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BabsR
Platinum Member
England
2790 Posts |
 Posted - 31 May 2010 : 1:27:44 PM
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OLD TB....Eleven years is not old!! or do you mean a former horse you owned as in old, not as in age?
Have never owned pure Bred Arabians, but would think that possibly stud nuts may be too rich for certain good doers, except perhaps real oldies
Hope you get your problem solved, such a worry
Babs
www.SunrayAngloArabianStud.co.uk |
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littlearabians
Gold Member
1323 Posts |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 1:52:51 PM
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I did mean a former horse I owned... sadly Little Hunter got kicked by a warm-blood mare last year and broke his elbow... we had to let him go, only 15 years old.... hurts every day, but life goes on.
I feel very frustrated about the problem with my mare, I haven't got a clue what to do to make her better... the vet has suggested oils, and she gets that... when I fed with oats and Alfa A + vitamin powders she had none of these problems... however the vet says some horses react like that to the English grass as it is very rich in vitamin A, its rarely but it does happen. |
www.littlearabians.com
Classic Polish Arabians
Worcester based
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loosefur
Gold Member
584 Posts |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 4:03:50 PM
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| I avoid all those pre mixed horse feeds - mixes are worse than cubes/nuts but even so almost all contain molasses, preservatives, mold inhibitors and lots of other nasty things. Yes the horse feed manufacturers have spent years developing these feeds but it's all about them making a profit not us having the healthiest product to feed to our horses. If the latter was the case then they'd stop adding molasses to everything! Urghhh... feed companies are a pet hate of mine! The only mixes I like are Allan & Pages L Mix and Cereal Intolerance Mix - both being molasses free. The Winergy Low Energy mix is also seems safe to feed (and is free from preservatives) - it does contain Molglo, which is a molasses derived additive, but is still low in sugar and starch. However feeding any of these mixes is very expensive and unnecessary. I feed completely unmollassed sugar beet to all mine (Dodson & Horall make it but don't promote it or even have it on their website - but if you ask your feed supplier they will order it in for you), and then a handful of unmolassed chop or Fast Fibre. If anything were to need a bit of extra energy then I would look to add a cup full of oats, organic porridge oats made for humans, as you can be sure there are no nasty chemicals included. I also add a vit/mineral supplement (D&H Surelimb) and all the horses have free access to a Rockies Red Block. |
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Montikka
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2653 Posts |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 6:16:22 PM
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I had many problems with one mare and followed Loosefur's advice regarding feeding - the transformation was remarkable. Baring in mind that our purebreds are all good doers and not in hard work. They have NO CEREALS, high fibre, NO SUGAR (or as little as I can manage) restricted grass and soaked hay. I add oil for some, and seaweed/magnesium for all. I would add oats if they were in hard work or needed to put on condition, and feel that oats have an unfair reputation as being unsuitable.
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Louise, Warwickshire |
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littlearabians
Gold Member
1323 Posts |
Posted - 31 May 2010 : 7:57:58 PM
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| I think I will give it a go.... but I can't restrict their grass, as I only have grass fields and paddocks. |
www.littlearabians.com
Classic Polish Arabians
Worcester based
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lehla
Silver Member
United Kingdom
336 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 2:09:10 PM
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| hi can i ask you people that do feed soaked oats do you soak for 24hrs and how do you drain the soaked oats and how long for do you make fresh up each day thanks lehla |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 6:12:40 PM
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So to gate crash this thread, but it is very interesting and i need some help re feeding my two.
I've had a look on the A & P website and had a read up on the fast fibre. It sounds good...!
My two are both over weight and really need to loose some. They are on re-stricted grass and they get one section of hay when i bring them in a few hours before i ride (It is very green first cut of the year hay)
I was feeding them Lo cal Balancer but they both put on a lot of weight over the winter months  . My vet has advised no short feed at all... but i like them to have their vitamins and minerals and they also both have a joint supplement so i need to give them a little something. At the moment they have a really small handful of Hi Fi Good Doer with pink powder and their joint supplement and a few carrots. Do you think the fast fibre will be better (lower calories) than what they are getting at the moment...?
The problem is that unless you feed the recommended amounts they don't get the vits and mins that are in the feed. This means i have to give them quite a lot, where as at the moment they get a really small handful of the hi fi and their supplements. There can't be much calories in this can there...?
Any help appreciated. |
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Dot
Gold Member
England
669 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 8:40:08 PM
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I suggest finding the lowest MJ/KG balancer out there as this way you will minimize there calorie intake and ensure they are getting the right amount of vits and minerals. I would however seriously upp there workload if you want them to loose the weight and cut out the hay when they are in feed good quality oat straw, it is of low calorific value and will keep them chomping and fiber in there bellies. Pretty much every fiber low cal feed is based on oat straw chaff.
It is hard I have the two opposites at the moment a 19 year old lactating mare on buckets of food and an 8 year old gelding (bay in my sig below)doing 5 miles/ 8km of canter work averaging 20kph and building twice a week plus schooling sessions out 24/7 (about 4 acres shared with 20 lambs/sheep and his half brother) and a hand full of balancer that I am struggling to get the weight off of. He looks in good condition, covering on his ribs but not fit, though his heart rate recoveries say he is. If I fed what the feed manufacturers reckon he should be on he would be the size on of a house. His two year old half brother looks just right.
Scientific research is great but you do need to see what is in front of you as well.
Dot |
Dot
www.threelowsfarm.com
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Edited by - Dot on 01 Jun 2010 8:42:36 PM |
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loosefur
Gold Member
584 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2010 : 9:56:47 PM
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| I wouldn't bother with a balancer at all, if you're feeding pink powder at the recommended amount then that should provide all the vit/mins necessary. You could swap the pink powder for NAF's Slimline - I've heard some good reports about it and it is designed for those with expanding waist lines. Or try the D&H Surelimb - it's far more cost effective than feeding a balancer. I'd definitely consider swapping from the HiFi Good doer (which contains molasses) to Fast Fibre - you won't need to feed much, just enough to hide their supplements in. I'd also cut out the carrots completely as they are packed full of sugar. The first cut hay that is quite green is also not the best thing to feed good doers but if you can't get second cut then if you soak it for twelve hours before you feed it most of the sugars will be leached out. Hope that helps a bit |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
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paul_brown_arabs
Silver Member
252 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2010 : 10:00:28 AM
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interesting article - thanks - have been feeding oats for some time now - since price of processes feeds went thru roof few years back - now alfalfa + soaked beet + oats + balancer + garlic and limestone flour - mixed depending on work loads/needs etc and works fine.
Never heard that oats should be soaked though!
given the short time food actually stays in a horses stomach - think its 15-30 mins before its in small intestine - wouldnt have thought it makes much difference?
i have heard that oats eaten by people should always be presoaked (few hours) or can prevent formation of vitamin b12.
thanks again for the article - will do more digging. |
Paul |
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angel2002
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
2502 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2010 : 2:22:52 PM
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I have never heard about soaking oats either Paul.
Many years ago I fed rolled oats(unsoaked), unmolassed chaff, sugar beet and a vit/min supplement to my gelding (he is on loan to the friend who feeds this way). Khan is still fed this way and is 23yrs young this year 
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Angel
Passion Arabians
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The OAT diet
