something to perk him up without putting on weight

[H & Bailey]

I need something to perk bailey up a bit and give him a bit more 'go'. I ride a couple of times a week and go for a steady hack around which lasts 1 -2 hours. we tend to mostly walk ,have a little trot and maybe a canter.he is quite round and a good doer, at the moment and is on poor grazing with a handful of happyhoof and ponynuts,garlic and seaweed a day,when the grass gets right down i put out a slice of hay.At the moment i feel im having to nag at him to keep a nice active walk or he just bumbles along at plod speed.he is well behaved and gets along with his job and does what is asked but is quick to drop out of trot and canter unles i am kicking him on which i dont want to do..as my last horse was a TB i find Bailey a bit slow at the moment but wouldnt want to part with him.
I only got ponynuts as recommended by the feed store but they havent perked him up anymore so wonder what you would recommend to replace what he is on without putting on weight?

[puzzles]

first things first, any compound feed you give your horse he will only use to put on weight. this is because the energy is relleased slowly and can easily be converted into fat.
therefore in order to help give your pony sparkle without fizz, or adding to his current weight, the best you can do is give him a small amount (e.g. a handful or so) of high, fast-release energy - in the form of Dengie Naked Oats for example - which is utlilised instantly, meaning that the energy will be used for action rather than weight gain. only a small amount should be used as it is high in starch, though a small amount will more likely do good for him.
bear in mind that no feed will change your horse's natural temprement, only exaggerate it.
overall, in order to balance your horse's diet you will need to feed either a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement; such as Baileys Lo-Cal/ Blue Chip Original or Lami-Light, or Global Herbs Globalvite/Feelgood 30 Vits&Mins/NAF Pink Powder.
this canbe mixed in with a small handful of chaff (such as Dengie Hi-Fi lite or Good Do-er) to make it more platable and bulked-out.

for days when he is not working much/at all, you can phase out the oats over a day or two, and likewise you can increase the amount for harder work if needed, gradually building up to about a handful in each feed for example, depending on the individual horse.

good luck

x

[H & Bailey]

thanks for the reply thought i wasnt going to get any!!
he can be a sensible but go-ey pony especially if he has noticed something and walks out lovely which i like ,so if a few oats stops me having to nag at him to get him a bit more lively helps i will give it a try as long as he doesnt turn into a total 'tigger'(bounce bounce tigger) pony which does on occasion!

[andreaB]

second that you need a quick relese energy source in theory , but also wondered if you have considered several other factors to feed

1. how fit or fat is he? if he is overweight or not very fit he is likely to be a bit lethargic ,

2. how off your leg is he? he may not be lacking in energy but instead needs to be taught that he has to go off your leg & stay forward , sounds like you are probably doing more work than he!

3. would he benefit from a suppplement? as a good doer & a horse that is only in light work he should not in theory be needing many concentrates & the likelyhood is that you would need to feed at below recommended levels anyway , a good vit & min supplement might be sufficient for him

[Bebe]

Echo Andrea B. I'd add an energy giving feed as an absolute last resort to be honest.

My mare perked up no end one winter when I introduced a feed balancer (Lo-Cal) to her diet. I didn't want her to gain weight and I knew she was fit enough for her workload but she just seemed to be lacking some of her usual sparkle. I've had her on a feed balancer ever since.

[puzzles]

no problem hun!
that's very true - horses who aren't getting all they need in their diet often perk up when given a balancer or vitamin and mineral supplement, as suggested.
also, a fit horse with be much perkier than a horse struggling. also, if he is a bit podgy, he's probably got that feeling mamny of us get at christmas after a big dinner and lots of chocolate!
remember to introduce any changes gradually, over a period of at least 3-4 day for the quick-release, high energy additive.

:-)