When to start feeding supplements - is prevention better than cure?

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zeuscleoharmony

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I have a 16.2hh ID x Cob, 7 years, lives out 24/7/365 and is an extremely good doer. He lives on grass in the summer and in the winter gets one feed per day consisting of Dengie Hi-Fi, D&H Pasture Mix or Spillers Cool Mix, Speedibeat and carrots, pears, apples. He has ad-lib hay also. He has no additional supplements.

He is never, (touching wood), ill or lame and passes his vet checks with flying colours.

Do I carry on as I am, after all he is healthy and happy or should I prepare for the future by giving him any supplements? Any advice, please.
 
If it ain't broke.....don't fix it
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You seem to be doing just fine at the moment!

You could end up feeding every supplement and vitamin under the sun 'just in case' . Could end up expensive.
 
I know from experience what living out can do to a horses joints ect, as mine was stable kept before i bought her and then out 24/7 when with me. After the first winter of living out she became a little stiff, so i now feed oil all year round and in winter she has glucosamine also.
This seems to work for her, but i do believe that prevention is better then the cure.
 
I don't feed supplements unless my horse needs it. Horses are designed to get the maximum nutrition out of poor pasture and feeds are so full of vitamins and minerals anyway that IMO there's no need to feed extra supplements unless there are problems.

I never feed supplements usually unless it's to deal with something specific. Horse has just been treated for bone spavins in both hocks so is now on a joint supplement because vet told me to put him on one. I gave him a bottle of RedCell after the treatment because he was a bit flat; it perked him up and he's off it now. My mare had moody mare supplements (but just the herb, not the expensive supplements like NAF Oestress). I don't feed all round general supplements, I think they get what they need from their feed. I figure that the racehorses at my yard all survive perfectly well (and perform a lot more than my horse is expected to!) on racehorse mix, grass and haylage, so my hobby horse certainly doesn't need anything extra.

So no, I would feed anything. Give him electrolytes before, during and after very hard work (by this I mean a day's hunting or eventing, something like that), a joint supp if your vet tells you to but that's it.
 
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Give him electrolytes before, during and after very hard work ...

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Hard work! I don't think he's broken into a sweat since I've had him (lol) - but in the event he ever does, electrolytes it is. xxx
 
i would feed vit/mins if on less amount of hard feed regament and i would feed cod liver oil from the age of 10 just to keep them supple otherwise dont feed until they need it!
 
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