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debsnboz
Bronze Member
202 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Feb 2010 : 9:50:45 PM
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I know this area has been looked at on this forum in a few different guises, but I was wondering what feeds folk are using, and how much they feed. This is again one of the things which has changed rapidly since my last horse 25 yrs ago! I used a type of meadow mix, mollichop and sugar beet then, and have gravitated to an up to date version of that now. Borris lost weight since xmas as the farm where he was kept the hay under lock and key and pretty much stopped putting it out for them so they only got it when they spent a night in, which was perhaps 3 nites a week.
SO now we have moved to our GORGEOUS new fields, and he is on his own with pals over the wall, I can do as I please so this is what he is getting;
Ad lib haylage - and there is lots of grass in the fields
Feeds - I bought some cool mix to replace the forage nuts I had him on from the local feed merchants (argo)as I wanted to step up just a touch so I am phasing the cool mix in but have lot nuts left too so....
2 feeds a day, in total about 1kg nuts, plus the same size scoop cool mix(but it weighs less;, Hi-Fi - makes up 2/3 feed in bulk - big double handfull; 3 serving scoop size scoops soaked sugar beet shreds. Plus carrots and just started putting in saracen shine plus oil (i thinks thats what its called!)
Sorry this is a long post but I feel a bit lost - just using my previous experience and a good dollop of gut instinct on this.
Please don't laugh at me if i'm way off
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debsnboz
Bronze Member
202 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2010 : 9:55:43 PM
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| SHould have said Boz is about 15hh-15.1, was 3 last week, and has walked out twice this weekend for an hour but won't do any more till next weekend! |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2010 : 11:11:46 PM
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My 4.5 year old is still growing and is in what would be termed light work for a mature horse, but quite enough for her (we did our first 20km traing ride last weekend in horrendous weather, and she coped extremely well - in fact she was a star). She is on: mornings:- 1 scoop soaked sugarbeet, 1 scoop Alfa A, 1 scoop own brand horse and pony nuts, turned out during the day (not much grass left,winter field is badly cut up due to weather), evenings:- 1 scoop Alfa A, chopped apples/pears/carrots, 1 scoop soaked sugar beet, 1 scoop own brand horse and pony mix, 1 mug (dry) Allen & Paige Calm and Condition served soaked, 2 mugs Baileys Outshine, 3-4 sections of hay in her stable at night (any more and she just throws it around and makes a mess). She is on shavings so she can't eat her bed (this wasn't to stop her eating her bed, just the quality of the straw was so poor - very broken and mashed, I got fed up trying to muck it out). The Calm and condition is nearly finished, and I will just give her the Baileys Outshine from then on. Roll on spring and the new grass! Once spring arrives properly whe will be turned out 24/7 and will be getting a reduced single meal a day, depending on her condition.
She also has a Himalayan salt lick in her stable, which she uses quite a bit. She is 15.2 - 15.3hh. |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 28 Feb 2010 11:21:46 PM |
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Goldenmane
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4964 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2010 : 11:14:11 PM
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Trust your judgment!! I know what you mean about the way feed has changed over the last 20 years () but just look at him, new grass will be coming through soon and he's not doing a lot of work, the oil you are adding will aid change of coat, enjoy every moment.  |
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Valentine Arabians
Gold Member
United Kingdom
586 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2010 : 10:33:10 AM
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Most are fed Rolled Oats and Suregrow (400gms/day) and 3 are on Safe and Sound (age range from 7 months old to 17 yrs old) - hard feed is weighed out. Hi Fi Lite or Alpha A Oil to fill up (3-4 large handfuls) plus additives (garlic granules, biotin and various herbal stuff). Our grazing is non existent at the moment, as the fields are far too wet and muddy, so turnout is in the round pen and menage. The majority are fed hay, restricted, some on haylage, also restricted.
I alter the weight of hard feed dependent upon each horses' waistline. The rib shadows can be seen in certain light on the entire herd, so no-one is over-weight/obese, only hay bellies!!! |
Liz & Walter Downes
www.ValentineArabians.com
Lincolnshire |
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flosskins
Silver Member
345 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2010 : 2:37:59 PM
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| i find it so difficult now, so many different options! i don't feed very much at all, ad lib hay and still got some grass left, but feed 3/4 of a large round scoop of mollichop and a handful of veteran mix am and pm, a small scoop of livery nuts pm and a couple of carrots and my mare is looking very well! i have never fed huge buckets full of feed but people seem to so I never know if I should be or not! |
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littlearabians
Gold Member
1323 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2010 : 4:17:37 PM
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it all depends of the horse, but i have always made my own mix, and that's the basic feed for them all... to compare with yours, my 3 year old stallion gets:
all the hay he wants to eat.
