What would you be feeding 🤔

HiPo'sHuman

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Currently feeding speedi beet (just to use it up really) and Bailey’s Ease and Excel, Highland and A get their recommended amount per day, split into 2/3 feeds depending on when I’m around. Mini gets a sprinkling of speedi beet to keep her quiet 🙄 Just added a B into the mix and looking at swapping feeds to something more economical and I know the Bailey’s is just padded out with crap anyway. So what would you guys suggest?

Highland (6), Sec A (4) and Sec B (6) who’re all in work and all need to gain condition.

No health issues with any of them.
 

be positive

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I would not be expect to be feeding natives at the moment, if they need more condition I would give adlib hay and a token feed of grassnuts or unmolassed chop if I felt they required something to carry any supplements, they would have to be in serious work to get anything else from me!
 

Leo Walker

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If they all need to gain weight then something is going wrong somewhere. The only time I've ever had to feed for condition was when Leo was eventing fit and driving 10kto 15k at a trot several times a week and doing intense fast schooling in between. Even then he only got a couple of handful of build and glow/rice bran oil pellets in his pink mash.

So if forage doesnt work then I'd look to feed a base, speedibeet is ok, and then add some rice brain oil or linseed
 

be positive

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I gave this some more thought and remembered that your Highland had laminitis over the summer and also read the sec a is only 4 and a potential LR pony that was not even backed when recently purchased, I definitely would not be feeding them anything other than forage as the risk of tipping the Highland over the edge is too great and a sec a not in real work just cannot need any feed unless there is something very wrong.
I would take a serious look and feel of them and aim to keep the weight on the lower side of what you may be thinking is ideal, it can be hard when you see them every day but this is where weightapes are useful and taking a couple of photos every month can give a good reference point.
I tend to go mainly by feel, ribs should be fairly easily felt under the coat even if not so easy to see at this time of year and top of neck should be soft, just standing and looking will not give a true picture and it is easy to be taken in by appealing eyes that "ask" for more.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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HiPo's H, I totally agree with BP ref feeding. I have 3 natives, one a laminitic and none are yet having feeds. They have to work hard in bare paddocks in day, then go onto foggage overnight, so get lots of fibre, but lami one has grazing muzzle on overnight.
I have another coming in 10 days, most would feel the need to feed this one, but I'm going to ad lib good qual hay at night and then in day will be on a long rested paddock with a good 4 to 5 inches of cover, if not more.
Hope you find something to suit :)
 

JFTDWS

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I have two highlands (and a quarter horse) - all in work, and none are being fed at all yet. If they need condition (and I'd be surprised if there's no background missing from your post), I'd be upping their hay.
 

TGM

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I agree with the others above that if they are all natives and are all needing hard feed for more condition, you might need to have a look at the wider picture to see what is going on. (I appreciate that not all natives are good doers but it is odd that all of yours are lacking condition). What is their actual condition score? Could it be possibly be that you are looking to put them in 'show condition' (which is rather plump) rather than 'healthy condition' where they would be a bit leaner. If all of them are actually too thin, then I would be wondering why? What is their grazing like? Are you feeding ad lib hay or haylage? Presumably worming and teeth are up to date?
 

HiPo'sHuman

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Wish I hadn't posted now! Grazing is decent and hay is already fed adlib. None are underweight by any means, all fit and well in every respect. They will be brought up to show condition ready for next year, NOT morbidly obese, but bigger than they are now. Their welfare is my top priority...

All I wanted was some advice about feeding straights instead of a complete feed, lol.

*Highland was misdiagnosed with hind end lami.
 

Pearlsasinger

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Wish I hadn't posted now! Grazing is decent and hay is already fed adlib. None are underweight by any means, all fit and well in every respect. They will be brought up to show condition ready for next year, NOT morbidly obese, but bigger than they are now. Their welfare is my top priority...

All I wanted was some advice about feeding straights instead of a complete feed, lol.

*Highland was misdiagnosed with hind end lami.


So, if they are not underweight, they won't need extra feeding. 'Show condition' doesn't have to mean overweight, not all judges like fat horses.
 

Fiona

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My ponies (Connie and Welsh A) are on two small feeds of grass nuts and grass chaff and to be truthful have put on weight in the past 6 weeks. Their girths definitely do not go up as easily.

Why not start with something like that, and weight tape weekly to see how it's going.

Fiona
 

Shay

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Obviously no feed is cheaper than feed! Why do you want to feed straights? What is it that you want from a feed at this point?
 

moosea

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So what would you guys suggest?

Highland (6), Sec A (4) and Sec B (6) who’re all in work and all need to gain condition.

No health issues with any of them.

Hay..... I'd be feeding hay and if they lost weight I'd feed more hay and if they got too fat I'd feed less hay and work them more.

As long as there were no health issues as you stated.
 

twiggy2

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Wish I hadn't posted now! Grazing is decent and hay is already fed adlib. None are underweight by any means, all fit and well in every respect. They will be brought up to show condition ready for next year, NOT morbidly obese, but bigger than they are now. Their welfare is my top priority...

All I wanted was some advice about feeding straights instead of a complete feed, lol.

*Highland was misdiagnosed with hind end lami.

I am genuinely confused, if they are not underweight, why do they need to gain condition?
 

Neversaydie

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A little Speedibeet or fast fibre with a powdered balancer/vit&min supplement is all I would be giving natives. Unless they are hat racks or in serious work I wouldn’t be feeding what you are. Mine only gets a cup of balancer and half a cup of grass nuts soaked twice a day.
 
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