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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 11:32:57 AM
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Kira is slightly underwight, I would like her to gain a little condition but she tends to fizz up on feeds like top line conditioning cubes.
She gets ad lib hay, average grazing out from 8-5, rugged when required and fed 2 x scoops of hi fi and equivate supplement in the evening (I was feeding speedibeet too but it keeps going off before fully soaked  )
Any ideas would be really helpful
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baxter
Gold Member
England
1123 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 11:39:16 AM
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Equivite Body Builder supplement, it's basically like milk pellets you give to foals, it's FABULOUS, and keeps weight on a veteran anglo who now looks a little toooooo fat!
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Rozy Rider
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4545 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 11:59:18 AM
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| I don't think your speedy beet has gone off, as it only needs 10 mins soaking before use, just soak what you need for the day, and start again. That and Alfa A should put a bit of weight on. Also, get her teeth checked and check your worming, just in case. Good Luck. Sue |
Sue
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Songbird
Bronze Member
England
152 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 12:07:04 PM
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| We had an old horse come into our yard a few years ago , he was very poor we fed him on loads of alfalfa and in three months he looked great. Nowadays I use simple systems to fatten up horses in need of condition . I can give them as much as they will eat without harming them or fizzing them up or puting them in danger of ulcers from too much grain. Most of the system is based on alfalfa / lucerne. |
Kit Rolfe |
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Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 12:25:02 PM
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As I have the same problem, I have been recommended:
Alfa A (Lite or normal) if your horse can have molasses (mine shouldn't - typical) or Readigrass or Simple Systems Alfalfa
Linseed
Top Spec Cool and Condition or Allen and Page Fast Fibre
Oil added to the feed if that lot doesn't give the desired result.
It was also recommended that I feed a probiotic - I'm going for YeaSacc on the recommendation I got for another horse.
Hi Fi probably isn't going to help much, TBH. I can feed that to my fatties without them getting too fat!
I've also used Alfabeet before with good results, plus the TS Cool and Condition or A&P.
I am only just starting to change mine over to this diet so don't know how quickly it works yet  I started normal Alfa A a week ago and already she's looking fatter but I've been advised to remove anything heavily molassed.
Speedibeet should only be soaked for 10 minutes at this time of year - I usually soak mine overnight in the winter but wouldn't leave it long in summer.
Ditto getting teeth checked, plus worming, and if you're worried get a general blood test done. This is what I've just done with my oldest mare (she's 19) and it showed a slight problem (hence the reason I've got to change from Alfa A to something with no molasses). |
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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 12:32:32 PM
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Kira has been wormed and had all checks unfortunatly she is stressy at the moment and is stressing all her weight off. Sorry the stuff i'm using has to be soaked for 12hrs may have got the name wrong 
am I wrong in thinking alfa can fizz a lot of horses up? |
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baxter
Gold Member
England
1123 Posts |
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NatH
Platinum Member
England
2695 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 1:07:03 PM
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I think Allen & Page, Calm & Condition is great for putting 'top line' on horses. It's non-heating too.
Remember to soak it first 'cause it does swell |
Natalie
Chapel Lane Arabians
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GHALEEM
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2028 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 1:08:59 PM
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Readi Grass worked for me, they really love it.
Michelle |
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pascoe
Gold Member
England
584 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 1:25:35 PM
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| Some one on here last year told me to TRY Soya Bean meal... Its cheap as chips and works really well, my poor little arab is now nice a round, she has a fab shiny coat to, its a lot cheaper than soya oil. Would recommend it 100%. Also dose not make them fizzy, lots of these condtioning feeds have some form of barly in them, i find that barley makes my girl very very fizzy and spooky.. |
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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
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Karon
Gold Member
England
1411 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 2:02:46 PM
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Yes, alfalfa can send some of them slightly loopy! In which case Readigrass might be a better bet. It's probably worth getting some speedibeet or kwik beet if the stuff you've got has to be soaked for 12 hours, too.
Should be able to get soya meal from an agricultural feed merchant - that's where I got some from a few years ago. My mare hated that, too!!
