Oops, the rather serious issue of my horses weight

[xJenniferx]

Tyler has always been a biton the chubby side. Since I bought him he hashad a good appetite that is never satisfied.

Since I have taken over his feed he has been on 2 cupsofBaileys lo-cal per feed, scoop of alfa a original (meant to buy good doer but picked up the wrong bag!) and codliver oil. Have recently started him on Pink POwderto help with runny poo due to haylage. The PPis working.

Was speaking to my YO today as she said she can make up all his feeds if I just let herknwo what he needs. I have recnetly been thinking that Mr T needs to drop a few pounds.Mentioned this to the YO and she said she had noticed he hadput on a bit of weight. Notlost any or even maintained his weight, despite the freeing weather.

So I am thinking something a bit more drastic needs to be done.

Looking to cut out the Alfa A entirely.Give him one feed a day consisting of Baileys Lo-cal and the Pink POwder.

Is this a bit drastic. He getsAdlib haylage throughout the day with a couple of ours turnout a day. I am giving him some time off just now that in the New Year we areboth refreshed and ready to roll.

His feed would have gone from (per feed)

1 scoop Alfa A Original
2 coffee cups of Baileys Lo-Cal
Spot of Cod LIver OIl
2 scoops Pink Powder

to

2 coffee cups Baileys Local
Spot Coded Liver Oil
2 scoops Pink POwder.

Thoughts? He is a 16.2hh IDxTB weighing about 650kg.No fat deposits just a bit round!!

Jen
x

 

[eml]

I would firstly cut down the haylage by mixing it with feed quality straw or hay. A horse that is not working and has little turnout needs low protein forage and vitamins...nothing else.

 

[Joyscarer]

What she said

Plus the othe other thing that comes to mind is that you are using 2 brands of general purpose multi vit & min suppliments. I would question whether this is too much? If it were me I'd be leaving out the lo cal and just going with the pink powder if he still needs that. Or just stickiing with the lo cal - but not both. I too would advocate getting him off hayledge and onto late season hay and even pad that out by adding oat straw. He can eat more of that to satisfy his appetite as it has less energy in it. Aslo feed it from a small holed haynet or double up the haynets so it takes longer to eat.

I'd also swap from the alpha a original to either good doer or hi fi lite. The original is the second most conditioning chaff dengie do so obviously worth considering moving back down the range.

http://www.dengie.com/pages/products/alfa-a-and-hi-fi-ranges/fibre-feed-finder.php

Obviously I'm no feed expert but that's my thoughts for what they're worth!

 

[popularfurball]

Would second that, he doesnt really need a feed unless he is working or to give supplements/meds etc.

I use happy hoof as is recommended by the lami association for my fatty - she only gets literally a handful, and I dont really want to give her that but had to start giving her it as the others make a big drama about dinner time and she stands expectantly for ages looking for hers! She used to stand quietly looking so I left her without one, but no she has started kicking, so I give it more as a reward for when she doesnt kick - if she kicks she stands and looks all night as Im not rewarding that!

 

[xJenniferx]

So take away everything except the Baileys Lo-Cal?

My YO was going to ask a couple of people if they want my Alfa A Original as they use it for their horses.

I have got into the horrible habit of giving both boys feed that they dont need and trying to re-vamp approach without harming them!!

Happy enough to give them just the Lo-Cal. The chaffwas really to bulk the feed out so it wasnt essentialin the energy department so would it be OK to get rid of it.

I phoned Baileys and they said I could feed chaff if I wanted, but as he was a good doer the Baileys Lo-Cal would be fine.

I had originally put Tyler and Hamish on Safe & Sound and they did so well on that.Just wasnt sure if S & S had all the vits and mins that were required.

Joyscarer you have far more experience in feeds than I have lol.

 

[Skippys Mum]

Funnily enough, I was at a coffee evening at my vets recently. One of the speakers was an equine nutritionist. She was very non comittal about PP. She wasnt prepared to comment against it but she did say if we named names she could say yes or no to using different things. PP was one of the things asked about and got a no.

My pal emailed her for advice on feeding her IDxwarmblood and was told to feed the recommended daily amount of Baileys LoCal and haylage and nothing else.

Unfortunately, Arnie goes ballistic on LoCal so I cant do it

 

[SavingGrace]

the haylage makes holly chubby and the PP dones absolutely nothing for her All she gets is a tiny handful of alfa a, 1/2 scoop of speedibeet and she gets RDA of equibites and ad lib hay

 

[Tracy1]

I too have a very good doer, shes on atm 2 cups of Top spec lite with a sprinkling of chaff and soaked hay overnite (stabled) Shes turned out thru the day but tbh shes with another two ponies and theres very little grass, but shes holding the weight well and I do sympathise with you, agree the baileys lo call and pink powder you are basically using two of the same, both balancers which supply vits and minerals, use one or the other be cheaper for you as well, change the Hi fi to good doer OR the top spec top chop lite which has no molasses in if you feel you need to bulk out the lo call if its just a sprinkle it wont do much calorie wise anyways

Tracy xx

 

[xJenniferx]

I am such a hyopcrite. I stand up and moan about horses getting feeds when they dont need to while I am merrily fattening my horse up for a delightful illness

Better break the bad news to him tomorrow.

Will manage to get the AlfaA Orginal off to someone no bother. Keep him on the Lo-Cal, remove PP which fortunately is nearly finished.

Will maybe put a few pics up to see what you guys think.

How much of a difference will the chaffmake if he has ad lib haylage. He getrs the small holed nets, around 3 nets a day with extra if required.

Jen
x

 

[Tracy1]

If he gets a sprinkle of low calorie chaff and I mean a sprinkle I cannot see that doing much calorie wise anyways, Abbie gets half a handfull and its just basically to bulk to balancer out a bit, she wud live on fresh air of that I am convinced but i BELIVE THEY NEED THE balancer to get a good supply of vits amd minerals so am loathe to drop this so I cut back on everything else, ie the chaff and the soaked hay, am gonna try and up her excercise although its not easy this time of the year, can u soak hay to get rid of the sugar content this may make a big difference

 

[Joyscarer]

I use good doer and lo cal for my 2. Tbh I'm not all that bothered about how much chaff they get as it is so low in energy. I too only use to to pad out their lo cal a bit as they have loads of poor quality grass.

There is a theory that feeding more of the good doer chaff or other low calorie feed like fibrebeet with make them feel less hungry and less incline to eat as much grass which (certainly in summer months) would have more in it than the grass does.

Mind you if you are offering soaked hay or hay padded out with good quality straw then he can eat more of that to satisfy his 'hunger' whist not piling on the lbs so readily so the size of bucket feed isn't going to be that important in the scheme of things if on the diet stuff!

 

[gail_rose]

Funnily enough, I was at a coffee evening at my vets recently. One of the speakers was an equine nutritionist. She was very non comittal about PP. She wasnt prepared to comment against it but she did say if we named names she could say yes or no to using different things. PP was one of the things asked about and got a no.

My pal emailed her for advice on feeding her IDxwarmblood and was told to feed the recommended daily amount of Baileys LoCal and haylage and nothing else.

Unfortunately, Arnie goes ballistic on LoCal so I cant do it

Did this coffee evening happen to be in the Park Hotel on a very rainy night? If so I was there too!