What will give the same effect as Mollichaff?

N

NicoleS_007

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 February 2010
Messages
2,084
Visit site
I have been wondering why my mare has went a bit stale the past few weeks as in not spooking when she usually spooks at everything and nothing!! Usually quite excitable but not atm, we thought she was a bit bored of the school so changed routine - so more hacking, fun stuff ... seemed to work but on thurs was still not her usual self. After reading a post on here a few minutes ago i just realised, we have always had her on Mollichaff showshine since day one and stopped using it around the time she stopped spooking etc!! So i am guessing it must have been the amount of sugar in it which was sending her spooky and very forward bound ... Dohhh!! I dont want to put her back on it due to the amount of sugar as that cannot be healthy and it did make her gain unwanted weight aswell, but is there something less sugary i can feed to get the same effect? Shes currently on H+P mix, pink powder and ad lib haylage, we have limited turnout so shes only out for a max of 4-5hrs per day and can be a bit of a fatty.

Thanks :)
 
Sorry, yo want her not to spook but to have a bit more zest, try her on any of the mixes sold at the feed store, I like Allen and Page, they do Power and Performance which has 12.8 Mega Joules per Kg best to phone up feed companies and ask for advice.
I tend to swerve horse and pony nuts because they tend to have cheaper ingredients, though some companies make a good mix, I prefer coarse mix to heat processed cubes in the cheaper ranges particularly.
If she is on limited turnout and still overweight either give her more regular exercise or cut back the haylage, you can soak hay and haylage for an hour to reduce sugars.
I feed Dengie Hi Fi molasses free, there is one with more alfalf but still molasses free which would give you more ooomp, or Alfa -oil., but check that she is getting enough mins and vits, you dont say why you a re feeding pink powder
 
Last edited:
Dengie Hi fi lite - a low calorie chaff designed for fatties and laminitics. I don't think it contains molasses but may be corrected......!
 
MrsD123 said:
Sorry, do you want her to spook or not to spook but to have a bit more zest, if the latter try her on any of the mixes sold at the feed store, I like Allen and Page, they do Calm and Condition or Power Something, best to phone up feed companies and ask for advice.
I tend to swerve horse and pony nuts because they tend to have cheaper ingredients, though some companies make a good mix, I prefer coarse mix to heat processed cubes.
If she is on limited turnout and still overweight either give her more regular exercise or cut back the haylage, you can soak hay and haylage for an hour to reduce sugars.
Click to expand...

You are wrong about the H&P nuts, yes the budget nuts are made out of cheaper materials but the main stream ones are not. What nuts do tend to be lower in is starch so they tend to be less heating for a more excitable horse. Also most mixes these days contain some form of micronised cereal, which, of course, has been heat treated.

OP it may not be what you are feeding, I don't know where you are but around here it has been very muggy and humid and all my horses are quieter than usual.

What level of work is she in?
 
DSC01053.jpg


Thats her ATM, shes overweight but not OTT. She was 601kg when on limited haylage, 2 round scoops SS chaff and 1 & 1/2 scoops H+P cubes. Is now 585kg on ad lib haylage, pink powder and 1 & 1/2 scoops H+P mix (scoops are large round scoops). The mix and cubes are same brand but it doesnt say how much starch etc is in it!! I dont mind her becoming spooky again if i get more energy, her spooks a pathetic its only a wee jump to the side, shying away type thing so manageable. Dont think the Dengie Hi-Fi would give me the energy though

ETS - level of work atm is Mon - 30mins flatwork, Wed-1hr walk hack, Thurs 30-40min jumping sess, Fri- 10 mins lunging, Sun 1-2hr hack with cantering, troting up hills. Not alot as she is 4 :)
 
