Feeding HELP!

[Melrose]

Okay, I don't have my own horse and horses I have shared i've purely fed what the owners already had in for them - and i'm going to be completely honest as I really would like some help and info on it all.. but feeds completely baffle me! Because i've never read about different feeds or had to look at what to feed a horse myself, i'm clueless about them! And if i'm wanting my own horse, where on earth do I start?!?! :help::frown:

There's SO many different things out there, and I know each horse is different so will need less or more of various things, but what do I need to know?!?!

I'm pants :frown:

 

[sjp1]

Well, feeding is a minefield and as always, horses for courses!

I feed mine simple systems blue bag grass nuts which are just that. Grass that has been pelleted and summer value grass, rather than spring value.

For us, it has eliminated all the itching problems he had and the fact he often had a swollen sheath. But he is sensitive and over reactive. Feeding him what I fed my TB which was Baileys No 4 conditioning nuts sent him into a fruit loop.

After all the different feeds I have tried, I have decided simple is best. I don't want my horse eating soya and wheat feed and oat feed (the latter two being the leftovers if you like of wheat and oats), I just prefer simple grass!

But I also feed a mineral and vitamin supplement. Again with no additives, from Equifeast.

 

[MrA]

My horse is fed nothing so that's easy enough!

Roughly what type of horse would you be looking at buying and how much work are you hoping to have it in? Maybe this will help people give you a bit more relative advice, not much point in learning how to feed a shetland if you want to buy a tb who you jump and ride for hours on end :smile:

 

[nat17]

It all depends on the horse so any advice could be useless, the main aim is to feed fibre,fibre,fibre... And on,y to add other stuff if the horse requires it.

There used to be short courses with baileys horse feeds that were very useful, maybe you could google it and look into doing one:wink:

 

[Lot1983]

It depends on the horse! Ask the current/old owner what they feed and WHY!

If the horse is hunting five days a week and fed a bucket of oats twice a day, if you feed the same horse that and school three times a week and hack twice chances are you'll end up with a very bouncy horse!

Essentially as Nat says you should feed a fibre based diet, add in oil for weight gain and cereals for energy (slow/fast release).

With a new horse I would start off with the basics, hay and grass and add in other feeds where needed. Most of all, keep it simple!

 

[Melrose]

My horse is fed nothing so that's easy enough!

Roughly what type of horse would you be looking at buying and how much work are you hoping to have it in? Maybe this will help people give you a bit more relative advice, not much point in learning how to feed a shetland if you want to buy a tb who you jump and ride for hours on end :smile:

I am not looking for a fine breed of horse e.g. TB, Arab etc.

Hopefully looking for something quite hardy, that can be out at grass most of the time. A welsh, ID type..

And would be hoping to ride around 3/4 times a week, hacking and schooling mainly.. jumping too but not all of the time!

 

[MrA]

I am not looking for a fine breed of horse e.g. TB, Arab etc.

Hopefully looking for something quite hardy, that can be out at grass most of the time. A welsh, ID type..

And would be hoping to ride around 3/4 times a week, hacking and schooling mainly.. jumping too but not all of the time!

Depending on what your grazing is like, probably won't have to feed much/ anything, depending on how good a doer the horse is obviously. May need some supplements for vits, or feet, or garlic for flies etc but again all depends on the horse.

At the moment my horse is on biotin to help strengthen his hooves, I feed this in literally a handful of hifi lite with a carrot. In winter he just gets extra hay rather than a feed as he always has enough energy and doesn't loose condition (he's fat year round lol) If he did then I'd start feeding, but only a little hifi and mix and go from there.