What is the best??!?!?!

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jodiew

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Right guys i need advice as the whole feeding world is a massive mine filed for me, i have a 17.2 tbx have only had im 8months an was very underweight when i got him, at the moment he is turned out 24/7 an gets a scoop of alfa a oli, and a scoop of Baileys no4 a day.

Now he does need more weight on him and topline, his coat i think is in pretty good condition, but i have loads of people telling me loads of diffent stuff to give him, an to be honest i have no idea what to do!!!

So if there is anyone out there that can help me and tell me if i am doing the right think at the moment or if there is something else i could do to help this would be a great help.

Thanks

Jodie xxxxx
 
Which feed companies have you spoken to?

Do you have him rugged against this awful weather?

What is the grazing quality like?

How much work is he doing?
 
To be fair i havn't spoken to any feed companies, i spoke to the feed expert at my local ridign shop but got the feeling he was just trying to fob me off with all of there own feed. (if you know what i mean)

Yeah he has been rugged up, didnt have it on last night thought as it was warm over here, but will be going to put it on tonight.

The grazing quality is good, he is in a good sized section on his own.

AS for his work loads, i would say at the moment it is light, i have an hour's lesson every other week, which is intense but then just abit of schooling an hacking
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jodie xx
 
Speak to the feed companies - obviously they are going to talk to you about their own feeds specifically - but I have found most of them to be very, very helpful.
 
Second that.
Speak to many, then make an informed decision because you know your boy better than anyone else.
Bear in mind that he might perk up quite a bit when he feels better in himself, and that isn't necessarily the type of food, just a natural reaction to feeling fantastic for the first time in a while!
Building him up slowly like you've been doing is a good way to avoid the worst of that.
Consider supplements and balancers etc, but they're a whole world of their own too!
 
No.4 is the conditioning cubes isnt it? Which is what mine are on. I find if Baileys doesnt work for him (ie. you haven't noticed any weight gain / improvement) then Spillers Build Up Cubes are the next best thing to try. The horse I have now is on the Baileys and he's gained weight and now stays at exactly the same weight all year round. Whereas one of my last horses didn't improve on that but did on Build Up! Whatever you feed, obviously make sure its at the correct levels and not just by a scoop if you know what I mean!

Personally Id add Soya oil to his feed as this is excellent for condition. And make sure he's getting an all round vit & min supplement.

Failing all the above, you could always just feed him a balancer like Blue Chip / Equilibra type stuff which a lot of people swear by. Personally Ive never used it so cant comment! If in doubt, email the usual companies (Spillers, Baileys etc.) and they'll be more than happy to advise.
 
What is his condition like now? Can you see his ribs at all? Are you sure he actually needs more weight on him or is it a case of giving him the right sort of work to build up his muscle if he lacks topline?

There is not just one correct way to feed a horse, which is why you are getting lots of conflicting advice. What works for one horse may not work for others!

Having said that, the main basis of any horse's diet should be forage/fibre - ie grass, hay, haylage and short chop feeds such as chaff, alfafa etc. If a horse isn't getting enough forage it will be difficult to get the weight on whatever bucket feed you give. You also need to check the horse's teeth, to make sure he can take full advantage of the fibre he is fed.

What you feed in a bucket depends very much on your horse's temperament and likes/dislikes. I have found the combination of alfafa based feeds such as Alfa Beet or Alfa A, oil and micronized flaked barley very effective in putting weight on my old mare, but this approach would not suit a horse that is allergic to barley or fizzes up on it! Oil is a useful ingredient to include in the diet of a horse that needs to gain condition because it is very dense in calories - you can add your own oil, or feed a commercial feed that contains it - such as Outshine or Equijewel. Most commercial conditioning feeds also contain a highish percentage of oil for the same reason.

As you are already using Dengie and Bailey's feeds, why not ring them and seek their advice on a suitable diet for your horse.
 
Thanks guys for all the helpful advice i think i am going to give Baileys a ring an see what they have to say
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sorry i have taken so long to reply kept saying that the server was busy
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jodie xxxx
 
Baileys number 1 is what I call an absolute must for putting on weight. Its brilliant and very palettable. My horse lost severe amounts of weight after an illness last october and the No' 1 put the weight on in no time, and its stayed on too.
 
is baileys no 1 the one that looks like breadcrumbs?

ive had success putting weight on a thin old TB using dodson and horrell conditioning mix, smells lovely
 
TGM has a lot of really good advice there.
I'd also suggest you feed soaked sugar beet....I use Speedibeet as it isn't molassed so is suitable for all types. Sugar beet gives short term energy through the sugar, but also really good long term slow burn energy through the cellulose...it is also high in calcium and fibre which a lot of cereals are not.
It is usually counted as a forage part of the diet, too.
Oil is really good, corn oil being the most digestible, and also barley in all its many forms helps put weight on...
The safest method is good quality forage - good hay, haylage, grazing, alfalfa, etc.
Perhaps also give him a general purpose supplement/probiotics to make sure he's not short of anything if he was a bit poor when you bought him.
Be a bit wary of feed companies as they tell you the right feedstuffs, but advise you to feed far too much of it (to sell their products, obviously). If I fed mine according to the nutritionists, I'd have to widen the doors!
S
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I am pretty sure one of the horses on our yard is on Baileys no 1 and the difference in him now to when my friend bought him is amazing he has the most amazing shine to and had been turned out for 18 months before she got him a few months back.

I swear by Topspec feed balancer and have had my horse on Alpha Oil now for around 3 months and the improvement in his condition was very quick. I am also a huge fan of Baileys soya oil. The Topspec, Dengie and Baileys websites are all great and the staff are very helpful.
 
i have always found baileys no1 a scoop of chop and half scoop of beet have always worked wonders a friend recomended it 2 me years ago and thats all i would ever use.

1 of my t.bs was very poor when i got her and i worried she would fizz up but she was fantastic and gained steadily.

give it a go you will be shocked
 
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