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T O P I C R E V I E W
gossy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 1:15:53 PM What are your thoughts on hard feed, i havent had to feed my horses hard feed since last October, the grazing and the hay at my yard is fab, my horses look fat and happy, im asking because someone else has said i should feed my horses all year round especially the youngsters, they are both 3 1/2 and 4 years, dont seem to be lacking in anything, lovely shiny coats etc and no probs with teeth, hooves eyes bright and look no problem weight wise possibly a little fatter this year.
What are everyones thoughts please, my vet is quite happy with them all just having grass and hay.
13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Jamana
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 9:34:52 PM Here on the TB stud the mares and foals wouldn't normally be being fed at this time of year, but last year we just fed them once a day as the grass wasn't growing so wel. This helped the foals look well, though we ae aiming for a foal to sell in late nov/early dec so they have to look right. However my Arab 3yo is out on grazing only and looks super. BUT all fields, both at the stud and my own filly, have a D&H uniblock and a cheated rockie, so they can take minerals. This is important for bone growth and density, but they seem to know if they need it or not. Alternitively you could just feed a lo-Cal balancer as someonelse suggested.
Out mares and foals are fed on just ordinary pony nuts, Alfa-A and Blue Chip balancer at this time of year.
Nichole Waller
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 8:00:01 PM I agree with Mrs Vlacq. I don't think grass (unless it is really good quality) contains all of the vitamins and minerals they need for strong health bones, joints and immune system.
I use a Lo Calorie Balancer feed which does exactly what is says on the bag.... It is low in calories and is fed in small quantities (by the mug full) but it contains all of the vitamins and minerals they need. I just mix this with a small handful of low calorie or lite chaff and they get two small feeds a day. (even though they are out on grass 24/7)
It is quite expensive at £25 a bag, but a bag lasts me three and a half weeks for the two horses (Welsh cross Arab and my full Arab). So that works out at about £1 day for the two horses....
The lady i bought my boy from had him wintered out all last year on only grass and hay. She said he came into the spring looking quite poor.... I've had him a month and he is on more grass (he had a small bald paddock when i bought him that he shared with another horse) and his two small feeds a day and he has grown 2 inches in a month..... This is great news for me cos i wanted him to grow a bit more. he is now 14.2hh and still a little croup high so he might make 14.3hh..
The company that make the feed i use also do a stud balancer which is for pregnant and lactating mares, foals and youngstock as well as performance horses. This is still low calorie, but contains more protein.
Google some feed companies and have a look at what they provide. They are normally very helpful if you ring them for a chat.
Good luck
rosie
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 3:34:36 PM I think your horses look fab gossy. I think alot depends on the horse, the quality of the grazing, quality of the hay etc. I have a 19 year old & a 2 year old - both have been out at grass 24/7 since early April & no hard feed. I think they look ace & plan to show both of them this summer.
MinHe
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 3:32:16 PM
Originally posted by Mrs Vlacq
Grass alone won't 'do' a growing youngster properly IMO
Would agree with that - unless the youngster is growing too fast, I would give a ration of a specially-formulated NON-TB youngstock mix. That will make sure your ypoung'un doesn't miss out on essential micro-nutrients (vits/mins, etc). Alternatively, you could look into one of the extra nutrient paddock blocks, which are also really hard feed, but the horse takes it as it needs it.
Keren
gossy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 3:03:40 PM mine are boardering on fat just from the grass and hay, thats why im hesitant about feeding them, the farrier is always commenting on their hoof growth, i have fed mine twice/three times a day since i got them one at 5 months and the other at 10 months, they are both nearly 4years now! its only since last October that i havent because they were getting so fat from the good grazing, would you advise a vit/min supplement for the youngsters now? Thanks.
Emma B
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 2:50:25 PM mine boy is a good doer he gets a token feed morning and night so he can have his supplements but apart from that he has soaked hay and grass.
Mrs Vlacq
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 2:50:20 PM Grass alone won't 'do' a growing youngster properly IMO - unless it is exceptional. I know that's how they are in the wild but we ask more of them now, restrict their grazing etc etc. Up to 4 a little hard feed gives them extra vits, extra oils for hoof growth, and I like them to have a bit in reserve just in case they get a bug, or a bad spell of weather. Don't want them fat, but I wouldn't want my juveniles to look lean/fit now. Yours look great... if they are shining, growing hoof, and playful in their feilds thay are getting enough.
What does bug me as a breeder is when people buy a youngster and take it away, then moan its not grown enough, isn't winning enough etc etc when the full sibling at our place looks a million dollars. We don't ram feed down them but meet their needs. Adults can cope much better than growing babies. If you skimp on them prior to 4, it will take another year for them to catch up.
Also, we token feed our 'roughed off' yearlings once a day mostly so that should we need to intervene in case of injury /illness they are already in the routine of being fed, handled etc despite being at grass 24/7.
gossy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 2:32:53 PM should i be feeding them all a vit and min supplement then? welshie is 21 and semi retired, 9 year old mum is being bought back into work but only lighlty hacked a couple of times a week and schooled lightly a couple of days a week, youngsters just backed but not doing any work particularly.
Kazzy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 2:13:59 PM I was always told by my vet that they dont need hard feed unless they are being worked and I mean being worked a couple of hours a day etc etc.
Fortunately mine lives on fresh air and the only time I fed him hard feed was when he was younger but it led to awful temper tantrums, he had that much feed inside of him and not enough excerise to get rid of it.
One of my vets does dressage and she only feeds happy hoof and good hayledge with a good vit and mineral supplement and she says thats all her horse needs to be in top class condition.
Janet
gossy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 1:44:36 PM all of mine seem to be good doers, none of them are stressy and since moving up here to new livery last september they have all chilled right out.
abz87
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 1:40:54 PM I think every horse is differnent. some are good doers and some aint. They all look happy n healthy so why mend somethin that aint broke.
Abz x
gossy
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 1:34:25 PMthis is the welshie this is mum and daughter this is other youngster
i think their weight is fine i check them regularly, but just gettting paranoid because of someone elses opinion.
Crusaders Angel
Posted - 03 Jul 2009 : 1:28:39 PM Why waste your money? If the youngsters are growing well, keeping their weight and have enough energy then I'd just leave them on grass & hay.
Its a myth that horses need loads of hard feed. When Angel was competing up to 50km she used to get a small double handful of Alpha-Oil, scoop each of joint & muscle supplements and enough sugar beet to dampen it down. The only hard feed she had was when she was crewed out on route as the energy was easily digestable from the Endurance Mix. If you managed to see her appreciate post then the photos speak for themselves.
. I've had him a month and he is on more grass (he had a small bald paddock when i bought him that he shared with another horse) and his two small feeds a day and he has grown 2 inches in a month....
. This is great news for me cos i wanted him to grow a bit more. he is now 14.2hh and still a little croup high so he might make 14.3hh..
this is the welshie
this is mum and daughter
this is other youngster