when did feeding horses become so difficult!

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Hedwards

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I'm sure i never had such a difficult time working out what to feed my horses in the past....

Connie is currently just fed TopSpec Lite balancer and has haylage at night, turn out on good quality grazing during the day (although as its ex-dairy pasture we do have to be very careful in the spring/summer as it gets so rich)

I posted about going barefoot and was told the topspec balancer wasnt the best etc etc.

So, what does everyone on here suggest i feed?

She is a retired, good doer cob x, 21 years old, had concussive laminitis in one foot, and has (yesterday) gone from a heartbar shoe into a 'normal' shoe as a next step before going barefoot. She is turned out during the day 7am-3.30pm, and gets good quality haylage at night. she gets 1 cup balancer am and pm...

Also, I've got my part loan - I dont like his current diet as its primarily a mollassed chaff (with a cool mix in addition) he is in light work, schooling and hacking once a week, he seems a good doer and hasnt dropped any condition since he's been at my yard (since last May time i think) although I've only paid real attention since I've been loaning him (the past 3 weeks) he's a big 17.2hh hannovarian x holstein, 7 years old - and i am planning to take him barefoot too (his owner should be paying for shoeing and cant afford it!) but I believe his feet will more than stand up to going barefoot, and I have agreed to pay the cost for that.

Please can someone point me in the right direction? I've been on all the feed companies websites, and so far i'm liking the look of happy hoof and/high fibre cubes from spillers with the spillers lite balancer (as when i spoke to a nutritionist from spillers a while ago they made comment that it has good levels of biotin in it) - for my mare, but at a bit of a loss with the loan gelding...
 
Its not difficult if you ignore the manufactures' sale patter and dont buy their "pretty bagged" feeds!

The only feeds I use are Allen and Page Fast Fibre and or Dodson and Horrell Kwikbeet, plus Pro Hoof. All mine are barefoot, all on the same management ( out 24/7 on good grazing and unrugged ) I have to boot the fronts of one, but he has been shod for 15 years of his life, one is a field ornament, and the other has brilliant feet and self trims.

If I were you I would start them on a no mollasses low starch feed ( combined % of less than 10 ) Some barefoot horses are sensitive to Alfalfa too so a oat straw based chaff too. If you can get your grazing analysed or do what i do and guess what they need by feeding Pro Hoof ( on ebay )
 
I feed my guys steamed/crimped oats with an additive for their joints. Simple and they love it. I don't like horse crack (molasses/beets). Can't get simpler than oats.
 
Thanks both, have just had a look at the A&P Fast Fibre - looks like it would be perfect for my old girl - how long does a sack last you - at their feeding rates, I'd get 20days out of one - this seems quite high considering she gets lots of other forage (haylage & turn out on good grass)...

Pro-hoof also seems to be very popular on here, and so think I'll invest in a tub of that for both horses (I assume when it says a 'scoop' on ebay it means one of the little supplement scoops - cant imagine trying to 'hide' a supplement if its much bigger...)

I'm wondering if the loan horse would do well on the same diet? I could always 'add' something for extra energy if i needed it, although as we go into spring/summer i think he'll get that from the grazing anyway...
 
I literally use a hanfull of FF, when its soaked for a minute it expands. You get a scoop in the Pro Hoof ( Progressive Earth one ), I use half a scoop for my 13.2hh pony. Should last about 60 days; the FF, a lot longer!! cheap as chips :D

Shouldn't need anything else tbh
 
Feeding is only as difficult as one makes it!!! The feed manufacturers are rubbing their hands with glee at the amount some novice (and not so novice) owners are feeding their horses!! It seems to be a competition between some people that the more they feed their horse, the higher up the horsey scale they rise!! :eek: :eek:

There is too much of a choice out there that most people are buying and giving their horse feeds which they don't really need because 'so and so' is feeding that so I need to go one better.

I feed my horse soaked grass nuts, a bit of chaff, a multi vit (not an expensive brand) hay in his stable and give him a good groom every day and he looks damn good on it, he is in medium work, regular lessons and dressage (unaffiliated) once or twice a month.

How did we used to manage in the 'good old days gone by' where the horses had bran, Spillers Horse and Pony nuts and oats if needed, they hunted hard all winter and Pony Clubbed the rest of the year, did we have 'problem' horses? ;););)
 
My big lad gets a small scoop of FF and it makes a substantial meal once soaked , tried to make it to a&p directions for his size and it would have made him decidely plump :)
 
Piglet said:
How did we used to manage in the 'good old days gone by' where the horses had bran, Spillers Horse and Pony nuts and oats if needed, they hunted hard all winter and Pony Clubbed the rest of the year, did we have 'problem' horses? ;););)
Click to expand...

This is exactly what i mean - this is how i used to feed my horses in the 'good old days' - however I just seem to have been sucked into the black hole that is commercial horse feeds...

Think I'm going to go down the fast fibre route - and then look at the supplements like pro-hoof that are out there - just need to find one that is cost effective and nutritionally effective


Its actually looking like i could keep both horses on the same diet then...
 
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