The only other thing that springs to mind is, could you keep her out 24/7 with hay as well? If she's stressy that might help her to settle more. Also do you have any better grazing she could go on? My mare can't - I've got some but she don't stay on her own and the others are all fat enough - but it's worth trying to get more grass if you can. Nothing like good grass for getting the weight on I know my first horse would stress weight off too, so living out on good grass was the best thing for her.
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geegee
Platinum Member
England
3682 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 2:11:51 PM
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I use Allen & Page Calm and Condition. I soak it for at least 20mins and it keeps my mare in tip top condition.
What quality is your hay? You might be better off with Haylage.
Can I ask why your mare is stressy? |
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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 3:12:38 PM
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geegee will pm you
We don't have the grass for 24/7 turnout and I have a lami pony so they have two acres split two between them, she is on very good hay (just bought in a new batch) and haylage sends her completly nutty bless her. |
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ashabarab
Gold Member
England
1378 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 4:10:36 PM
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try barley plus..
its extruded barley which is partially cooked so a very easyly disgested form of food, and it doesn't heat them up
soya oil has 45% digestable protien against corn oil which has about 8%...again you can buy soya bean meal which is 45% protien and test's show no side effects from feeding such a high protein leval [although l would avoid feeding this to a youngster]
a good coarse mix should contain everything your horse needs..a lot of people in the US are very anti alpha grass at the moment so you would be better on a mix of alpha/straw..i e high fi...the idea of feeding a chaff is that the horse must chew to produce more silva and digests more
food that way
you can add a probiotic if you like
and if you are allready feeding speedybeat you have done everything possible
remember youngsters grow and look good one day...then the next day they have shot up and look 'orrible
if you suspect worms do a worm egg count [take a lump of poo to your vet]
l find the simpler you keep things the better they work
l was sponsered by a well known feed company for many years and picked up a lot....l had to speak to customers and advise them on what to feed...
also several small feeds work better than one large one
good luck
ash
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s.jade
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2401 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 5:12:03 PM
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Its like rocking horse poo to find...but if you can get hold of some Rowen and Barbary Ready Mash Extra.
Miracle food!
(we call it fat food) |
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Delyth
Gold Member
United Kingdom
1425 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 5:18:41 PM
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| I'm with Baxter Soya oil or just corn oil from Tesco's or where ever is great. I've got a difficult one at the moment he's lost alot of condition but showing inflammation in one foot. Dobson & Horrell suggested Alpha A ( lots of ) but he's not that keen with a little leisure mix, speedi-beet and oil. The oil is making a huge difference. If she is abit stressy I'd put her on a pro-biotic too. The one I'm using at the moment is Protexin Gut Balancer. |
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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 6:09:32 PM
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Thanks guys, I have a few bits picked up so will try them and see how she goes.
ashabarab I am keeping an eye on her because of that she measured at just 15.1hh at the front and 15.1 1/2 on the bottom so she is still growing but even my YO has commented that she is getting a little skinnier. Have weight taped her so will do it weekly to see how she goes. Don't get me wrong she doesn't look like a cruelty case but does look under what she should be for this time of year
thanks for all the help will let you know how it goes |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 6:36:12 PM
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| In the past I've used Hilton Herbs Fenugreek/cooked Linseed mix - you only need to add a small ammount to feeds & it really does help!! |
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alistair leslie
Gold Member
England
1036 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 7:24:13 PM
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Delyth is right
corn oil from Tesco
Works wonders and is good for lots of things |
    
blue moon |
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Pashon2001
Platinum Member
3575 Posts |
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Kizzys Mum
Silver Member
England
389 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 9:40:01 PM
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| thanks for that have actually bought something very similar today I think the change of grazing and environment has just left her a bit unsteady as she was calm before I moved her and was maintaining weight well, fingers crossed it wont take long to get her back to that |
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gossy
Platinum Member
England
3639 Posts |
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ashabarab
Gold Member
England
1378 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2008 : 10:53:51 PM
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l had a youngster that looked like a bag of bones untill he was nearly three..as everything else in the place was well covered and he got twice as much grub as everyone else [and then some] l got to the stage where l was beyond despairing..he was just always ribby bum high no neck etc...then suddenly at three he all came together and looked great.....and he never looked back..so adventually all the good food caught up with him [instead of coming out the other end]
l have no idea why he out of them all took so long to come together but some horses do seem to take their time..
good luck
ash |
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