Feeds

[beanz's mum]

I would like NR's opinion on the best feed for fattening up a horse I feed my shared pony sugar beet but I've been noticing that other ponies next to the field have been losing weight and the owner asked me what feed is the best I said to her sugar beet or pasture mix and fibre cubes but they don't work on her ponies so I though NR should know, please help!

 

[Jessey]

After good grass I would vote for oils/high oil feed stuffs, they come in many forms but they really do help alot and are a very easily accessable and non-fizzy food stuff.

 

[Dummer&Drummer]

Baileys no 4 top line and conditioning
sugar beet is good, you know there is a new better one out now

 

[Guest]

I would say fibre cubes are the best way to go and maybe some speedibeat.
You won't have to worry for much longer as the grass will be through soon and that'll do the trick.
I've heard the Baileys stuff is good to.
Feeding lot's of adlib hay/haylage should stop any further weight loss.

 

[dcp]

Grass what's that? Agree with 1st time mum ad lib hay/haylage. Sugarbeet is good. I have a skinny tb and I feed him chaff, sugarbeet, balancer and ad lib haylage. I often get worried about oils and mix in case they make him loopy (half way there anyway).

I don't have much experience in feeding ponies though.

 

[Bay Mare]

Yep, agree too. The first thing that you should do is ad lib hay/haylage. Hard feeds are more for energy than for putting on weight and in some cases can actually CAUSE weight loss! Saffs was so strung out on Pasture Mix that she lost a hell of a lot of weight in less than a fortnight.

Following the feeding equation you should be feeding abou 2.5% of bodyweight if you want to put weight on. About 25% of this is a bucket feed which includes chops, lucernes etc.

I know that I keep banging on about it but Saff is in much better condition and has kept her weight stable over the winter (24/7 turnout) on forage feeds.

 

[artemis]

Supa Barley Rings. I used them to keep weight on my elderly horse.