Last edited:
MrsD123 said:
Sorry, yo want her not to spook but to have a bit more zest, try her on any of the mixes sold at the feed store, I like Allen and Page, they do Power and Performance which has 12.8 Mega Joules per Kg best to phone up feed companies and ask for advice.
I tend to swerve horse and pony nuts because they tend to have cheaper ingredients, though some companies make a good mix, I prefer coarse mix to heat processed cubes in the cheaper ranges particularly.
If she is on limited turnout and still overweight either give her more regular exercise or cut back the haylage, you can soak hay and haylage for an hour to reduce sugars.
I feed Dengie Hi Fi molasses free, there is one with more alfalf but still molasses free which would give you more ooomp, or Alfa -oil., but check that she is getting enough mins and vits, you dont say why you a re feeding pink powder
Click to expand...

MRSD.. are you drunk?

Sidney said:
Dengie Hi fi lite - a low calorie chaff designed for fatties and laminitics. I don't think it contains molasses but may be corrected......!
Click to expand...

hifi does infact containe a small amount of molasses. dengie have another option that is 100% molasses free .. but i cant recall what it is called have a look at the website.


personally if your neddy is over weight id say it is not fit, do more work with it and let the natural effects give you the forwardness you want.
 
Taking the sugar out of the diet is by far and away the best cure for silly behavioural problems like you describe.

There is far too much sugar in a lot of the horse feeds sold from the major companies. Good sugar and cereal free feeds are available, I would do some research and find one to suit.

I'd up her workload.
 
Last edited:
I tend to agree jhoward :)

OP she is slightly portly, by adding more energy you are more likely to make her more so.

Her diet seems more than adequate for the level of work she is doing.
 
IMO you are feeding too much hard feed for the work she is doing, and she is still overweight, so does not need that much food. I would be wary of having an overweight youngster.
 
If i had my way she would be on ad lib soaked hay but our livery includes haylage so if i wanted hay i would still have to pay for the haylage :( I could restrict her haylage intake again? But will still have the lake of energy. If i cut the mix out just use oats and pink powder for vits and mins would that be viable? Dont really want to up her workload as she is only 4.
 
I would use either dried grass or soaked grass nuts to replace the hard feed, if you think that she is short of vits and mins then get a good all round supplement, which will carry few calories. We also have fed haylage this year (for the first time) and have 3 good doers, so we have mixed it with good clean straw.
 
NicoleS_007 said:
If i had my way she would be on ad lib soaked hay but our livery includes haylage so if i wanted hay i would still have to pay for the haylage :( I could restrict her haylage intake again? But will still have the lake of energy. If i cut the mix out just use oats and pink powder for vits and mins would that be viable? Dont really want to up her workload as she is only 4.
Click to expand...

You would be far better off cutting the hard feed and giving her as much haylage as she wants. Never restrict forage as you will end up with ulcers at the very least, all sorts of stable vices and god knows what else.

You can take her out hacking as much as you want, feeding without exercise and you end up with a couch potato. Fit horses have energy, just like fit people who don't eat cakes, lol.
 
NicoleS_007 said:
If i had my way she would be on ad lib soaked hay but our livery includes haylage so if i wanted hay i would still have to pay for the haylage :( I could restrict her haylage intake again? But will still have the lake of energy. If i cut the mix out just use oats and pink powder for vits and mins would that be viable? Dont really want to up her workload as she is only 4.
Click to expand...


that would be one solution and one I have used in the past, oats are actually lowest in starch of all the cereals but there is no doubt that they have an effect on some horses, they are useful for adding 'quick release' energy but some horses don't react and just put on weight. As before, if you can get her leaner her energy levels should increase.
 
ok your first issue is your thinking of doing what is best for YOU not the horse.

buy a bit of hay in and mix with the hayledge., it will bring me to the next point but you will be saving money on hard feed.

at 4. the horse is still growing your really not doing a lot of work with it to actully have it at any real sort of fitness level.

drop all the hard feed, if you was fat would you want to go out running with a spring in your step? no of course not. same for a baby horse.well any horse really.

so.

