Dietry advice please

[gixer]

Right after reading some of the threads regarding feeds its got me wondering if I'm getting things right with Rio's Diet so would like some advice please!

Rio -
16 hh Bavarian Warmblood 7 years old
currently in light - medium work this will increas as spring approaches
Stabled at night with 2 HUGE stuffed haynets, but hay is not top quality (this can not be changed)
Out in the day, but grazing is not currently fantastic.

Current Feeds -
2 scoops of Mollychaff herbal
2 scoops of unmollased speedibett
3/4 scoop of cool mix (local feed stores own brand)
+ dengy probiotic formula
+ CalMag

Currently she has a nice glossy coat, clear bright eyes but her ribs are now visible, I have recently increased her speedybeet levels from 1 scoop up to the 2.

Rio can be a bit of a stressy/stroppy/spooky mare but I'd rate these dendencies to be level 4 out of 10 so not anything extreme.

suggestions/ comments please

[mandal]

I wont comment on the feed in general gixer as I don't know enough but wondered whether adding some linseed (micronised) would help with the weight?

[gixer]

I've never before being on here heard of feeding linseed before to horses.
My only dealings with it is from working previously in a health food shop where it was used for omega oils and constipation!

How do you feed it for equines?

[mandal]

I haven't gone mad honest!
www.performance-equestrian.com/cat/cat020700x-item_2.html (Mta... I've never used the product shown on the link it's for info not recommendation.)

Simple Systems sell it and Jackie JA Taylor (Metabolic Horse) who is a member and expert on this DG sells it too.
www.simplesystem.co.uk/complementaryfeeds.asp

[JackieJATaylor]

OP, if your horse's ribs are appearing you need more calories, and if the hay is not good quality some extra protein might be in order too. I would change your sugary chaff for one with a bit more nutritional value - eg Dengie Alfa-A lite or Hi-Fi Senior (which is great for all ages), and feed more of a low starch pellet to get more calories in than your 3/4 Cool mix is giving you, but without fizzing him up. Spillers Response slow release cubes or D&H Staypower cubes are both low starch options with good 'calorie' content, especially the latter.

It's impossible to make a mix without much higher levels of starch, so you need to look at pellets. The average cool mix is about 20% starch with another 8-10% sugar, whereas the Staypower cubes are half that.

Jackie

[gixer]

You know its daft I've never looked at Chaff as requiring nutritional content!
Its odd how habbits develop and you do things for X number of years without asking why!

So we're about 2/3's the way through present bag of chaff so will change that over when we're running out.

Typically I asked this about 1 week after opening a new bag of cool mix..... but hell that was only £6.80 so no big drama if it gets binned lol.

Thanks guys

[june]

Is there any reason you are feeding the probiotic? I wonder if Yea Sacc might be a better option. That's probably a question for Jackie though!

[gixer]

it is a Yea Sacc one, just cant remember the name of it!
Rio was getting through 2 HUGE haynets a night, and was pooing near constantly. thought there may be an issue in her gut and thought It couldn't hurt to add some good bacteria into her diet.
She's been on it about 2 - 3 weeks now and there are improvements, not pooing as much and actually eating less hay now too.

[june]

Sounds like its helping then.

[Kelly Marks]

I am putting Jackie's website up here because she has been such a help to this DG
www.metabolichorse.co.uk/
Kelly

[gixer]

Thank you Kelly, I had a good read of the site the other night very informative!

I've been out today and got a sack of Hi-Fi, I've got about 1/3 a sack of the molly chop left so can do a nice gradual change over with the 2, then onces she's happy on that I'll move away from the cool mix to the cubes suggested.

Last Q with the chaff and mix changes do I keep the beet in or lose it??

Thanks again!