Feeding advice- winter planning

[HoneyB]

Hi everyone

So i wanted to pick a few brains if i may :wink:

So my horse is currently on hifi molasses free and Allen and page quiet nuts, only a small amount for her supplements...finally!

Up until we moved yards she was on a scoop of hifi molasses free, a scoop of nuts plus alpha beet twice a day and hay. The grazing was very poor and she had lost weight from last year, but lost even more when we moved.

We have now moved yards with better grazing, hence why she only gets a tiny breakfast for her supplements. She has now put on a bit of weight and looks better for it, but my worry is that she will lose quite a lot in the winter again. She is well rugged and stabled at night, but obviously once she eats the grass in the winter paddocks, that will be it.

Would you change to the alfa a version of molasses free or would you stay on what she is on? Of course, i would do it gradually. She will be worked 5 to 6 times a week the majority of times, but no less that 4 times depending on work commitments. She will be doing schooling, hacking, lunging and jumping. She is hanovarian x tb, she can get a tad bit excited now and again, but not dangerous and i quite like her to have a bit of life in her sometimes:wink:

I was toying with the idea of grass nuts now and again. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[popularfurball]

I would always use a linseed or copra first then a unmollased beet then grass nuts

 

[LindaAd]

Isn't it good for horses to lose weight in the winter? Our vets did a talk about it a while ago - I think they called it the "metabolic cycle". It's supposed to be the natural way for horses to live, and it protects them from lami and other problems.

 

[HoneyB]

yes i don't mind her losing weight, but last winter she lost way too much! I would like her to lose some, but not too much that she looks like a rescue case. She is a big horse, so don't want her to lose too much weight.

 

[HoneyB]

I would always use a linseed or copra first then a unmollased beet then grass nuts

ok thanks, i will try linseed and maybe add some alpha beet too as that did seem to help. She doesn't have too much, just a bit to keep condition on her.

 

[laceyfreckle]

I can second linseed. It is what keeps condition on mine. (mine are just relatively poor doers, especially in winter).

Other then that then speedibeet is what we use mainly, and hi-fi with it if needed. Then after that if STILL needing something extra then i would use something like topspec cool condition cubes or grass nuts. copra is also meant to be very good but I haven't used it as are black sunflower seeds which can be fed with the linseed.

 

[popularfurball]

Sorry that was micronised linseed - and I would only up feed once the weight was lost

 

[HoneyB]

oh yes, i wasn't going to start feeding it before, she only gets a handful for breakfast and that is for her supplements. I won't add anything to her feed until she has lost the bit of extra weight she has put on since we moved. Thanks, will try the linseed if i need to :smile:

 

[sjp1]

Just grass nuts for us, and the Simple Systems Blue Bag grass nuts which are lower protein - more like summer value grass.

And in the winter I use a bit of Ruffstuff or Timothy Grass chaff from SS as well.

I do also feed Equifeast's general supplement.