Youngstock - 'barefoot' feeding

[LilMissy]

Have been investigating the benefits of a 'barefoot' diet for the broodmares and retired horses.

So as I understand the basics, high fibre, low in sugar and starch, adding linseed and also the relevant vitamins and minerals.

Have any of you introduced this kind of diet to your youngstock as well (ie under 4/5 years old) bearing in mind thier different dietary needs due to growth?

I have a four year old who I would like to keep unshod when he comes into work later in the year but is still growing and maturing. Also have yearlings who again are at a completely different stage of growth.

For example;

Spillers Youngstock Mix has
Digestible Energy (MJ/kg)11.8, Oil (%) 4.75, Protein (%) 16.0, Fibre (%) 8.0,
Starch (%) 26.0

Previously have always looked at the protein content for the youngsters and good adlib hay/haylage.

However, now looking again quite shocked at the high starch content! Also wondering if this could be contributing towards bad behaviour? Well, one has gone quite grumpy and domineering with the others, which is completely out of character for him, also seems more reactive and spooky. Up to now he has been a very easy, laid back chap.

 

[Queenbee]

Four year olds dietary requirements are the same as an adult horse, as of the age of two their requirements change in accordance with their slower growth rate. My boy is four this year. As a baby, he just had fast fibre and a youngstock supplement, until he decided he didnt like the fast fibre at which point i switched to hi fi lite.

I actually changed his feed today. Before hand he was on just a chaff and a vit and mineral lick, but it was not sustaining him with this winter So he still has the chaff but I've tweaked it:

2 scoops of hi fi lite
130g linseed meal
Small slug of rice bran oil



The above is split between two feeds and he has an 'all you can eat buffet' of hay.

He is 15.3, hunter type, four in June.

There should be no problem popping your four year old on such a diet. With regards to the younger ones, chaff and linseed meal and a young stock supplement will cover everything they need.

 

[minniemouse]

my rising 4 yr old is barefoot as well and i want to keep him this way if possible, he is fed on stubb scoop of alfabeet,spillers lite balancer, mug of linseed and a handful of spillers high fibre nuts(also put use the nuts in a treat ball for him).

he looks really good on this and has no problems hacking out 3 times a week, i am careful to keep him low starch, and sugar but good protein levels for his development, he gets 2 bucket feeds a day and adlib haylage, he has never had any kind of mix as the starch and sugar content is usually high in mixes, hope this helps.