct balance of minerals and vitamins until the horse is fully mature.

I fully appreciate where the OP is coming from on the weight issue with her cob cross. I have a RID x irish cob yearling who is built like a brick outhouse but I would not consider not feeding her the levels of nutrition she needs to grow on.

She is on poor grazing, (same paddocks she wintered on) because she just loads the weight on and I dare not put her onto good grass. The photo below was taken 2 weeks ago, weighing 340kg and 14.2h. I feed her 600g of Dodson and Horrell Suregrow with a half the stated amount of Surelimb, this is mixed with a splash of speedibeet juice and a chopped carrot.

My vet is insisting the yearling doesn't get any fatter for fear of ruining her joints before she even starts life as a ridden horse.
Aliceoneyearold003.jpg
 
Alica, just a question, why do you feed Suregrow and surelimb?

I always thought Surelimb is suregrow without the protein filler needed to form it into pelletts. Suregrow is very high in protein (something like 24%) but is designed to be fed in fairly small quantities, surelimb is just the vitamins and minerals.

I feed my yearling (TBx) 300g Suregrow split into 2 feeds with a handful of chaff (mug full SG each feed)

My MW/HW 2 yr old cob, 14.2atm has a tiny handful chaff with a surelimb type powder (can't remember which make it is) as I don't need to give him any extra calories at all. He is fat on 12 hours turnout and coarse hay at night. I daren't turn him out 24/7 as the grass is growing faster than he can eat it, don't want to restrict the grazing as his pal is a skinny yearling who just seems to grow again every time his weight looks right, then goes skinny again.
 
I don't think my boy needs food because he has come out of winter unrugged, out 24/7 tubby and is growing well.... he has adlib haylage in the shed if he wants.. this is why I assumed he needs no other suppliments etc etc... am I wrong?
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
I don't think my boy needs food because he has come out of winter unrugged, out 24/7 tubby and is growing well.... he has adlib haylage in the shed if he wants.. this is why I assumed he needs no other suppliments etc etc... am I wrong?
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To me, yes because haylage and grass alone will not supply the nutrients a growing body that will be expected to work later needs. The forage he's already having will fill him up admittedly but he does need the extra vitamins and minerals that something like Suregrow can provide.
Surelimb has been discontinued now, lots of people will miss it as they liked feeding a powder with other feed but apparently the substitute is not a patch on that. Suregrow, you'd only feed a mug or so each day so won't break the bank (about £15, 20kg) and lasts for ages. Ring the feedline, they're always very helpful and won't push you into anything, just give good advice.
 
Maesfen said:
To me, yes because haylage and grass alone will not supply the nutrients a growing body that will be expected to work later needs. The forage he's already having will fill him up admittedly but he does need the extra vitamins and minerals that something like Suregrow can provide.
Surelimb has been discontinued now, lots of people will miss it as they liked feeding a powder with other feed but apparently the substitute is not a patch on that. Suregrow, you'd only feed a mug or so each day so won't break the bank (about £15, 20kg) and lasts for ages. Ring the feedline, they're always very helpful and won't push you into anything, just give good advice.
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Is this because in the wild they would have more to forage on, for example berries?
 
I wouldn't say that but they wouldn't be restricted to a small area so can move about which keeps them fitter than our 'tame' horses; they will browse on anything about including gorse and things we'd probably frown at if they were in our fields! Also they wouldn't be grazing fertilized or over grazed fields which have all the nutrients drowned out of them; wild animals really are organic!
We have some Herefords grazing on the common which has never been ploughed or fertilized ever so they get all the goodness going; they graze the gorse and all the other bushes too, loads of different plants on there (last university count was 112 different species!) and they couldn't look better. They gleam with health because they are getting all the natural minerals they need from their natural browsing and grazing; our 'civilized' grazing can never replicate that which is why we have to supplement and for youngsters, the Suregrow is ideal IMHO.
 
Maesfen said:
I wouldn't say that but they wouldn't be restricted to a small area so can move about which keeps them fitter than our 'tame' horses; they will browse on anything about including gorse and things we'd probably frown at if they were in our fields! Also they wouldn't be grazing fertilized or over grazed fields which have all the nutrients drowned out of them; wild animals really are organic!
We have some Herefords grazing on the common which has never been ploughed or fertilized ever so they get all the goodness going; they graze the gorse and all the other bushes too, loads of different plants on there (last university count was 112 different species!) and they couldn't look better. They gleam with health because they are getting all the natural minerals they need from their natural browsing and grazing; our 'civilized' grazing can never replicate that which is why we have to supplement and for youngsters, the Suregrow is ideal IMHO.
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Great thanks for explaining!! X
Shall get some of that!
 
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