3kg of my own mix a day (this more then covers a horse his age)
garlic powder.
1 feed scoop of carrots every evening + a couple of apples.
all 3 of mine (my steeplechaser is home on rest at the moment), are turned out on grass every day, but does have a shelter with a hay rack in the field... so they only get hard feed morning and evenings... and of cause hay for the night.
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www.littlearabians.com
Classic Polish Arabians
Worcester based
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Zenitha
Gold Member
England
1078 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2010 : 7:45:36 PM
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I think you can tell a lot just by looking at your horse.....but I would always be careful of over and under supplementation of all the necessary vits & mins.
Obviously,if using a 'complete' feed, you are only benefitting from having the correct rate of vits & mins if you feed at the manufacturers recommended rate for your size horse and their workload. If you feed less, they are not getting the optional amount, and if it is mixed with other feeds, there is the risk of oversupplementing in some areas, and undersupplementing in others.
I personally prefer to stick with one type of feed specific to the horse's individual needs - eg stud cubes, cool cubes, condition cubes - fed to the recommended amounts, or straights (eg oats) with a balancer. For a fatty (like my naughty little Welshie ), just a low cal balancer does him all year round !Wish they were all that easy to feed 
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Cinnypony
Gold Member
1160 Posts |
Posted - 01 Mar 2010 : 8:46:21 PM
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Cinny is 14h and training to do open level endurance.
At the moment she has constant access to haylage in the field.
On top of this she gets half scoop of easibeet, third scoop of Allen and Page power and performance, scoop Alfa-A Lite and a little Outshine.
The above quantities can be increased by giving her an extra feed, but at the mo she's fine as she is... |
    
Cinnabar Moth --------------- -----------CF Matilda ----Red House Gaia
Susi
https://www.facebook.com/CinnabarEndurance/ |
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xsara
Gold Member
822 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2010 : 9:43:45 PM
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| my 2 yr filly and 4yr who is in work is on as much haylage as they want to eat which isn't very much i am lucky if they eat 3 sections a day each usually 2 1/2 and i am picking out of their beds giving that. each morning xsara 4yr who is 15h3 gets 1 scoop alpha A oil, 1 scoop conditioning mix and one scoop conditioning cubes, in the morn she gets same except her conditioning mix is replaced with cool mix. Kiara the 2yr gets 1 scoop alpha A oil, 1 scoop of cool mix and a sprinkle of conditioning cubes, and a cup of stamm 30. In morning she gets the same. They both get a scoop of general vitamin supplement, and linseed oil. Both looking a little on the chubby side so have had there feeds reduced and i would judge on the animal if too light add a bit if too chubby take it away. |
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debsnboz
Bronze Member
202 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2010 : 9:57:03 PM
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Thanks for all your replies!!! A few of you are using cool mix then.Is this mostly the spillers? This was on offer at my feed merchants but I didn't think i'd get thro 3 bags before date ran out in may!! Do you rate the Allen and Page cool and condition??I am slowly replacing forage nuts for the cool mix. And I was thinking about replacing the Hi Fi with the Alpha A too but have lots of it left and I hate waste!
But i could really see his ribs in the late afternoon sunshine!!! His feeds do seem big enough bulk wise - takes him long enough to eat it. so do I up the amounts or change the mix?
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2010 : 10:54:35 PM
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I have been using calm and condition (see post above), but it is since I have added the Baileys Outshine as well that I have really seen the difference, I am going to continue with this without the calm and condition and see if the improvement continues. I know that a lot of people are very happy with the C & C. I would use up the Hifi and then try some Alpha A. Hopefully the spring grass isn't too far away, and you should really see a change in his condition then.
I think most feed companies offer an advice service which might be helpful to you. |
Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 02 Mar 2010 10:55:30 PM |
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xsara
Gold Member
822 Posts |
Posted - 02 Mar 2010 : 11:58:32 PM
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| Yeah it is spillers that i am using at the moment, |
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Topic |
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Feed - what and how much?
