What should i be feeding?

[littlen]

Hi,

I am confused about all of this feeding business, and everyone seems to give me different advice and i would love some help!

My horse is out 24/7 in summer and in at night in winter.
He is a good doer, and does not need and more weight.
I do not want him and fizzier, so nothing that will give him too much energy.
He needs some kind of suppliment that will improve his feet, as they are not the best, and give him a shiney coat.
At the moment he is on no hard feed just grass, is this the best thing for him? What about in winter?

If anyone can shed some light on this i would be very grateful!

 

[Fransurrey]

All I feed my exmoor is a handful of Hi-Fi Lite, a scoop of Pink Powder and a level scoop of Mag Ox (Magnesium Oxide). Dampened down, once a day. In winter he'll get more Hi-Fi Lite, but there is otherwise no change to feeds, just hay on top!

Since going on Pink Powder, his mane has gone absolutely bonkers with growth, but his feet were solid anyway. I'd recommend it as a general supplement, though anyday of the week!

 

[charlie55]

Jack is a very good doer and all he has is happy hoof all year. Just has abit more in the winter and he is fab on this. He has great feet and allround condition x

 

[paintsplat05]

the majority of his feed will need to be roughage, so a chaff/molichop.

 

[NotAnotherChestnut]

As said above, if your horse doesn't have any more energy requirements and is fine weight wise, he should have a diet that is roughage. At the moment, while the grass is good and nutritious, that is fine for his needs. However, if you are wanting to give him a supplement for his hooves and condition, you might want to consider just a small handful of HiFi lite to mix them with. Don't feed him any of the chaffs that are molassed as they are sugary.

As for supplements, hooves - a supplement that contains Biotin would be suitable - there are loads of different ones on the market to suit your budget and/or needs.
For his coat, you could consider an oil supplement - codlivine - or even a liquid oil - cod liver / veg etc. This will improve coat condition and is also good for joints etc.. it's also slow release energy so won't fizz him up. This can just be added to his small feed of HiFi lite as well.

In the winter, depending on the quality of your grazing/hay and how he is looking, you may need to give him an additional vitamin & mineral supplement to provide him with the nutrients that he will not be getting from the grass at that time. A mineral lick is always a good thing to have available at any time for him as they will "self regulate" licking this depending on their needs.

Hope that all helps a little bit!

 

[littlen]

Thanks everyone,
I will try some hi-fi light with suppliments then if i can get a hold of it in the local feed store!
Hopefully he wont put on weight but will be in a better condition, also with him being hard to catch im hopeing a small feed will make him more optimistic about being in!

 

[Baileyhoss]

you sound like you are feeding a similar pone with the same objectives as me.

when b is out 24/7 in the summer, I try and make sure he gets in for a munch at some hay, even if it's only half and hour or so. It's not essential, just my personal preference. If there is enough grass and your pone is looking well, I wouldn't bother with hay although it wouldn't do any harm if that's your preference.

when he's in at night in the winter, he gets a nice full haybar. i don't bother with hay during the day unless they have absolutely no grass or are footy/barefoot.

B is a good doer, so I would strip graze if I had too. if I was moving him on to a rested field or something.

I also don't want extra fizz, so I feed a very small feed at the moment of half scoop D&H alfa a (unmolassed) and a scoop of topspec leisure, which is a broad balancer with all the vits & minerals. Ontop of this i'll give him cortaflex & garlic (i feed garlic all year round). When he is looking trim & in lots of work, (in the summer) I'll add in feed purabeet & increase the alfa a a little. That's just for condition & energy, when I am riding 4-5 times a week plus we are out most weekends doing riding club stuff or ode's.

Towards the end of the summer as the grass loses it's quality, but I am still working b hard, I'll change the top spec leisure to top spec comprehensive & he'll be on a decent sized feed. witha little more alfa a & beet.

Then when he starts coming in at night, normally as the clocks change, he'll get that feed split into 2 so he gets a breakfast and the haybar at night, as his work decreased over the winter, he'll stop getting beat, but will carry on getting topspec comp until the spring for the minerals & vits, he is no longer getting from the grass.

I don't know if this is correct 'by the book', but it works for me and keeps b healthy & happy all year round.

Unfortunately top spec is bloody expensive, but i have found it to be one of the few balancers that don't make b fizzy.

 

[Pep12]

Lo cal chaff and a balancer of some description. Will help feet and give him all he needs without extra energy etc. Balncers come down to personal preference, bBut remember things like formula 4 feet, farriers's formula and pink powder are classed as balancers and will be best for his feet. Also as they are smaller daily amounts there is even less energy in these particular products.

 

[kellyeaton]

just give him hi fi or mollli chop lite all year round with his supplements if you think he needs a little more in winter just add a bit of speddi beet!