Advice needed on feeding live out TB

[MrsCarter]

Hi All,

As the title suggests I'm needing a bit of advice on what to feed my new TB mare. I take delivery of her tomorrow and I know she's on a standard coarse mix.

I was just wondering what you guys think she should be being fed??

She's a 16hh 11 yr old TB mare and she's up to weight :) In fact she looks really good. This will be my first time owning a TB and I really want to get things right for her :D I've been a cob girl for years and am looking forward to the change.
She'll be living out 24/7, rugged of course, and will have access to plenty of grass and hay .. the farmer replenishes the hay daily :)
Her temperament is second to none and she's very laid back so I don't want to feed her anything that may change this :)

Hope someone can help :P

xxxx

[puzzles]

Hi!

Firstly, well done on keeping your TB out - I know a fair few people who still believe that they can't live out happily and healthily.
Plenty of forage - preferably ad-lib - is essential as during digestion lots of heat is produced, acting as central heating and keeping your horse toasty!
be careful not to over - rug her - horses generally prefer to adjust their thermistats up rather than down.

You seem to be on the right track and know what you're doing, so good luck!

x

[MrsCarter]

Thanks for your reply Puzzles :) I've only bought her a MW rug as I am of the opinion that I can always add layers if needs be :)
It's going to soooooo different to owning a cob!!! I also have a 13.2 native type pony who's just a 'throw her out and leave her' type LOL

xxx

[Pink's lady]

A full neck would be really helpful (yes, I love them). Keeps then dry and cuts out water seepage and windtunnel quite so much. My STB lived out in a medium full neck all winter and was just right all the time - often he used to get too hot. And they don't eat when they're too hot.

As puzzle said, adlib hay/haylage is the best possible thing you would give her. If it's truely adlib (i.e bale i field) you might not even need to give her bucket feeds.

If you do need to feed her then a fibre diet is best. I'd stop the course mix and replace it will a fibre feed and a general supplement. Readigrass is lovely and most horses love it - smells delicious! It's very high energy too, although it's not particularly cheap. If I only had one to feed that's all they would be getting.

Alfa-Oil is usful - all fibre with no mollases and added oil with Vit E. Very good for condition without fizz unless they react badly to alfalfa (which isn't uncommon). It would be a try it and see case there.

Sugarbeet is wonderful stuff - high fibre, lots of good low release energy and keeps them warm. You can feed bucket loads of the stuff too.

If a fibre diets still isn't enough then I'd be adding a conditioing cube (not mix, less mollases in it). There's a couple on the market all pretty much the same.

[MrsCarter]

Thankyou for your very helpful advice Pink's Lady. I'll certainly take on board what your have said :) I'm a lover of Sugar Beet too. I got quite lazy at one time and bought Speedi-Beet for my previous horses :o
As for full neck rugs ....... I'm a sucker for them. I've bought my TB a Weatherbeeta Landa Combo :D It's sooooooo snug. Can't wait to see her in it :D

Getting excited now!!!!!

xxx

[CurlyWurlyRach]

congrats :D

My TB does well on ad-lib good hay, fibrebeet and Alpha A - they often do better than people expect :)

[Sexy Sietske]

Echo the sugar (or speedi if prone to fizziness) beet, helps keep them warm.

My TB who is currently out, in a lightweight T/O and very toasty!!! On a field full of (not so good) grass, will be fed...

Alfa-A oil
Speedibeet
Calm and condition
1/2 cup extra oil

Im hoping this should do him just fine and when the grass becomes more limited he will have haylage in the field.
Im hopeful that he will live out all year this year and i believe most horses can and will if they are given the chance to adapt to it.

ETA- My TB is currently underweight, hence all the feed :p

[MrsCarter]

:D Great advice from everyone ..... I'll be off to the feed place in the morning with my new found knowledge :D
I kinda knew that coarse mix wasn't really the right thing to be feeding her.
I thought it best to ask people who have 1st hand experience of TB's living out :)

Thankyou sooooo much.
I'm beginning to feel like I've never had a horse before LOL. It's going to be different to owning a cob but the learning curve will be so much fun!!!

xxx