What quantity should I feed?

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mushting

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I have a 16hh heavyweight cob, shes 18 possibly bit older. Shes ridden nearly everyday hacking on hilly terrain, she lives out 247. She does have access to hay and we feed her a scoop of speedi beat and scoop of alfa a oil but shes slowly started looking a bit ribby. I want to add pony nuts and normal chaff to the feed to bulk it out but I have no idea what quantity's I should feed her, were only up once a day so unable to split the feeds up etc Thanks
 
You say you only go once a day, roughly how long are you there?
I generally only visit mine once but am there 2-3 hrs usually so they have their feed split, half as soon as I arrive and half just as I'm about to leave.
With them having a fairly small stomach a very large feed will just go in one end and out the other so I'd be looking for something higher in calories rather than just making the feed bigger, could you change from speedi beet to sugar beet, similar sized feed but more calories.
 
Pony nuts and chaff won't do much if she needs weight on, I'd stick with the speedibeet and alfa a - sugar beet has the same energy as speedibeet but has unnecessary sugar added. I'd look to add micronised linseed or copra if she really needs extra, possibly with a good balancer. Adding fibre to her bucket feed won't make much difference if she has access to good hay ad lib, providing of course she isn't getting bullied off it or needs her teeth checking. I'd also be wary about putting weight on them at this time of year,the grass will soon be through and you could find yourself with the opposite problem!
 
Were there for a while but we arrive catch groom ride and then feed, I dont think we can feed before we ride and shes lost the weight now were cantering her we used to just walk and trott a bit but now canter alot and its very hilly where we are. Ive looked at getting Spillers senior but she really is losing weight and I dont want to leave it until the spring grass as I dont want her to be suffering.
 
Does she have access to hay all the time? Have her teeth been checked recently? Bad teeth is a common cause of weight loss in older horses.
 
Shes recently had to have a tooth out, and the vet checked the rest their fine, She doesnt have adlib hay but does get some shes in a herd so its difficult to feed just her hay she gets fed hay when shes brought in from the field and she gets given hay which is shared between the horses in the morning x
 
Try a balancer, Top Spec comprehensive is the best one in my opinion, fab stuff and cool conditioning cubes. Probably wont need the cubes at this time of year, the balancer will give all thats needed including probiotic and with the grass coming through soon should look great in no time x
 
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