What would you change about my horse's diet?

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3BayGeldings

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13 year old thoroughbred, usually a decent weight, can be prone to dropping off slightly but counter-acted with adlib haylege at night and out on new pasture during the day. Usually a dope on a rope but changes dramatically when fed mixes so we avoid those - I like him as a dope :D

I'm aiming to improve his hooves and also maintain a good weight during the winter. He's hacked at weekends and schooled once or twice during the week.

Currently fed twice a day:

Speedibeet
Readigrass
Lo-cal balancer
Micronised linseed
Salt


If he was yours, what would you add or change to help his hooves specifically, or his overall wellbeing?

Most recent picture a few weeks ago, mid-shoeing.
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I would possibly change the speedibeet to fast fibre.....but thats only because I've started feeding it the last month or so and the horses love it. All are good doers - unshod- and they are looking really well ATM.

I'm no expert, but I think your horses diet is probably fine anyway.
 
Its basically a fibre diet...so great for horses who can get het up on cereals. You can feed as much or as little as you like, so for good doers a cupfull is probably OK. My arab gets a full scoop. I add in Think Pink ( like pink powder but cheaper;)) and magnitude and thats it. You can chuck a bit of non-mollased chaff in if you want.

http://www.allenandpage.com/Products/Rest-and-Light-Work/Fast-Fibre.aspx
 
really tiger tail, I thought readigrass was as plain as a chaff could be :( I obviously didn't do my homework there. Thanks, I'll look into the pro balance - why would you prefer that to the lo-cal? x
 
3BayGeldings said:
really tiger tail, I thought readigrass was as plain as a chaff could be :( I obviously didn't do my homework there. Thanks, I'll look into the pro balance - why would you prefer that to the lo-cal? x
Click to expand...

Pro Balance contains the highest levels of minerals commonly deficient in the UK and is not padded out with other ingredients, taking up pot space upon which you waste your pennies.

Which brand lo cal is it?
 
If you use fast fibre, you don't need to add anything else to it at all.

You mix it with water and it forms a kind of mash. It low sugar, low starch and obviously high fibre lol..you could add your balancer to it if your horse needs one.

personally I feed hay rather than haylage, as Ive had horses in the past who became grumpy on it.
 
Baileys Lo-Cal Balancer

Grass Meal, Distillers Grains, Wheatfeed, Micronised Soya, Dicalcium
Phosphate, Molasses, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamins and Minerals, Yea-Sacc®1026 Yeast Culture

So loads of fillers before they actually get to the minerals - waste of money. Also not that lo cal either as its molassed and contains grass meal and grains :rolleyes:

Pro Balance much better :)
 
Personally I would stay on Speedibeet over Fast Fibre due to the fact FF is quite considerably less calorie and thus the horse might drop weight, and if you fed extra haylage to counteract that then you might end up feeing more sugar than if just staying on Speedibeet :)

You can get chopped straw chaff, but I've found it hard to source. Honeychop do one, as do Haleys and Simple Systems. Good stuff but mine won't eat it in any great quantities.

I'd deffo ditch the balancer, they tend to be full of rubbish - as you can see by the ingredients list! EquineAnswers 365Complete is good, and cheap, but Pro-balance is probably your best bet. I'm betting you'll notice a difference in feet when on it.
 
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