Best non-heating cubes/mix for horse in light work

[squidsin]

Roxy is still a bit skinny for my liking - not ideal going into winter. She shares quite a small paddock (approx 2 acres) with 2 other mares so there isn't really enough grass. She comes in during the day between 9am and 4pm and has adlib hay and two small feeds which at the moment are Hi Fi Lite, Spillers Low Cal Balancer, and her farrier's formula supplement. I think I need to bulk out her hard feeds a bit - normally I'd just add in Speedibeet but I am riding her a lot more now that I am freelance and have the time! So I was thinking of changing her to Hi Fi (instead of Hi Fi Lite) and maybe trying something like Spillers Cool Mix. I don't want to blow her mind though and I have a bit of a natural antipathy towards anything too starchy, having had a horse with ulcers previously. Has anyone got any suggestions? She is a 14.2 Warmblood, generally a good doer but as I say not enough grass in her field, and she is staying there for the winter.

 

[MrA]

You might want to try and keep whatever you feed her as low sugar as possible, I think sugar is bad for hoof quality. Nothing helpful to add sorry but just thought I would say

 

[squidsin]

You might want to try and keep whatever you feed her as low sugar as possible, I think sugar is bad for hoof quality. Nothing helpful to add sorry but just thought I would say

I totally agree anyway - sugar is unnecessary for horses! I was thinking of maybe trying Happy Hoof.

 

[carthorse]

Maybe swap the HiFi Lite for an unmollassed alfalfa chaff. If she'll eat a nut then Spillers High Fibre nuts are good & lower in starch & sugar than a mix (also read the ingredients labels as they make for some significantly cheaper own brands & while the vit & min level may be lower you're feeding a balancer so that isn't an issue). Also you could consider a balancer that isn't a lite one, generally they have a higher protein level. Oil is also sugar free.

 

[mystiquemalaika]

Emerald green grass nuts,fantastic,last ages and really help keep/put weight on depending how you use them. Lower sugar and starch than some lami friendly feeds in the larger and natural.

 

[Trewsers]

I gave madam Calm and Condition years ago when she was a bit undeweight (how I wish that were still so)
Don't know if that's the sort of feed you are needing?

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Mattie gets Veteran Vitality now to keep him in shape over the winter - it was Calm & Condition before.

All our horses really love the Agrobs feeds: they are organic and made of natural grass and flower ingredients. The Weisencobs are just dried meadow grass and they look yummy. The Muesli is higher in nutritive value. I recommend these feeds, as long as you soak them well.

 

[Native Lover]

I love Emerald Green grass nuts for my ponies when they need extra condition or energy for working hard... they do fabby on it... Mix it with some chaff and they are very happy. It adds weight while keeping them on a non heating forage based diet.

 

[Jessey]

I think the difference between hifi and hifi lite is that the lite doesn't get coated in mollasses, so imo you're better of switching onto a higher nutrient value but still Unmollassed chaff, alfa being my first choice, alfa a mollasses free is actually about the same mj/kg as a basic grain based nut/mix so if you want to avoid grains its a really good option and buffer's gut acids really well too.
Speedy beet is a great addittion for adding a few non grain calories but its still low sugar. I did use d&h fast fibre for a while but find speedy beet just as good but more cost effective
Jess was doing all her prep work for wales on restricted grazing, hay and a little alfa mollasses free and speedybeet, we were doing up to 70 miles a week, sometimes in the saddle for 6 hours in a day and by just tweeking the speedy and alfa she maintained her weight and had plenty of energy for it.

 

[squidsin]

I think the difference between hifi and hifi lite is that the lite doesn't get coated in mollasses, so imo you're better of switching onto a higher nutrient value but still Unmollassed chaff, alfa being my first choice, alfa a mollasses free is actually about the same mj/kg as a basic grain based nut/mix so if you want to avoid grains its a really good option and buffer's gut acids really well too.
Speedy beet is a great addittion for adding a few non grain calories but its still low sugar. I did use d&h fast fibre for a while but find speedy beet just as good but more cost effective
Jess was doing all her prep work for wales on restricted grazing, hay and a little alfa mollasses free and speedybeet, we were doing up to 70 miles a week, sometimes in the saddle for 6 hours in a day and by just tweeking the speedy and alfa she maintained her weight and had plenty of energy for it.

I've gone for Hi Fi molasses free, Speedibeet and some non-heating horse and pony nuts, which I am introducing slowly. Hopefully she'll have a bit more energy and better hoof growth now.

I looked at Healthy Hooves/Happy Hoof/Fast Fibre but feeding at the recommended amount, I'd get through a 15kg sack in about 10 days, and that's not cheap! To say the least!

 

[Trewsers]

I always keep a bag of Speedibeet in - it lasts ages and they always gobble it all up (great for hiding meds)

 

[marj]

I gave betty allen and paige calm and condition - excellent for putting weight on -within 4 months betty was up to weight and I know they feed the hunt horses on this

 

[Apple24]

I recently spoke to dengie about wanting to put weight on one of mine without fizz I and suggested the mollasses free diets to try hifi mollasses free first as more oil, and then if no improvement the Alfa a mollasses free then if really worried can try the Alfa a mollasses free. Also have you thought of calm and condition by Allen page instead of the sugar beet as is non heating.

 

[squidsin]

I know a couple of horses who went completely nutso on Calm and Condition and it's completely put me off! It's still a starchy cereal based product, even if it's less heating than other similar ones.

She's on Hi Fi Mollasses Free, Speedibeet, livery pellets, farriers formula and a balancer for now. She's definitely enjoying it so let's see if it does the trick.

 

[carthorse]

You shouldn't need a balancer & Farriers Formula, check the ingredients because you could be over-supplementing some vits & mins which at best is a waste of money & at worst is potentially harmful.