What to feed a good doer in moderate work?!

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sunray120

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Sorry if this has been asked before! I have a 14.3 welsh sec D x very good doer if slightly overweight. I am upping his work load over the coming months to regular xc and hunting and I want to make sure he has enough in the tank and I'm not burning him out. He is very enthusiastic about his work so don't want to make him fizzy. He's on daily turn out, ablib haylage and hi-fiber cubes x2 daily. Any suggestions please?!
 
If he is slightly overweight, I'd be feeding less not more. I'd cut out the cubes a dust have him on haylage and grass. I wouldn't be looking at feeding him unless he looked underweight regardless of workload. My horse is a good doer, he has one large small holed haylage net a day, turnout at night, and goes out xc and jumping, 1 1/2 to two hr hacks included in his weekly work. In the winter the only real addition will be grass chaff and speedie beet and more haylage, and this won't be until the goodness significantly goes from the grazing. Whether having time off or being in full work I've never had to feed more than this, other than when he was growing.
 
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Continue to up his workload and get the extra weight off him before you start adding to his diet.

For the sort of work you are planning he will need around 10% protein to help build muscle so a good protein balancer would be ideal. Some are totally protein, vitamins and minerals and some have some extra goodies in them so do read the labels.

Once he is fitter you will find he should be more energetic, if not then adding oats in small amounts until you get the result you want, a cupful at a time. Allow several days for that to take effect before increasing.
 
Thank you for the replies! He's only very slightly overweight and I'm hoping another month he'll be his fighting weight so to speak. He doesn't need more energy (yet) he is very keen and enthusiastic about his work I just don't want to burn him out with the increase of work. So should I keep everything as it is in the meantime and then introduce something in a month?!
 
I would monitor him as the work increases and the grass loses value, if he starts to drop in energy levels or weight then gradually increase the feed in line with the work, I wouldn't wait until he looks too lean as it can then be difficult to get weight back on while they are working harder, if hunting regularly he is likely to drop weight, equally don't give him extra until it is required and remember to allow him to come out of the winter a little light so you don't spend all spring and summer fighting to keep the weight down.

Keeping them well throughout the year, by well I mean fit to do the job required not fat, is a skill that you develop by really standing back and looking at them, when grooming get to know how they feel and how the muscles are developing, then tweaking the diet a little as and when required, if they are on good quality forage, ad lib if possible, most should need little more than a basic diet to remain looking good and working well all winter.
 
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