feed ad lib hay and hayledge mixed. if needed soak the hay. so horse has enough to keep guts moving but with no calories.

up your hacking work, not longer but get a few trots in up hill, maybe add another schooling session but add poles so horse doesnt need to work for longer, but is using more effort in a short space of time.

forget about feeding oats.. again it is wrong to feed to pump up energy either look at how your riding or sell the horse for a more forward one. or get it fitter and not so fat!

saying all of the above.. add a good all round min and vit supplement, as a baby your horse needs this the most.:)
 
Ok lots to think on!! What weight SHOULD she be? She is 16.2/3hh. Shes not a complete lazy toad lol just not as WOW as she was before changing her feed. Some days shes very forward and jazzy (especially with pole work) but then somedays she just feels lethargic and energyless (I think i just make a new word lol).
 
id be thinking around 550-600 BUT that belly will go as she does a bit more faster work, also when was the last time she was wormed
 
jhoward said:
ok your first issue is your thinking of doing what is best for YOU not the horse.

buy a bit of hay in and mix with the hayledge., it will bring me to the next point but you will be saving money on hard feed.

at 4. the horse is still growing your really not doing a lot of work with it to actully have it at any real sort of fitness level.

drop all the hard feed, if you was fat would you want to go out running with a spring in your step? no of course not. same for a baby horse.well any horse really.

so.

feed ad lib hay and hayledge mixed. if needed soak the hay. so horse has enough to keep guts moving but with no calories.

up your hacking work, not longer but get a few trots in up hill, maybe add another schooling session but add poles so horse doesnt need to work for longer, but is using more effort in a short space of time.

forget about feeding oats.. again it is wrong to feed to pump up energy either look at how your riding or sell the horse for a more forward one. or get it fitter and not so fat!

saying all of the above.. add a good all round min and vit supplement, as a baby your horse needs this the most.:)
Click to expand...

spot on.
 
NicoleS_007 said:
Due to be wormed this week! She did have a bout of redworm not so long ago so all is kept incheck :)
Click to expand...

if you havnt id speak to a vet about the red worm, they can cause lasting internal damage it could also be the reason yr seeing hte tum on her as in all honesty i dotn think she is fat, just you look her at her and she looks like she has a dropped belly.. which was what made me thing of wormies!
 
jhoward said:
if you havnt id speak to a vet about the red worm, they can cause lasting internal damage it could also be the reason yr seeing hte tum on her as in all honesty i dotn think she is fat, just you look her at her and she looks like she has a dropped belly.. which was what made me thing of wormies!
Click to expand...

Feck if i had of know that i would have got her looked at on Thirs when the vet was out!! Ah poop!!! They were very tiny small red worms about 3 millimeters long and only noticeable if you put the poo rather close to your face!! Tbh she is rather tubby though, you have to press to feel ribs and her shoulder is abit fat. Not used to having a good doer, moreso a skinny minni tb lol as of tomorrow she will be weaned off hard feed and fittened up slightly more and will give the vet a buzz on mon!!
 
Dengie do a Hi-Fi molasses free now. I have a mare who can live on fresh air. I feed her a tiny (and I really do mean tiny) blob to mix her sups in. she is on no grass but gets add lib soaked hay. The weight is slowly coming off, but it would just need one day of some grass, even cr*p grass and she would pile it back on.
Grass in our place is very lush, and with the warm wet weather we keep getting its fructose levels must be sky high. Lovely four year old was found unable to move in her paddock a couple of weeks ago, when I got down to see her she was in agony. We called the vet and she has terrible laminitus, had to nerve block her to get her to walk in. She was a bit portly, and she is 16.2, so a big girl to be having this problems. My heart went out to the kid who owns her, but it just made me stick to my guns even more about how I want to run my girl.
 
Yep I would stop hard feed and just have some Hi Fi if really need be.
Little more work to get help get her to the ideal weight, then shouldn't be a problem keeping it there!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top